Parsnips have a reputation as a difficult crop to grow, maybe we were just very lucky last year but we got a very decent crop of Parsnips with what seemed like a simple enough care plan.
Last year I sowed parsnips in 2 different ways. One was the conventional way of sowing thinly approx 1 inch deep into finely prepared soil in rows approx 12 inches apart (Some books advise to double the row distance to 24 inches).
The other way was to use a dibber to create a conical shaped hole approx 6-8 inches deep to the same spacing as above. These holes are then backfilled with compost and compressed gently. Once all these holes are prepared you can then go back and make a small hole say an inch deep on top of the compost and drop in 1-2 parsnip seeds in each (2 is a good idea as parsnips have a notoriously poor germination record). Backfill the hole a little and job done.
The results were fairly impressive with the parsnips planted into the compost holes far outgrowing the others. In general the were longer, wider looked generally straighter than the others.
The major drawback with this method is it is very time consuming at sowing stage. However the results are far better so its definately worth the effort. We decided this year to plant all our parsnips in this way. A big advantage is that when making the initial hole with the dibber you manage to eliminate any stones that could damage the parsnip as it grows.
We have 2 different varieties of parsnip, F1 Countess and White Gem. We did 36 compost holes in all so 18 of each variety. Weed control is very important as parsnips do not like competition.
Last year I sowed parsnips in 2 different ways. One was the conventional way of sowing thinly approx 1 inch deep into finely prepared soil in rows approx 12 inches apart (Some books advise to double the row distance to 24 inches).
The other way was to use a dibber to create a conical shaped hole approx 6-8 inches deep to the same spacing as above. These holes are then backfilled with compost and compressed gently. Once all these holes are prepared you can then go back and make a small hole say an inch deep on top of the compost and drop in 1-2 parsnip seeds in each (2 is a good idea as parsnips have a notoriously poor germination record). Backfill the hole a little and job done.
The results were fairly impressive with the parsnips planted into the compost holes far outgrowing the others. In general the were longer, wider looked generally straighter than the others.
The major drawback with this method is it is very time consuming at sowing stage. However the results are far better so its definately worth the effort. We decided this year to plant all our parsnips in this way. A big advantage is that when making the initial hole with the dibber you manage to eliminate any stones that could damage the parsnip as it grows.
We have 2 different varieties of parsnip, F1 Countess and White Gem. We did 36 compost holes in all so 18 of each variety. Weed control is very important as parsnips do not like competition.
No comments:
Post a Comment