Parsnips are one of the best vegetables to grow. They have few pest problems, can be left on the ground for a long time (in good soil), freeze really well, and are noticeable better tasting than the supermarket offerings.
I grow mine in two ways, one for the vegetable shows and one just for eating. They all get eaten, it’s just the show parsnips get a little more care. For the kitchen, I intercrop with autumn sown garlic – by the time the parsnips get going the garlic is ready to harvest (June-July) so this is a good use of space. The show parsnips get their own mini borehole filled with compost. More of this in a later article.
Parsnips can also be a bit prone to rust (parsnips canker) which causes orange/brown marks usually towards the top of the parsnip. For parsnips destined for the kitchen, if not too bad you can just peel or cut these out and use the majority of the parsnip. Adding dolomitic limestone (available at Greatfield Garden Centre) helps.
In the Brinkworth area another problem we have is wet clay soil. In addition, I have a very shallow stony layer at the top of the clay bedrock, usually around 30-50cm below ground. Stones equal misshapen parsnips. Wet clay soil means that they rot if left in the ground past October/November. Carrot fly can also be an issue, but whilst I have had problems with my carrots, they have left the parsnips alone.
I’ve tried a few varieties over the years but my preference is Gladiator, both for growth and flavour. The main issue with growing parsnips is germination. The seed packet often tells you to sow far too early, and the result is……nothing happens. And you need to resow. Of late I’ve sowed later; late March/April. Parsnip seeds also loose viability quite quickly so make a point of checking the “sow by” date on the packet.
So for parsnips destined for the kitchen, ideally you need a well dug, well-drained soil with as few stones as possible. Don’t add manure or fertilizer – they don’t need it and it can cause the root to fork. I just liberally sprinkle the seeds in a rows about 3-4 cm deep. You get loads of seed in the packet, and as the germination is a bit hit and miss, I go for the overkill approach, and then thin once germinated to one plant every 20cm or so. After that weed occasionally and don’t overwater as a deluge can cause roots to split.
I usually harvest my parsnips around November and freeze them to avoid them sitting in waterlogged soil. They freeze well, par boil for 4 minutes and add about a table spoon of vegetable oil per freezer bag to lightly coat the parsnips in oil and freeze. You can then roast them from frozen.
Happy Christmas, Robin
Picture 1 - Interbedded garlic and parsnips in late June, parsnips only just getting going, garlic almost ready to harvest
Picture 2 – same bed, garlic harvested, and parsnips have taken over
Comentários