has anyone sown parsnips or carrots in loo rolls?

[salome2001]

.. and then transplanted them? I know they don't like having their roots messed with so seed trays/ modules aren't a good idea, but if you just planted the whole roll including cardboard would this avoid the root upset?

Just wondering, since the ground is so frozen (and I bought rootrainers for my peas so now have hundreds of saved loo rolls going to waste )

[lottie dolly]

it's a bit to cold yet for either,but if wish,you could either use a kitchen roll tube,or join two loo rolls together,for the parsnips,as the root grows before the green leaves do,then you plant the whole thing in the ground,make sure no cardboard is above ground,or the dry/windy/sunny weather will act as a wick and pull the moisture out the ground,then you should not get any root desturbance,although stones will do that for any root vegg growing below the top,tried carrotts once,not worth the bother,if you have a green house or equiavalent,you sow very thinly into buckets for an early crop,or seed trays with a very shot variety,have google,not sure of the names,

[Thriftygreen]

I started my parsnips off in loo rolls yesterday in the propagater, just hoping that the soil will be warm enough to plant out by the time they are ready to go out in my raised beds. Germination has always been a problem with parsnips for me...... last year i started them off as sprouted seeds and then sowed them with quite good germination.

[chris]

I have. They forked a bit/had a few side roots grow out of the main tap root, but I had plenty of useable parsnip. I did start a thread about it a couple of years ago.

Edit: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ent_45073.html

[Florence Fennel]

I can't seem to get along with loo rolls, so I sow direct, thickly and then thin out, so I wait until the soil is much warmer. I still save the rolls all year round, they're brilliant aerators in the compost bin.

[bazzaboy]

Not yet, Salome But it's great to see Parsnip Threads lurking, waiting for the off....

It must be Spring!

[Bren In Pots]

I sow mine in loo rolls first week of March then plant them out as soon as I see seed leaves that way they don't fork and I don't have any planting gaps.

[vegnut]

Mine go in the ground in April, and as long as they don't cap off and dry out they germinate well enough. I can't get on with loo rolls either.

[roitelet]

Did it one year with half kitchen towel rolls and planted out when they had germinated. By then the root was visible at the bottom roll. It was sucessful but what a fiddle! Now I station sow over deep holes made with an iron rod filled with sifted soil, I have lots of stone, then thin out to the strongest per station. I sow quite late end of April or so and find this less of a fiddle and just as successful

[jackie j]

Last year was the first time I sowed in loo roll's and the first time I have had parsnips, will be doing it again this year. Got loads to use lol

[Dead Dogs]

I grow parsnips in loo rolls, but as has been said the roots came out the bottom before the true leaves. The following year I tried again using full length kitchen rools. Very fiddly, the cardboard falls apart when wet, won't stand up and are a pain to plant.

I think I will try roitelet's system this year.

For Early Carrorts, I've overwinters some in the greenhouse and polytunnel.

[Alison]

I don't really get on that well with loo roll planting and find it much easier to just sow carrots and parsnips direct, a small pinch of seeds at the right spacing. However, as has been said above, it's too early yet

[Scarlet]

I don't really get on that well with loo roll planting and find it much easier to just sow carrots and parsnips direct, a small pinch of seeds at the right spacing. However, as has been said above, it's too early yet

Same for me - it takes much too long to mess about with loo rolls for carrots! I sow straight into the ground. But I do use them for peas and beans...

[Alison]

Same for me - it takes much too long to mess about with loo rolls for carrots! I sow straight into the ground. But I do use them for peas and beans...

Ah, peas I use guttering (or direct for later sowings) and beans go in root trainers.

[Dane End Dolly]

My parsnips get sown in loo rolls every year and planted out, that way i can monitor where the seedlings are as i can be a pain by pulling up seedlings instead of weeds. I shall be doing the same again this year