Germinating Parsnip Seed
It is time to start sowing parsnips so I thought I would share this useful tip which was passed on to me by another allotment member. It is cost and space-effective and takes the guesswork out of using out-of-date seeds.
Parsnip seed is a notoriously bad keeper. Many packets contain 500 plus seeds, but it is only really viable when it is fresh – e.g. the first year, leading to much wastage even if you share the seed amongst your friends and fellow allotment-holders.
Instead of trusting to luck with your two or three-year-old parsnip seed you can pre-germinate it, which means you don’t sow any non-viable seeds and therefore have no wasted space in your plot.
Take a couple of sheets of kitchen roll (unbleached), lie them in a plastic container and dampen. Scatter your parsnip seeds onto the damp surface, enclose the tub in a plastic bag to maintain moisture and store in a dark place at room temperature, much like growing cress. Be patient – parsnip seed takes up to three weeks to germinate.
When the seeds start to germinate you can carefully remove the ones which have sprouted as soon as they show some root and sow them into modules to grow on. Discard the rest. If none of your seeds germinate you should still have time to buy some new seed and make another sowing. Parsnip seed is best sown from mid-March to early May.
It doesn’t have to be just parsnips, you can do this with any old seed you might have and want to test.
Parsnip seed is a notoriously bad keeper. Many packets contain 500 plus seeds, but it is only really viable when it is fresh – e.g. the first year, leading to much wastage even if you share the seed amongst your friends and fellow allotment-holders.
Instead of trusting to luck with your two or three-year-old parsnip seed you can pre-germinate it, which means you don’t sow any non-viable seeds and therefore have no wasted space in your plot.
Take a couple of sheets of kitchen roll (unbleached), lie them in a plastic container and dampen. Scatter your parsnip seeds onto the damp surface, enclose the tub in a plastic bag to maintain moisture and store in a dark place at room temperature, much like growing cress. Be patient – parsnip seed takes up to three weeks to germinate.
When the seeds start to germinate you can carefully remove the ones which have sprouted as soon as they show some root and sow them into modules to grow on. Discard the rest. If none of your seeds germinate you should still have time to buy some new seed and make another sowing. Parsnip seed is best sown from mid-March to early May.
It doesn’t have to be just parsnips, you can do this with any old seed you might have and want to test.
Submitted by Charlie, plot 4B
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