Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Re: [Market-farming] parsnip varieties

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Ken Bezilla <kenbez AT hotmail.com>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] parsnip varieties
  • Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 22:34:21 +0000

Adding on to the parsnip notes: Pam Dawling's writing a book based on her Growing for Market articles, which I've been helping to proofread (though I'm way behind on that, sorry Pam!)  There's a nice chapter about parsnips, and it includes some good information on parsnip germination temperatures.  A very interesting bit is that in hot soils, parsnips can take a month to germinate!  Normally they're more like 2 weeks, so in hot weather weeds are likely to take over the parsnip bed before seeds can germinate.  (This seems to be what happened to our own parsnips planting last year -- our early May planting fried in the early heat wave and never emerged, ack.  This year we'll be safe and get ours planted by early April!)

Ken Bezilla
Acorn Community Farm
Mineral, VA


From: wshoemak AT illinois.edu
To: aaronbrower AT yahoo.com; market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2012 13:27:07 +0000
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] parsnip varieties

Robert and Aaron both give good recommendations. Another suggestion is to use raised beds. A 6" deep bed about 18" across the top with twin rows, each about 4" in from the edge will allow the roots to grow straight and fill out nicely. They'll also be easier to harvest. I like to raise carrots this way as well. If you use drip irrigation, lay a drip-tape down between the two rows, and as Robert suggested, irrigate frequently to optimize moisture availability. You may need to use sprinklers during stand establishment to keep the seeds and small seedlings well watered.
 
Bill
William H. Shoemaker
University of Illinois, Crop Sciences
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road, St Charles, IL  60174
630-584-7254, wshoemak AT illinois.edu

From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] on behalf of Aaron Brower [aaronbrower AT yahoo.com]
Sent: Monday, January 09, 2012 6:50 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] parsnip varieties

In addition to what Robert said, always use new seed. Old parsnip seed has poor germination. It takes up to 3 weeks so don't get too worried if you don't see germination right away. To be safe, sew them thicker than you may want and expect to thin but don't give them too much space. I would recommend keeping them closer than the seed companies tell you. We thin them at about 1 to 1.5 inches. If you give them much more you get gigantic parsnips. You may get a better yield with the larger ones but most people dont want their parsnips to be half pounders.
Also be sure to leave them in the ground til they get several good frosts on them. It sweetens them up.

For your trouble they should fetch a premium in the winter and the spring.
Aaron 

From: Robert G. Hadad <rgh26 AT cornell.edu>
To: "market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Monday, January 9, 2012 7:06 PM
Subject: [Market-farming] parsnip varieties

Hi,
  The key with parsnips is keeping the soil moist. Start with a moist soil when seeding. Water deep before seeding if need by. Keep irrigation on them for several weeks at planting time. Turga, Javelin, Andover, and Harris can all produce a great crop if they have friable soil to stretch that first tap root out into and again, enough water.

Robert


Robert Hadad
Cornell Vegetable Program
Fresh Market Specialist
4487 Lake Ave.
Lockport, NY 14094
rgh26 AT cornell.edu
585-739-4065
_______________________________________________
Market-farming mailing list
Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming

Market Farming List Archives may be found here:
https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/
Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email
address and password):
http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming



_______________________________________________ Market-farming mailing list Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming Market Farming List Archives may be found here: https://lists.ibiblio.org/sympa/arc/market-farming/ Unsubscribe from the list here (you will need to login in with your email address and password): http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/options/market-farming



Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page