When germinating parnsips on wet kitchen roll...

[SlugLobber]

...what do you do then? The other day I wanted to get going, but the FIL's compost generated so much nettle seedlings and crap that none of my 'winter' tomatoes germinated and I didn't have compost.

Soooo, I did the germination on wet roll thing, without thinking it through!! Do you keep the roll wet, or keep dampening with more water? Once germinated, do you transfer to loo rolls as soon as they germinate or longer?

I know, I know, I should have just waited!!! I just fancied having a go, is all.

[phil the shed]

i pot htem into the rolls as soon as the little tap root is about 2mm long otherwise it finds it's way into the paper and then it's a bugger to remove

[Jeanied]

^^^ Wot he said - without the swear words

[Piggle]

I second that ..... although I left it a bit long and they ended up all over the show . Parships ( as I call em ) were ok in the end though.

[SlugLobber]

Thanks guys. What about dampening? Do I keep the roll damp or just the one dampening at the beginning?

[rustylady]

Keep it damp, but not soggy

[Piggle]

I sprayed with a plant sprayer when it started to dry off

[SlugLobber]

Thanking ye kindly.

[MrsDaffy]

I put mine in a takeaway tub and damp kitchen roll and then put the lid on. I find it doesn't dry out that way. And it's an excuse to go out get a nice tasty curry! However mine have germinated a little too well and I've run out of loo rolls. I now have rampant seedlings about an inch long with a green leaf on the end!

[Jeanied]

That is the way I started mine last year - in a takeaway box put into the airing cupboard till I got germination. Mine got very leggy and tangled and that is what I ended up planting straight out in approximate rows - no fiddling around with rolls or anything. I did end up with parsnips in rows, once I thinned them!

[Two_Sheds]

FIL's compost generated so much nettle seedlings ...

So, use that in the bottom half or third of a pot, and top up with nice sterile MPC

[di]

Oh! I think I got it wrong, in my head anyways as I've not done it yet. I thought you just literally germinated the seed on kitchen towel, to make sure it's viable, then if it is, pop it in a row.
I was going to ask why you can't just space them out on the paper and then cut into strips and plant like that. I didn't realise you were waiting for leaves to appear.

[Bigmallly]

You don't have to wait for the leaves di, like you say you can just tear the paper and plant that as well. Once they germinate, you know they are viable. That's my theory anyway.

[di]

Thanks, BM. I'd just prepared my kitchen paper but thought I had it all wrong. Next ad break I shall be sowing parsnip seed.

[Paulieb]

Read about chitting seeds on paper a hundred times but never actually tried it.

Might do some this weekend with whats left from last years pack of parsnip seeds. I've got a new pack but will give the old pack a try first.