GreenlyHow to grow Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
A slow-growing, cool-season root vegetable sown in spring and lifted from autumn into winter. Its roots taste sweeter after a hard frost. Needs deep, stone-free soil for long, straight roots.
Quick facts
| Type | Vegetable |
|---|---|
| Family | Apiaceae |
| Light | Full sun |
| Soil pH | 6–7 |
| Frost | tolerates light frost |
| Soil for sowing | from 5 °C |
| Germination | 18 days |
| Sowing to harvest | 100 days |
| Where it grows | Open ground |
When to plant
It tolerates light frost: sow straight into the bed about three weeks before your last spring frost.
The first harvest comes about 100 days after the shoots appear.
Care
Open ground
| Stage | Watering | Temperature | Feeding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germination | every 3 days | — | — |
| Growth | every 7 days | 0…24 °C | nitrogen, 42 days into the stage; nitrogen, 70 days into the stage |
| Harvest | every 7 days | — | — |
Growing notes
Light
Needs an open site in full sun.
Soil
Deep, light, well-drained soil without stones, pH 6–7. Do not dig in compost or manure just before sowing; stones, compaction and fresh organic matter make the roots fork.
Care
Sow fresh seed 1 cm deep where the plants are to grow — parsnips do not transplant well. Seedlings take two to three weeks to come up, so keep the soil surface moist until then. Water about 25 mm a week in dry weather and keep the moisture even, or the roots may split. Lift the roots after the first hard frost; they can stay in the ground over winter but should be dug before new leaves grow in spring. The sap can irritate skin in sunlight, so wear gloves and long sleeves when handling the leaves.
Pests and diseases of Parsnip
Sources
Figures checked against these sources.