Diana Noonan's fail-safe method to get parsnip seed growing.
How many times have you re-sown your parsnip seed this spring? Twice? Three times? Maybe even four! If you’re still looking at an empty row where there should be little green leaves, don’t despair. There is still time to sow once more – but at this stage of the season, you can’t afford to get it wrong (again).
Persuading parsnip seed to germinate is traditionally regarded as being so difficult that a whole collection of mysterious advice has grown up around it. Some gardeners insist that seed be totally fresh. Others swear that running a kettle of boiling water over the row of seed before covering it with soil will do the trick. A few old-timers swear by putting seed in the freezer for a day or so, before sowing it.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t matter what advice you follow, you might still be disappointed, especially in a cold season. Unless, of course, you reach for the eyebrow tweezers and go for my tried-and-true, no-panic parsnip germination technique. And if you think it sounds like microsurgery, believe me, it’s a lot less labour-intensive than sowing, re-sowing, sowing again, and then having to creep along the row thinning the little blighters!
Step one
Fold a paper kitchen towel in four, place it on a saucer, and moisten it with water.
Step two
Snip open a fresh packet of parsnip seed and sprinkle the contents onto the moistened towel.
Step three
Fold a second paper kitchen towel in four. Moisten it, lay it over the seeds, and press down to make a wet parsnip-seed sandwich.
Step four
Wrap the sandwich, saucer and all, in cling film to seal in the moisture. Place it in a warm place such as on top of a hot-water cylinder or on a sunny window ledge or heat pad (you’re after a warm, even heat – don’t let the seed get too hot, or you’ll cook it!).
Step five
Inspect the seed-sandwich regularly to make sure the paper towel remains moist, and to check for signs of germination. When you spot those little white root shoots, reach for the tweezers.
Step six
Out in the garden, make your seed furrow and, without touching the root shoot, use the tweezers to gently transfer each sprouted seed into the row. Sieve half a centimetre of fine soil over the top of the sown seeds, water gently, sprinkle over slug bait, and cover the row with a sheet of clear plastic to lock in the warmth and moisture.
Step seven
Wait with confidence for those precious green leaves to appear, then remove the plastic and attend to the young parsnips daily with the watering can and, later, liquid manure.
Top tips
Because you can be 99% sure that all your sprouted seeds will grow, space them 8cm apart to avoid thinning at a later date. Don’t expect to sow all your seed at once. Parsnip germination is erratic, and you don’t want to place the seed in the ground until it has sprouted. If you have any leftover germinated seed after filling your row, sow the lot in one spot at the end. Once these “extras” grow two seed leaves, you can transplant them, as required, into any spots in the row where seeds may not have come through the ground.
Why are parsnip seeds so difficult to germinate?
- They have a short period of viability, i.e. they quickly go stale.
- They take a long time to germinate (up to 2-3 weeks) and a lot can go wrong in that time (rotting, for example, or being devoured by garden pests).
- They require warm temperatures in which to germinate (a soil temperature of 10-20°C is best) so an unexpected cold snap can put paid to their efforts to sprout.
- Parsnip seed won’t germinate in dry conditions, so a period without rain will inhibit sprouting.
Advice for parsnip perfectionists
If you’re planning on winning the biggest parsnip section of your local garden show, try this crafty trick. At seed-sowing time, ram a crowbar (or something similar) into the ground and work it around to create a deep cone space in the soil. Fill the space with fine dry soil, potting mix, or either of these ingredients mixed with fine river sand. Sow the seed on top of the specially prepared spot, and cover as usual. The loose soil will mean uninterrupted growth for your (hopefully) giant parsnip.
