I have just got my parsnips sorted -Im growing 2 varieties..
I start of by putting a layer of kitchen or toilet roll into a lidded tomato tray, give it a spay of water to dampen. Then simply place your seeds on, cover with another layer of damp paper and seal and place in a warm place -mine have gone onto the warm window bottom. Just check every day to make sure the paper stays damp -give it a quick spray if its drying out. In a few days you should get small white spurs sticking out of one end -these can be set, just carry on keeping the others damp -any that fail to do this can be thrown away as they have obviously failed to germinate. This way saves getting rows of parsnips with big gaps where they have failed.
If your eyesight isn't great you can used a dark serviette as they will show up better on there.
Last year I transplanted the seeds from this stage straight into their final place, but this year I'm going to set them into trays to start with and then transplant -a bit more work and faff -but hopefully the end results will be worth it. I may well end up setting all the seeds as its not worth keeping any for the following year as their germination rate really drops -so I may as well set them and use some as baby sized and the rest bigger -unless anyone is short of some parsnip seeds of course ;-)
2 comments:
I read somewhere that you should get the parsnips into their final growing position as soon as the green foliage appears so that the roots don't get deformed.
My chiiitng seeds have the first little white bit today! I had nearly given up hope
Hi there
Last year I put them straight out when they had their little spur on, but this year Im going to put them into trays -but yes, as soon as they get they start to appear I will have the outside space ready -once I have decided which tubs they are getting lol
Mine didn't take long to get their spurs last year -so fingers crossed..
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