Growing Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec

Not recommended for growing in USA - Zone 5a regions

  • Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 43°F and 70°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 3 - 4 inches apart
  • Harvest in 17-20 weeks. Best flavour if harvested after a frost..
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Swiss Chard (Silverbeet), Capsicum, Peas, Potatoes, Beans, Radishes, Garlic
  • Avoid growing close to: Carrot, Celery, Brassicas

Your comments and tips

24 Sep 16, Barbara (Australia - temperate climate)
I live below the Range at Toowoomba and see plants I have "killed" in my garden growing out of the gravel in the excavations so I no longer worry about that sort of thing as water and nutrients are the important things. Strong roots will go around or even into gravel etc. I make wicking beds [google or you-tube for info], I put bones, a layer of veggie scraps and finely crushed egg shell after the first layer of soil, by the time roots have got down 25 cm. it is a slow release fertilizer.
27 Apr 16, Richard (Australia - temperate climate)
how do you harvest on medium sized scale
30 Mar 16, Holly (Australia - temperate climate)
hey just wondering when are parsnips in season
27 Oct 13, barb gilbert (Canada - Zone 6a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
My parsnips taste great. However they are about 3 inches across and 3 inches long. Then this is where it gets strange There is all these 3 or 4 inches long about 1/2 inch around shoots coming off it. What went wrong?
29 May 16, tash (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
possibly too much nutrient in the soil. with carrots if they are over fertilised they dont have to send their root down as far to collect nutrients and so tend to grow outwards to collect nutrients fed from above... try growing them in a bed after a heavy feeder perhaps...
16 Aug 12, Suzi (Australia - tropical climate)
I live in SE QLD where we don't have frosts. Would putting them straight into the frig after harvest help convert the starches to sugars to any degree?
28 Feb 14, sandy stephenson (Australia - temperate climate)
you can put your Parsnips in the freezer over a couple of days and the result will be the same as a good frost
16 Aug 12, adam (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
Hi Suzi. I don't think it works that quickly. But Parsnips taste fine as they are, without the added sweetness. I mash them together with carrots, butter and a little salt and black pepper. Yum. You can also cook them with a little brown sugar, stir fried in a pan.
06 Aug 12, Emily (Australia - temperate climate)
Probably shouldn't grow radish around brassicas (cauliflower)
12 Aug 11, (Australia - tropical climate)
someone suggested to twist off the tops from parsnips so the leaves do not draw moisture from the roots. is this correct? if so at what stage of growth.
Showing 31 - 40 of 63 comments

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