Content
- The cultivation of parsnips in their own garden
- Watch out for fresh seeds
- Sow directly in spring or in summer
- A good soil preparation is half the battle
- Good growth also needs space
- Careful care gives a rich harvest
- Tips & Tricks
The cultivation of parsnips in their own garden
Parsnips are a tasty root vegetable that can be grown relatively easily in your own garden. The plants have similar needs as carrots, but have a white root color. With some tricks you can also successfully harvest parsnips yourself.
Watch out for fresh seeds
Unlike many other seed varieties, parsnips retain the seed germination under normal conditions for only about a year. Be sure to look for fresh seeds before sowing parsnips. Also seed bags from the dealer are usually printed with a date on which the freshness can be easily determined.
Sow directly in spring or in summer
Parsnips can be planted for two different seasons of use. For example, roots of parsnip sown in early spring can be harvested for fresh consumption as early as September. In contrast, if you do not sow until June, you can harvest the parsnips fresh from the bed throughout the winter as winter vegetables.
A good soil preparation is half the battle
To enable a good development of the long parsnip roots, it is important to loosen the soil before sowing. Parsnips grow on loamy and sandy soils as well as on peat soils, but it should be a humus rich soil. Manure fertilization should be done in the fall, as fresh manure otherwise lures the dreaded carrot fly.
Good growth also needs space
Parsnips should not be too close together if their roots are to develop optimally. Although you can sow the seeds in rows with a distance of about 30-50 cm, they should later thinn the plants on a plant for 5-10 cm each. This is possible after about 3 weeks at the earliest, as parsnip seeds usually take so long to germinate.
Careful care gives a rich harvest
Basically, parsnips have no special care requirements during their long culture period of about 160 to 200 days. However, the soil should always be kept as moist as possible and weeds should be removed from time to time so that the parsnips are not overgrown. Since the parsnip foliage can cause skin irritation if touched, you should wear gloves here.
Tips & Tricks
Also in old books on gardening is often a guide to the culture of parsnips. However, she is often referred to there by popular names such as "moorwurzel" or "mutton carrot".