Plant Profile: Parsnip

This tasty root vegetable is very closely related to both carrot and parley – all belonging to the flowering Aplaceae family.

With a little bit of a reputation for being difficult to get going, once you get your seedlings growing – you won’t look back! Don’t let it deter you, give these tasty treats a go in your garden.

The top tip here – fresh is best when it comes to seeds. While most seeds will happily store for a couple of years, parsnip is certainly not one of them. The fresher the better. Seeds may also take some time to germinate (you could be waiting up to a month), so be patient and they will get there.

Sunlight: Parsnip love a full-sun position

Watering: Keep up regular, even watering until germination occurs. If there are any fluctuating wet/dry periods during growing, you might end up with split parsnips – so the key is to keep it consistent!

Soil: Just like carrots, parsnips tend to go a bit crazy if the soil they’re planted in is too rich or compacted. They make an ideal follow on plant in the patch from something like brassicas, as the brassica has eaten up some of the nutrients, but in harvesting as pulled through the soil. Give it a good forking over prior to sowing seed.