Author Topic: parsnips (Read 10661 times)

Fluffywelshsheep · « **on:** May 03, 2008, 10:35:31 am »

Can any one help me out here, I have tried 3 time to grow from seed but they just don't want to germinate am i doing something wrong or is a a world bad batch?
linz

resistance is fertile · « **Reply #1 on:** May 03, 2008, 10:46:58 am »

Dont know if its because they dont like it too wet early on, but we only ever get dependable germination in a sand mixture. Same as for carrots.

We sow direct with silver sand into a shallow drill with about 1/2" of sand in the bottom and cover with sieved compost.

This will obviously be no use at all if your seeds are duff!!

Rosemary · « **Reply #2 on:** May 03, 2008, 12:56:21 pm »

We've had variable success - when they grow, they're great but one year we had three. We were told never to use old seed ie last eyars but to always buy fresh.

rustyme · « **Reply #3 on:** May 03, 2008, 01:18:08 pm »

yep , as Rosemary said , fresh seed is a must with parsnips . Germinatation really falls off the older the seed is. They also take a very long time to germinate, 3-4 weeks is the norm, but 5 or a bit more is also possible. They should really have been sown much earlier , winter/early spring depending on weather. However, you could still get a good crop just a little later thats all. Remeber also to treat them a bit like carrots , no fresh manure (they will fork). Try to get the soil as stone free as possible also. Good luck with them anyway ....

Russ

Fluffywelshsheep · « **Reply #4 on:** May 03, 2008, 01:23:05 pm »

Well i had them on a window sill on a propergator so indoors in a single celled tray so they would be disterbed much but, that failled badly so tryed again in the same way also tried them on a damp kitchen roll covered but still no luck then i tried again with a new batch of parsnips and still no luck so am guess it must be me am doing something grow, I'll have to try and get a couple of bags of sand so i can add some sand to the soil.

Linz

Rosemary · « **Reply #5 on:** May 03, 2008, 08:33:36 pm »

We've never grown them any other way than direct sowing into the area where they're going to grow.

pouletpaul · « **Reply #6 on:** May 08, 2008, 09:53:09 pm »

I start my seeds off in root trainer cells. Three seeds in each and remove the weakest seedlings from each cell.
Seems to work every time. My current plants are 80mm high and will be planted out at the weekend.

Good luck

Fluffywelshsheep · « **Reply #7 on:** May 09, 2008, 06:01:53 pm »

show off lol

pouletpaul · « **Reply #8 on:** May 09, 2008, 09:42:40 pm »

Just remembered an old fashioned way to get these seeds to germinate. Put them in wall paper paste and wait for them to chit.( make sure the paste doesn't have a fungicide in it )