Garden Vegetable - Parsnips

Botanical Information

Starting

Notes:

Succeeds in most ordinary well-drained soils. Requires an open location and prefers a deep rich soil that is not too stiff. The parsnip is often cultivated in the temperate zone for its edible root and there are a number of named varieties. Normally cultivated as a winter root crop, some cultivars are faster to mature and can be available in late summer. The roots are very frost hardy and can be left in the ground to be harvested as required, though they can also be lifted in the autumn and stored for a few months. The flowers are very attractive to hover flies and predatory wasps. Plants have very few insect pests, though they are sometimes attacked by carrot root fly. Growing onions with the parsnips can reduce the damage.

Propagation: Seed - sow from late winter to late spring in situ. Seed can be slow to germinate, especially from the earlier sowings. It is best to mark the rows by sowing a few radishes with the parsnips. The seed has a short viability, very few will still be viable 15 months after harvesting.