Parsnips

[grahamR]

This to
If, or one like it, has probably been aired before, so apologies if it is a repeat.

Last year I tried, for the first time, to grow parsnips. The results were ugly. Fanged turnips would be an accurate description. Tried again this year. Sowed White Gem. They're about five inches across the top. Have more than one root, though I wouldn't call them fanged as they have the 'parsnip' shape. The roots goes down so deep I can't dig them up without snapping the main root and leaving some inches in the ground. My ground is not particularly stony and carrots seem to be reasonably OK. Would like to get it right.


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[rustylady]

Sounds as if you have got it right - you just need to dig deeper to get them out.

[Tripmeup]

As RL says, sounds good to me...Give yourself some space when digging around and down to at least minimize any damage...Also have some Weetabix before you go to pull them

[kathyd]

Well here's my favourite parsnips so far - weird really, because they grew beautifully last year, and they're in the same soil etc. I love the wonderful shapes, but they're definitely hard to clean up for dinner!

Anyone else have any photos of the silliest veg you've grown this year?

[Hazel at the Hill]

. Have more than one root, though I wouldn't call them fanged as they have the 'parsnip' shape. The roots goes down so deep I can't dig them up without snapping the main root and leaving some inches in the ground. My ground is not particularly stony and carrots seem to be reasonably OK. Would like to get it right.

I get well shaped MASSIVE parsnips too. with long roots, and obviously I don't want to appear ungrateful, but one they are - well - too big!

eg:



I think I may have inadvetently cracked it this year - (a) I was late sowing and didn't get them sown until April and (b) I didn't thin them so much (forgot!! ) so they are growing closer together.

The result is perfect shaped parsnips at just about a proper parsnip size.

[Bill HH]

We have a few members in Australia, maybe one of them could push from below as it were.

[mothhawk]

Well here's my favourite parsnips so far - weird really, because they grew beautifully last year, and they're in the same soil etc. I love the wonderful shapes, but they're definitely hard to clean up for dinner!

You could have been photographing mine, kathy, that's exactly how they look this year. last year they were properly shaped, and I haven't done anything different this year, but they've come out looking more like celeriac!

[Snadger]

This to
If, or one like it, has probably been aired before, so apologies if it is a repeat.

Last year I tried, for the first time, to grow parsnips. The results were ugly. Fanged turnips would be an accurate description. Tried again this year. Sowed White Gem. They're about five inches across the top. Have more than one root, though I wouldn't call them fanged as they have the 'parsnip' shape. The roots goes down so deep I can't dig them up without snapping the main root and leaving some inches in the ground. My ground is not particularly stony and carrots seem to be reasonably OK. Would like to get it right.


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Flood the area with bucket of water, just keep flooding until it turns to mud. You should be able to dislodge them then especially if you can get both hands around the parsnip.

[Snadger]

Well here's my favourite parsnips so far - weird really, because they grew beautifully last year, and they're in the same soil etc. I love the wonderful shapes, but they're definitely hard to clean up for dinner!

Anyone else have any photos of the silliest veg you've grown this year?

Are you sure they aren't GM'd? They look like they have squid DNA in them somewhere!

[taff]

Mine grew like that too....I think the answer is plant later so they don't have a long growing season, or squeeze together as hazel did