Grow Your Own Magazine

ive only had my plot for a few months and have tried to grow parsnips, out of a row of about 30 seeds ive got.......wait for it 3!!!!! germinated.Wot am i doing wrong and is it now 2 late to try some more, all the seasoned guys around me are doing great so ive got to try and catch up and do it for the girls. any advice please

You're not doing anything wrong, they're just ba****ds to grow. Leave 'em alone, they'll poke their soul-destroying heads through the soil when they feel like it and not before. Think yourself lucky. You have 3 out of 30. They probably have a row from 3,000,000 seeds!

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it and if you ain't going to eat it, don't kill it

Yup,3 is good going, 'parsnips are right moody'

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Yo an' Bob
Walk lightly on the earth
take only what you need
give all you can
and your produce will be bountifull

When did you plant them. Mine took a month to germinate. If it fails try the toilet roll method next year.

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From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

My advice would be to tend carefully to the few that have germinated, let them run through to next spring and set to seed. Once they go to seed, collect the seeds and sow.

Once you have a strong parsnip seed that is used to local conditions you will get far stronger rates of germination. Its a longer term strategy, but seems to work much better than shop-bought seed.

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'People don't learn and grow from doing everything right the first time... we only grow by making mistakes and learning from them. It's those who don't acknowledge their mistakes who are bound to repeat them and do no learn and grow. None of us are done making mistakes or overflowing with righteous wisdom. Humility is the key.'
- Thomas Howard

The problem is getting one to grow so that it can go to seed! Vegetable Seeds : Parsnip Seed
I've had best results by sowing into loo rolls in the unheated greenhouse, then planting out, but I still only have 8 plants. Germinating on damp kitchen towel was hopeless...I got 6 viable seeds out of 2 diff.packets (all in date).

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~ What do I think of Western civilisation? I think it would be a very good idea ~ Gandhi

im not doing toooooooo bad with the loo roll method got 7 out of 12 was only experimenting to see if i could grow the buggers took a month, its all the impressive mushrooms ive had grow from the loo roll and the soil thats shocked me

Sounds like i'm not the only one who can't get the little sods to grow. I got a packet, stuck them in the ground in march and not a single one has appeared, and now the weeds are growing were i planted them, so i'm trying to weed the bed and not pull any tiny parsnips out with them! However up to now there aren't any, its almost june, they CAN'T take this long to sprout!!!

thanks for all your advice, ill keep at it anyone now when last chance to so is

moody parsnips i like that lol think mine have got pmt

Last year I had loads a happy accident and they were fab but same as you lot this year not one has popped up I am so cross as I had banked on them with my turkey at Xmas.

please don't laugh at me; this might sound really thick but what is the loo roll method?

I don't think you are do anything wrong. They are very hit and miss. A couple of years ago I had two good rows. LAst year I got 3 parsnips and in my first year I got 1.

The first year was even more frustrating as more than one plant started to grow after a long wait. Such a long wait that I had nearly forgotten about the parsnips and ended up hoeing through several of them.

This year I have two rows planted and know sign of them yet!

Fill a bog roll middle with compost, set a seed in the top and hope it grows. If it does, shove the lot in the soil The roll will disintegrate and the parsnip will grow without the roots being disturbed. Tried it a couple of times but it made no difference.

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it and if you ain't going to eat it, don't kill it

ah, thank you, i thought there was a massive secret being kept from me!

ONLY USE fresh seed this is a mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmust throw away last years seed don't even give it away you wont do any favers i have 97 out of 100 and thats no joke i even asked the nursery when the seed had been put on the shelf

sorry to upset the applecart, but i sowed about 15 seeds and all germinated and they are planted in the garden now and growing great guns, am i lucky!!!! i only want them for xmas dinner ha ha with lots of hunny!!!

I never knew their was a problem germinating them until i came on here and mine were germinated already by that time!

SS

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Gardening - A labour of love that begins with daybreak and ends with backache!
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hi guys i have had my allotment for 2 yrs and had complete sucess in parsnips both yrs and again this this two full rows of seed doing great and i think the reason is as said earlier in this thread use new seed never old or saved i also would like tothank all member of grow your own as i have used and picked up lots of usefull advice and tips from here i find this site most helpful to me and my old allotment anyway remember new seed and good luck , dragline

Personally I think it has a lot to do with variety and quality of seed source, as I've had staggeringly different results depending on which variety I've used (the worst were whatever variety Wilkinson's sell in their bargain range). If you find a variety that does well, stick to it.

Also, don't be tempted to try to sow too early. I always wait until the soil warms up (late March/April) and I usually find the seedlings appear within 2-3 weeks, if they are going to. I think later sowing lessens susceptibility to canker too.

Grandad said " dig trench, sive soil, add handfull of lime, sow mixed with sand in drill, top off with compost to stop hard capping, sprinkle lime on top, cross your fingers and wait"
It has worked for me in the north east coast 2 years running.
All the best to all.
FP xxxx

Don't give up. Last year I had four goes at germinating parsnips and even though the last seeds went in about now I had the best parsnips ever!!!! Don't just sow 30 though. SOW LOTS AND BE PREPARED TO THIN. One year I even transplanted the thinnings very carefully and had a good extra row. Regards, Hot under the collar (BLOUSE NOT SHIRT.)

I put mine in the ground where i want them to grow forgot about them stood on them and hey presto parsnips poking through !!! unless its weeds !!!

When I was about 10 I grew my first parsnips and sowed them really thickly,as kids do and hey presto loads of shoots.Now as an adult trying to be careful ect hardly any germinate!

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The greatness comes not when things go always good for you,but the greatness comes when you are really tested,when you take,some knocks,some disappointments;because only if youv'e been in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the highest mountain.

We are on the second year of our allotment and have had no problems with parsnips at all - not rubbing it in. We have the worst soil possible as the council apparently took all the top soil away a couple of years ago

I order my seed from Dobies and use the Gladiator variety. It seemed to relish in the clay, floods and everything else it threw at it last year. This year I also have a full row through. My dad though who has been gardening for the last 50 years has 1 but used T&M.

Can't be beginners luck twice!