Growing parsnips

Overview

Parsnips occupy their bed for most of the year, but in return they ask for almost no attention and give you a hardy winter vegetable that keeps in the ground through snow and frost. Cold actually improves them, because the roots convert some of their starch to sugar. They are a classic Christmas crop and a good one for gardeners who cannot visit the plot often.

Varieties to try

'Gladiator' is a vigorous F1 with smooth white skin and good resistance to canker. 'Albion' and 'Countess' are also reliable, with clean, even roots. 'Tender and True' is an old variety with long roots and a fine flavour, best on deep, sandy soil. On shallower ground, a shorter, wedge-shaped type such as 'Avonresister' copes better.

Soil and site

Best soil: Deep, light, stone-free soil that has not been freshly manured.

Grow parsnips in a sunny bed with deep, well-dug soil free from stones, which cause forked roots. Avoid fresh manure, as it too leads to fanged, misshapen parsnips. On heavy clay you can make a hole with a crowbar, fill it with sifted compost and sow into that. Keep parsnips in the same rotation group as carrots.

Sowing and planting

Always buy new seed each year, because parsnip seed loses viability quickly. Sow direct once the soil has warmed, from March in the south and April further north; very early sowings in cold ground often fail. Sow two or three seeds per station 15 cm apart, 1 cm deep. Seedlings may take three or four weeks to appear, so sow a quick row of radishes alongside to mark the line.

Spacing: Sow three seeds at each station and thin to the strongest seedling.

Care

Thin to one seedling per station when they have a couple of true leaves. Keep the bed weeded, especially in the slow early weeks. Water during long droughts, since a sudden downpour after dry weather can split the roots. Parsnips rarely need feeding. Wear gloves when handling the foliage in sunshine, as the sap can make skin blister.

Harvesting and storing

Roots are usable from October, but the flavour is best after a few hard frosts. Lift them as needed, loosening the soil with a fork first because they snap easily. Mark the rows with canes so you can find them under snow, and in very cold areas cover the bed with straw to stop the ground freezing solid. Lift any remaining roots by March before they regrow.

Common problems

Parsnip canker causes rough orange-brown patches on the shoulders of the roots; resistant varieties, later sowing and avoiding damage while hoeing reduce it. Carrot fly will also attack parsnips, and fine mesh keeps it off. Slugs can nibble seedlings and burrow into roots on heavy soil, so check the bed in damp spells.

Read more on the problems that most often hit parsnips:

• Carrot fly
• Parsnip canker
• Slugs and snails

Not sure what you're looking at? Try diagnosing it by symptom.

Month-by-month reminders

Jobs for parsnips come round in January, February, March, April, May, October, November and December. Each month page lists the rest of the garden's jobs for the same weeks.

Grow alongside

• Carrots
• Leeks
• Radishes

Sources

Names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; timings and spacings reflect UK growing practice and were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.

• Kew Plants of the World Online — Pastinaca sativa
• Wikipedia — Parsnip