Parsnip germination

[Flummery]

I planted mine up into loo roll middles as soon as they produced a root, moggsue. I didn't want to risk snapping it. As long as I had proven germination I was happy to put it at the top of its 'container' and add a little sprinkle of compost over the top.

[moggssue]

Oh okay, so maybe i need to plant each one as the root appears rather than wait until most have germinated - some of the roots reached an inch or so long and despite my best efforts may have been disturbed. Yet again, I live and learn!

[Pippin]

Like Flummery says, loo roll middles are ideal, pop a chitted seed in just as germination takes place - a little white point emerging from the side. It doesn`t matter if they are staggered, they will come - may the parsnips be with you

Pippin

[moggssue]

Do you put the loo roll middle and parsnip seed straight into the ground, or leave them indoors for a while first? I think now that I left the roots to grow too big but will still live in hope for a couple of parsnips in the winter!

[Pippin]

I have a heated propagator in my greenhouse so I plant the chitted seed into the loo rolls and I can fit 9 standing upright into a 2 litre Walls ice cream container - without the ice cream .

I clip off a couple of the corners so when I water the excess can drain away. I then place them into the propagator for a couple of weeks to establish.

When planting out I make cone shaped holes in the the soil with a metal rod I have, about 18" deep and 3-4" across at the top. I fill these with potting compost then plant the complete loo tube - sounds like a well known video posting web site - and growing parsnip into this medium.

Once they establish themselves they will race away.

If you only have a windowledge thats fine, just make sure they don`t become lanky and weak - turn them around periodically so they don`t bend over pushing toward the light.

Pippin

[Kimbo]

Kimbo, I'm going to listen to you and do it your way next year, then I know I'll have some parsnips! Then just have to make sure they grow once planted out - so far so good, tho they're only an inch tall so far! If I can pester you a bit more - how long do you let the white roots get on the kitchen towel before planting out? I had various sizes, since I left the first few to show until most of them had germinated but then the first ones were getting quite long?

I planted some that had long roots but no more than an inch and some that had only just germinated it depended what was in there after about 5 days.

[lfcjohn]

After trying and failing with a variety of the techniques suggested i took the advice of the neighbouring plotholder (he has been on the same plot for 30 years). He told me to get 2 different packets of brand new seeds from different suppliers and sow a row of each next to each other and that i should get at least 1 row and then just use this brand if i wanted to plant more.
After 3 weeks i have 1 row with nothing at all, but the other row has come up well with no gaps. i will be using this method in future.
I suppose it is a case of if it works for you go with it.

[moggssue]

Kimbo - I shall try your method next year, tho in a coldframe or windowsill. Too late for this year, they're in the ground now taking their chances with this rain and chilly weather - they hadn't been washed away last night so I'm hopeful of at least a few small parsnips for christmas day! Thanks for your advice, I shall keep it safe for next year and start saving loo rolls!
lfcjohn (I'm a fellow supporter by the way, now living a long way from home!), I guess you're right that different things work for differnte people. I had no germination trouble on kitchen towel and only one type, maybe I was just lucky.

[Flummery]

At least with the kitchen towel method you don't waste seed. I had about 4 seeds that didn't germinate, though they did it over a period of a couple of weeks. I just potted (should that be enrolled?) them a few at a time as they came.