Parsnip growth stages

While they are germinating, and in the first month or so as the seedlings emerge, it is good to keep the cultivated land to retain moisture and discourage weed pressure. Benedict Vanheems of GrowVeg.com recommends planting radishes in the row with the parsnips as markers, so you can run a hoe between the rows to eliminate sprouting weeds without hurting the parsnips. “The radishes are harvested for eating at about the same moment that the parsnips are all through,” writes Vanheems. Once the plants have reached a substantial height—a few inches or so—consider mulching them for the rest of the season to retain moisture and to avoid wilting after each rain.

After your first frost, remove or cut the dying leaves, and wait until your first hard frost, when the roots get nice and tender, to start harvesting. The best thing about parsnips is that they are best stored in the ground. This allows you to harvest them as needed throughout the year, and the best part is that they only get sweeter with time. Cover with mulch in regions where the ground does not freeze solid for the winter, or dig up the roots and store as you would carrots in a dry, cool area, such as a root cellar.

Parsnip Growing Guide

• Starting and Growing
• Selected Cultivars

Slow to Start

Slow to Start

) and Diseases

• What You Need to Know About Peach Burns
• Reaping the Rewards
• Growth Chart
• (tixag_bgesag)
• (tixag_bgesag)
• the Effort

Storing Parsnips

Parsnips require cold storage to stay fresh keep. Pack the dried roots in plastic food storage bags. Store in the bottom of the fridge.

For long-term storage, parsnips can be stored just like other root vegetables in a vegetable stand. Place the roots in tubs of lightly moist sand or sawdust making sure that the roots do not touch each other. Place the tubs somewhere cool such as a basement, root cellar, or garage and check often to make sure no rot has set in. Most varieties require at least six months from sowing to maturity. Seeds can take up to a month to germinate and seeds do not always germinate at the same speed.

Parsnip seeds will not germinate in cold soil. It is best to plant later in the spring when the soil is warmer.

Parsnips are at their best after a frost when their starch is sweet.

Mechano needs regular moisture. Unlike other crops, they do not thrive in dry soil.

Where, When & How to Plant Parsnips

Parsnips should be planted in a bed that receives full sun, but can tolerate a little shade from larger crops height.

As parsnips are root vegetables that can grow deep, prepare the planting bed by loosening the soil deeply (more or less depending on the varieties you are growing). Remove rocks, twigs and other hard objects in the soil as well as any weeds that will compete with the parsnip roots.