The great parsnip challenge

Parsnips aren’t that easy to grow, says Val, as she explains some of the difficulties involved with this winter root crop

I LIKE to grow my own food, because there are no food miles, but parsnips aren’t easy! For one thing, they take a full 30 days to germinate – and only then if the weather provides ambient temperatures of about 50°F/10°C. Cold Aston doesn’t deliver consistent spring-time temperatures like that very often, and recent springs have produced ultra-warm, cloudless days followed by chilly nights. If there’s one thing seeds hate, it’s temperature extremes. A warmer Arctic Circle, caused by global warming, is likely to push cold winds our way, so springs may get even more unpredictable in years to come.

In recent years I’ve had to sow parsnips at least two or three times in order to get a row sufficiently good enough to go through a winter of Sunday roasts. I’m not alone, though. Lots of gardeners struggle because the small print on the back of seed packets tells gardeners to sow seeds in February. This may be all right in the south of the country, but in most areas it’s not warm enough in February to promote germination.​