What To Know About Growing Parsnips

Growing parsnips is a fun alternative to buying them in a shop. For people living in areas with uninspiring vegetable selections, growing their own parsnips may be the only option. This sweet, white, carrot or radish-shaped root vegetable is a fine addition to most any garden. Before going out and planting them, there are a few things to know.

They are cultivated in three distinct shapes. There are long, tapered ones, which resemble white carrots and can be up to a foot long. There are also shorter, round ones, which look more like large white radishes. The third shape is a mix of the other two, a shorter, rounder tapered shape.

Also, because parsnips are taproot vegetables like carrots, radishes or beets, the eventual shape of the vegetable depends on the soil it’s planted in. Hard or rocky soil will cause stunted or strange growth. People who cannot provide light, soft soil roughly one foot deep should choose one of the shorter, round varieties. Those wishing to grow carrot-shaped parsnips in otherwise hard soil should dig out foot-deep wells. The wells should then be refilled with soft, light soil, and the seed planted in them.

Additionally, like beets and carrots, they do not transplant well. Seed should be sown directly into the soil where the plants will grow. Transplanting can cause mangled and misshapen vegetables, though many times it simply kills the plants outright.

Like onion seed, parsnip seeds are only viable for about a year. Germination rates are still lower than many plants. It is important to use the freshest seed available. Because of the low germination rate, many gardeners use five or more seeds per space, thinning later if required. Row gardeners may mix the seed with sand and sow the mix in a long line down the row.

Known as a winter vegetable, they can be planted in autumn in areas with a winter gardening season. They also do well planted in spring in areas with shorter, cool summers. For areas with hot summers and cold winters, planting them in the middle of summer provides a good growing season, and a few near-frosts before harvest to make the roots sweeter.

Growing parsnips requires a steep learning curve. While the biennial vegetable is very cold-hardy, it is also tricky to grow. Managing soil, temperature and germination takes time to learn. Once the methods and timing are discovered, though, the rewards are sweet-fresh, tasty root vegetables from the garden all winter long.

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