Sowig parsnips in loo rolls

[cazp]

Anyone tried sowing parsnips in compost filled loo rolls before transplanting outside? and did it work?

[Capsid]

Yes, it's a favoured method. I don't bother though and sow direct. The seed has to be used in the year of purchase so you can be generous when sowing and then thin out.

[scarletrunner]

YES! every time for me.

[SarrissUK]

I sowed around 20 seeds in loo rolls and all but four have died. I probably waited too long to transplant them, but I won't do that again. Direct sowing all the way for me, where I can. I haven't got enough window sills to cope with snips that go straight out!

[Two_Sheds]

I did it once, and the tap root hit the bottom of the tray before the leaves were even showing

[Bren In Pots]

I sow mine that way every year planting out as soon as I see a bit of green above the compost.

[roitelet]

Yes and no. I did it one year and as Two Sheds says the tap root was out of the bottom before the green bits showed them selves. It's also pain getting the loo rolls in the ground. Now I always plant directly, make a funnel shaped hole with an iron bar, fill it with sifted soil and sow the seeds on the top and then thin to one. Much more sucessful.

[jackyspratty]

my first year! I found it easy to get the loo rolls in the ground I just used a bulb planter and popped in the hole and filled around it. Mine are under a fleece now, tiny leaves poking through. I'ver lost about 6 tubes I think when I checked yesterday. I'm now wondering if I can just sprinkle a few more seeds onto the empty tubes and cover lightly? Cant bare to see an emty parsnip space now!!

I did a mix of chitted and sowing seed direct in the tube. There where no noticable differences really in germination/transpant success. I was surprised to see how long the root was though when thinning out the tube of direct sown ones!

[Bren In Pots]

Donna if you have seed leftover you might as well use it to fill in the gaps.

[Chef_uk]

Planted mine out today. Only one had poked through the bottom so couldn't have waited any longer. Sowed a couple of seeds direct at the end of their space just to see how each get on.