Parsnip

Variety:

Tender and True

Approx. 500 seeds

Sowing:

Seeds are best planted outdoors directly into the soil as parsnips do not transplant well and the roots get restricted in trays.

Seeds should be planted approx. 1cm into the soil with your seeds being scattered thinly along your drill preferably around 30cm apart.

Harvesting:

Parsnips generally take around 100-120 days to fully mature and can be lifted when the leaves start to die away. However most varieties can also be left in the ground until ready to harvest as they are a hardy vegetable.

Information:

Parsnips prefer a light and fertile soil and that drains easily.

Your soil should be loose so that the parsnips can grow to its fullest size potential and free of stones that can stunt their growth.

It is important to keep your parsnip bed free of weeds as weeds can smother the vegetable seedlings.

Parsnips can be grown in pots or preferably containers but they need to be deep so their growth is not restricted. If roots cannot bury down properly, your crop may be short and stumpy. 

Parsnip seeds do not keep well and their germination rate plummets after the first year. It is recommended to sow more seeds than required in case of a poor germination rate so you are less likely to fall short in supply. 

The most common pests are aphids, carrot root fly, slugs/snails and wireworm.

Nutritional Information:

Parsnips are high in fibre and are known for their anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. They are also high in Vitamin C. Lots of the goodness is found in the skin so it is better not to peel your parsnip if possible. 

Fun Fact:

Parsnips used to be used to sweeten cakes, breads and jams before sugar was available.