perfect parsnips?
Getting temperamental parsnips to germinate was a problem: until I learned of a different method.
This year, our parsnip seeds were sown into cylinders of newspaper that had been filled with compost. The seed took four weeks to germinate.
Once germinated and getting along well, the cylinders and their infant contents were dibbered into the soil.
Several seeds had been dropped into the top of each cylinder. These were thinned to the strongest seedling once in the soil.
There's a long way to go before they're steaming on the Christmas dinner plate, but I have to say that I'm encouraged.
I have a bed of baby parsnips to be proud of.
4 comments:
I'm quite certain that parsnips would require excessive work in our heavy clay soil, but I keep thinking about trying. My efforts last year didn't amount to much.
I've got two different seed packets of 'Cobham's Marrow' currently, and have probably already passed the point that I should have prepared the perfect hole for them and sowed them in a spot to leave them for months and months.
Hope yours are great!
Heavy clay is bad news for carrots and parsnips. Ours is quite a light loam and so probably ideal.
You could try and incorporate lots of sand????????
There are few satisfactions to match drawing a long parsnip out of the soil. Go on, give it a try!
Rob
Hey Rob,
Thanks for the recent comment on my blog. I use this trick too but I use toilet paper rolls so I can remember which ones are the plants and which ones are the weeds.
Nice blog you got here.
Your blog is full of brilliant ideas mrbrownthumb and i'm a big admirer!
Glad you're back!
Rob
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