![]() ![]() Sowing any time from mid-spring to mid-autumn, when soil temperatures (above 12C) are warming is ideal. Parsnips are best sown directly into the garden bed as the less root disturbance and potential transplant shock once growing, the better. When following a large planting of peas or beans, parsnips can quickly become a sea of thick, lush top growth with little root development, due to the release of leaf-boosting nitrogen from those nitrogen-fixing legumes, so this is best avoided. Unlike many vegetables, parsnips are quite fond of low-nutrient soil so are a perfect follow-up crop to heavy-feeding brassicas such as broccoli and cabbage. ![]() Raised garden beds filled with potting mix, at least 40cm deep, are free draining and ideal for growing parsnips. Good drainage is vital as waterlogging causes roots to rot. In hard and heavy soils, roots struggle to penetrate, resulting in gnarled and stunted growth.ĭig in plenty of well-aged organic matter, and a dusting of gypsum in clay soils, over the garden bed, working it into at least a spade depth to help open up the ground. Containing a wide variety of vitamins, minerals and nutrients found close to the skin, cooking whole or very fine peeling helps retain these valuable elements.Īs a root vegetable, parsnips grow their very best in loose, friable soil where their dominant taproot can stretch and fill out unimpeded. Native to Europe, parsnips have been a staple on the plates of princes to paupers since ancient times and were used as a sweetener in cakes and jams prior to the introduction of refined sugar.Ī traditional English roast wouldn’t be complete without a quiver of accompanying caramelised parsnips. ![]()
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