Parsnip roots can grow to be up to a foot long (sometimes longer, depending on the cultivar) and poor, rocky soil can also cause misshapen roots.Īlthough starting seeds indoors isn’t ideal, one option to speed up the germination of parsnips is to lay the seeds between two folded, moist paper towels and place them in a sealed container. To that same point, make sure your garden soil is rich, deep, and loamy.

Keep in mind that starting seeds indoors generally isn’t a good idea with root crops, since transplanting them can often result in misshapen roots. Beets, carrots, and salsify are also often planted with them. The radishes will serve as a row marker, and planting this companion crop will make better use of your garden space. Slow to get started, it’s common to plant another fast-maturing crop, like radishes, in between parsnips. When they germinate and start to put on new growth, thin them to at least 6 inches apart. They can take up to a month to germinate, so sowing a second batch will provide you with better germination rates.Ĭhoose a sunny spot and sow seeds directly in the garden about 1/2 inch apart. If you decide to risk it and sow seeds as soon as possible in the early part of the season, do yourself a favor and sow another batch of seeds a few weeks later anyway. Any earlier, and seeds may rot before they have a chance to germinate. This can be an issue if growing space is already limited.Īlthough many seed packets suggest sowing seeds as soon as the soil is workable, it’s actually best to wait a bit longer until soil temperatures warm up to around 50☏, usually sometime in April.Ī soil thermometer is helpful to ensure you don’t sow too early, but simply waiting two to three weeks after the spring solstice should be adequate. You can let parsnips go to flower and collect your own seeds, but keep in mind that they are biennials – you’ll have to leave them in the ground longer if you want to do this, since they don’t produce flowers until their second year. These take about 100 days to reach maturity, and are recommended by the Utah State University Extension particularly for growing well in Utah ( USDA Hardiness Zones 4-8). Because of this, you’ll want to order new seeds from a reputable source every year. To begin with, seeds lose viability after just a year or two, so having low germination rates is relatively common. There’s a sort of finesse to getting their seeds to germinate.īut, if you put the work in at the beginning of the season, you can just sit back and watch your plants take root! Unfortunately, I don’t lump parsnips in the “easy to grow” category.

They look similar to carrots, only they’re usually a shade of white and oftentimes thicker. Starting and GrowingĪ hardy biennial, parsnips are usually grown as an annual root crop. With a little bit of research, persistence, and patience, you’ll have success growing this underutilized, distinctive root vegetable in your own garden at home. What You Need to Know About Parsnip Burn.

Growing parsnips