Long, white parsnip roots make a deliciously sweet winter staple. They are extremely hardy and easy to grow, but do need a long growing season. Germination is slow- it may take 3 weeks or so- and fresh seed must be used every year. Harvest in late fall or early winter.

Leave a parsnip in the ground over the winter and it will produce a majestic flower spike the following year, a magnet for beneficial insects. Sow parsnips mixed with radish seed to mark the area. The radish will be ready to harvest when the parsnips start to emerge.

There are long and short rooted cultivars but otherwise little variety. Modern cultivars tend to be smaller and faster growing. They may also be grown as a mini vegetable. There are organic and heirloom varieties available, but they can be difficult to find.
 

Ideal Site- for good roots, parsnips need a well-worked, stone free soil, in an open, sunny location. Parsnips do best in soil amended with compost from a previous crop or use Organic Compost Plus  which provides billions of beneficial bacteria that enrich your soil. They will benefit from a low-fertility organic mulch, applied in the winter before sowing. Ideal pH is 6.5-8.

Cultivation- Parsnips germinate between 35-63F (1.5-17.5C). Sow outdoors when ever possible. If starting undercover sow in biodegradable tubes to avoid disturbing the roots. When sowing outdoors it can be done as early as February, but as they germinate slowly later sowings in warmer soil (until May) may be more successful. Fluid sowing can improve the germination rate Slowly thin in shallow rows or station-sow 3 seeds per row., thinning to one seedling per station.