[egbert]

I have just dug up (through the snow) my first parsnips - what beauties!    Huge lovely parsnips - not sure how they weill taste but they look great. 

[Hermit]

Mine are under snow, supposed to be tastier after a frost has got to them.

[Fleecewife]

I am very envious as I didn't get round to sowing mine last year.  I love them either roasted or made into spicey curried parsnip soup    Our ground has been frozen solid for several weeks now so no chance of digging them out even if I had sown some.

[manian]

can't dig any of mine grounds frozen still

[Padge]

ours too...................no xmas parsnips   as oh said   'i'll get them out for you'...............dubious i know but we are talking parsnips............and then couldn't.....on xmas day....

[oaklandspigs]

Just managed to get some of ours up - delicious !

[OhLaLa]

I don't have much luck with parsnips, mine came to nothing again. Got any secrets to help me succeed?

[Hermit]

Ohlala with parsnips you have to use the best and freshest seed you can as the seed does not keep and will grow tiny poor specimens if old .

[Anke]

For the first time ever this year my parsnips have taken a funny turn... they germinated well enough, then when still small just stopped growing, and the leaves shrivelled away... Just dug out a few mini-parsnips, not even worth bohering to clean. Don't know if the seed wasn't fresh (it came from Organic gardening catalogue in Jan 10, but the date packed was end of year Feb 2009, BBE Aug 11, so got to me within their dates) or if they got a virus.

Not sure what I do this year...

[doganjo]

I loev parsnips, but have never had success growing them.  Can someone on here give us a step by step guide from the beginning to harvesting please?  Thank you.

[Hermit]

The seed has to be within a year old no best buy dates! I just treat as carrots. There are different varieties , I grow Avonresister a canker resistant one for poorer soils, but they are differing size varieties. The soil must be stone free, not claggy and not manured but other than that they are pretty tough. I sow in April but dont expect biggies till end of November at least.Also they dont like touching whist being weeded and must be direct sown. My last ones I dug up were the biggest I have seen but only meant to be 5" long!

[morri2]

Ours are good - first time we've grown them - some are enormous but most have fanged badly.  Still, they taste good even if it does take ages to wash, trim and peel given the awkward shapes.   Same has happened with the carrots.  Wondering whether I've used too much manure.

[doganjo]

Is the fanging not as a result of stony soil?

[Hermit]

As I understand it fanging is mainly because the soil is too rich and the root stays where it is and spreads rather than grows one root deep to look for goodness. Stone free soil helps them grow straight and deep.

[OhLaLa]

Don't manure the soil the same year the seed goes in and make sure the soil is stone free. I'm told it's where the parsnip has hit a stone and then gone around it, hence the two+ roots.

I've been told all about using fresh seed, how to prepare the soil, how to sow, and still I never have any luck with this vegetable, no matter where I have lived over the years (but my carrots do well).