Parsnips for winter eating

in #blog5 years ago

Parsnips are a Iong-term crop with lots of flavour, so make them part of your crop rotation to harvest as you need them over winter.

Time to sow: mid~spring

Growing parsnips does take time, as they're sown in spring and ideally not harvested until after the first frosts, so they're as sweet as possible. However, you can dig them up earlier than that, especially if you prefer them as baby vegetables. Although parsnips take up room in the garden for a long period of time, they’re a reliable and worthwhile crop to grow.

Sow the fine, papery seeds in drills on a still day, as they tend to blow away easily. Parsnips like finely textured soil that they can send roots through easily, so good soil preparation is essential. Avoid recently manured or stony soil, as this makes the roots fork. Sow seeds thinly, around 2.5cm (1in) apart, in rows 30cm (12in) apart, then thin the seedlings to 15cm (6in) apart once they appear. Do not transplant seedlings.

Good varieties include ’Avonresister’, which is resistant to canker and good on poor soils; ‘Tender and True’, 3 classic variety.

TIP As parsnips are slow to germinate and grow, you can sow fast-maturing crops such as lettuces and radishes alongside to make the most of the space in spring.

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