germinating parsnips

[vee]

I just thought I'd tell you about how I managed to germinate some parsnips this year, as last year I only managed to get two to grow after three sowings.

I put small circles of potting compost on the soil, sowed the seeds and then put a plastic bottle ring/cloche over the top. I didn't have enough bottles to complete a row so just did the circles of compost for the rest. The germination in the cloches was almost 100%, so I was very pleased with them. Obviously this isn't practical for huge numbers, but if you only want a few it's good.

So ... on Sunday I thought I would take the bottle cloches off the ones which had germinated and put them on the ones which hadn't germinated and resow them.
Yesterday I went to look at my cosseted parsnips and the ones which had germinated and had the bottles removed had nearly all been eaten by slugs. :'( :'(

Will I ever get parsnips to grow???

[vee]

[saddad]

None of our Parsnips have come up from our first or second sowings yet, but there are no tell tale stalks to say they have but been nibbled off either.
???

[Roy Bham UK]

Aren't they notoriously slow at germinating anyway? ???

[caroline7758]

Can anyone show me a pic of what parsnip seedlings look like, just in case any of mine germinate?

[Roy Bham UK]

 ;D No sooner said ;D

[Debs]

Apparently, fresh parsnip seed should be sown each year. But since I had a load left from last year, I put them on damp kitchen roll in plastic container with lid, and they have started to germinate ;D

...shall not be buying fresh this year!!

Debs

[jonny211]

Many thanks for the picture Roy, I've been hand weeding around my rows of parsnips as they come up, not quite sure what to pull out though!

Jon

[Wicker]

My two parsnip rows are showing after about 4/5 weeks thank goodness (never grown before) - one row in deep holes the other just scattered along a drill - so no difference in germinating rates but time will tell in how long and straight they grow...........

[telboy]

Hi Vee,
I think your trial was well worth it! I have lots of plastic 'pop' bottles cut down to use as cloches. I will try this, as last year for the first time I didn't get any germination, & I always use fresh seed for parsnips.
Have tried for the first time this year, loo roll but what a pain! Only 42% germination & that's with 3 seeds to a roll in good seed compost & kept in the greenhouse.

[good gourd]

I read somewhere that if you sprinkled parsnip seed onto kitchen paper covered them with cling film that they would germinate.  they did in record time.  Then I had the job of carefully planting them out, they are now just coming through at least I new they had germinated.  This is O.k. if you only have 50 or so but my sister Ugly gourd has 500.  It works with swedes they are even more fiddly
Anyone else tried it.

[Roy Bham UK]

I sowed parsnip seed last year (1st time ever) straight into the ground the only treatment it got was tilled soil ½" drill watered sprinkle seed cover with multi purpose compost, they were slow (as they are apparently) but we had a good harvest. ;D

However this year I followed the same pattern only difference being the soil was treated with FYM from last year and after just 15 days the little darlings are showing their feathers sorry leaves. ;D

That's a full 6x4 bed of the little darlings. 8)