Growing Parsnips - Benefits and Instructions

 

Benefits of Growing Parsnips

  • HandlingIf you are picking parsnips from your garden, be sure to wear gloves. The leaves of the parsnip plant can cause skin irritation, especially on a sunny day. 
  • Nutritional Profile - Parsnips are rich in soluble and insoluble fibre, vitamin C, potassium and calcium.
  • Use in: Salads, soups, stews, roasted, pickled.
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Growing Instructions 

Culture:

Sun Exposure: Choose a full sun location. 
Soil: A soil pH of 6.5. Requires a rich, deeply cultivated soil with plenty of organic matter; incorporate compost or well-rotted manure prior to planting.
Moisture: Adequate moisture and a cool soil temperature of 15-18 degrees C is essential for good germination which may take up to 21 days.
Planting: Parsnip seed does not keep well from year to year; use only fresh seed, sowing as early as ground can be worked.
Spacing:   Plant 9 parsnips per square foot of growing space using Square Foot Gardening Method.  Or plant in rows 18-24 inches apart.
Sow seeds: Sow seed 1⁄2 inches deep 

 

Harvesting:

Harvest any time once roots are adequately sized. Parsnips are tender and flavorful in the fall. A few light frosts will improve the flavour. They may also be mulched and left in ground over winter and dug as the ground thaws.

Storage/Preparation:

Remove and discard parsnip greens before storing. Store unwashed parsnips in a cool dark place, just as you would carrots.  A root cellar is best, though a basement or garage will work. Storing in damp sand is ideal, and can help parsnips last up to 6 months. Parsnips can also be canned, frozen or pickled.

Companions:

Bush bean, garlic, onion, pea, pepper, potato, radish.

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