The Carrot Tops Allotment Blog!

Last year, I didn’t grow any parsnips and I regretted it.  I don’t know why I didn’t grow parsnips, I think I just forgot about them.

This year will be different. I’ve chosen to sow White Gem, which will perform well in shallow beds and is a good all-round ingredient to use in a roast dinner or in a casserole.  White Gem is recommended by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany because it’s good for use in all soils – making it the go-to variety for growing at an allotment.

I dug over the bed quite thoroughly as parsnips do well in weed-free soil with good drainage.

So that I don’t have to thin out the parsnips, and in the hope that this will save me time later on, I measured out four string lines and made the holes for seeds every 15 centimetres or so. The rows are 30cm apart, giving me the opportunity to sow something in between the rows later on.

The rows I’ve created for my White Gem parsnip seeds are 30cm apart, giving me the opportunity to sow something in between the rows later on.

I planted around two seeds per hole, with a view to remove the weaker seedlings.  Germination is slow and can take as long as 30 days, so I’ll have to be patient.  By that time at least – hopefully we’ll be well clear of the frost and the bad weather won’t wipe everything out.  This also means that I have to keep the bed weed free so that I can see the seedlings poking through.

Fingers crossed!