Parsnips, popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, were brought over to the Americas with the first colonists. Although parsnips are biennials, they are usually grown as an annual vegetable. Parsnips are a hardy, cool-season crop that is best harvested after a hard frost. Parsnips are not only tasty in soups and stews, but can also be enjoyed by themselves.

Planting

• Always sow fresh seed.
• Parsnips need a long growing season, so sow as soon as the soil is workable.
• Loosen the soil to a depth of 12-15 inches and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost.
• Sow 2 seeds per inch ½ an inch deep
• Seedlings will emerge in 2-3 weeks

Care

• Thin the seedlings to stand 3-6 inches apart.
• Water during the summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week.
• Always keep the beds free of weeds.

Pests/Diseases

• Aphids
• Leaf Miners
• Carrot Rust Flies
• Parsnip Canker (all cultivars but 'Tender and True' are resistant to this)

Harvest/Storage

• Parsnips mature in about 16 weeks.
• Leave your parsnips in the ground for a few frosts but harvest before the ground freezes.
• If you leave them in the ground for the winter, cover them with a thick layer of mulch and harvest immediately after the ground thaws in the spring.

Recommended Varieties

• 'Avonresister' (short)
• 'Cobham Improved Marrow' (medium)
• 'Gladiator' (long)

Wit & Wisdom

Fine words butter no parsnips.