GROWING SUMMARY​

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• An ancient member of the parsley family (Apiaceae) Parsnips, like their close relative carrots, are herbaceous biennial plants grown for their edible tap roots which form in their first year before they run up to seed.

• Parsnips must be direct seeded and do best in deep fertile soils with plenty of phosphorus.

• They are the opposite of carrots in that they will only germinate in cool soil so get them in the ground by late November.  Seed viability is an issue. Buy fresh seed every year (or save your own). Ensure a good crop by planting a pinch of seed every 100mm down the row. If necessary cover with shade cloth till the plans are up and then thin to the strongest in every group. Space rows 300mms apart. The seeds look like little winged spaceships making them a difficult proposition for seeding machines. 

• They are slow growing, large plants that need a lot of leaf development to produce large, well formed roots. 

• Harvest when you can see large tops at the surface of the soil. The more frosts and cold weather they are exposed to the better.

• Parnips are very pest and disease resistant.

• Over wintered parsnip must be harvested by the end of winter when they will bolt up to seed and become woody.