For many novice gardeners, parsnips may seem like some kind of unusual, little-known vegetable in Russia, but this is by no means the case. Since ancient times in Rus', this root vegetable has been as popular as turnips, but, unfortunately, today this vegetable is not particularly popular among Russian gardeners. But its benefits are obvious. This vegetable contains B vitamins, fiber, various mineral salts and huge amount easily digestible carbohydrates. The root vegetable will be useful for people who suffer from heart problems. Not only the vegetable itself is useful, but also its leaves and seeds. Their benefits are that they are a good diuretic and analgesic, improve appetite, help with short time get rid of cough.
In order for the vegetable to sprout, you need to let the seeds germinate Another argument in favor of parsnips is that they are very easy to grow. This is a biennial plant that in the first year produces bountiful harvest, and in the second year it blooms and produces seeds. Only after this the plant is removed.
This article will tell you how to grow parsnips in your dacha, when to harvest the root crop and how to properly store the harvest.
Preparing for landing
Growing parsnips begins with preparing the planting site.
The root crop is unpretentious to conditions and can grow even in poor soil, but neutral cultivated or loamy soils.
The seeds of this plant are cold-resistant and germinate well even at a temperature of +3 degrees, so it can be grown immediately in open ground without fear that the plant will freeze and die. This is a light-loving root crop, so it is best grown in a sunny area.
Slow germination requires regular weeding Vegetables must be planted in beds in which crops such as onions, cabbage or potatoes previously grew, which were fertilized with various organic fertilizers. Such soil is rich in nutrients and the crop grown on it will be of excellent quality and abundance.
Advice! The soil must be fertilized in advance, but not before directly planting the root crop.
The soil is usually prepared in the fall, after the previous crop has been harvested. When you apply fertilizer, remember that you cannot fertilize the parsnip bed with manure, this will significantly reduce the quality of the harvest and the plant will begin to branch. It is best to use humus, compost or rotted manure, but not fresh!
Before planting, the beds are harrowed and leveled. Make sure that the soil is not too dense, as this may cause the vegetable to take on an ugly appearance.
Now it's time to move on to planting.
Landing
Parsnips are usually planted in early spring or late autumn. Parsnip seeds do not germinate well, and old ones may not germinate at all, so it is recommended to use only fresh seeds for planting. They should also be prepared in advance: soaked for a couple of days in a solution of trace elements or wood ash. The quality of seeds and the correctness of their storage are important conditions for obtaining in the future good harvest. Seeds should be stored in a dry, cool place in closed boxes, bags or jars. If you buy seeds from places other than specialized stores, you take a big risk! When you use your own seeds, you know exactly what quality of harvest you will get as a result. With purchased ones, it’s the other way around.
The root crop is planted in small holes, approximately 2–3 centimeters deep. The distance between them should be at least 10 centimeters, and between the rows you should also leave a distance of 35 centimeters or even more.
Growing parsnips is a long process; the appearance of the first shoots should be expected no earlier than 20–25 days after planting.
Features of care
Growing parsnips is associated with a number of features:
- The root crop grows slowly, but the grass in the same bed develops very quickly and takes away from the plant what it needs. nutrients and living space. Therefore, when the vegetable begins to sprout, it must be weeded regularly, otherwise weeds will quickly fill the beds and the plant may die.
- Parsnips need to be thinned. Minimum distance between plants should be at least five centimeters, but a gap of 13–15 centimeters is considered optimal.
- Weeding should be done with special gloves during the day or evening, since during the day parsnip leaves containing essential oils can cause skin burns.
- This vegetable needs regular, abundant watering and periodic application of fertilizers: organic and mineral.
- To obtain seeds, some of the plants are not removed, but left in the ground for the winter, after cutting off the tops and hilling them. Next spring The plants remaining in the ground will bloom and produce seeds. Umbrellas with legs are cut off and left to dry, folded into small bundles. After this they are threshed.
The resulting seeds can be stored in small bags or bags for no longer than two years.
Harvest begins in late autumn Harvesting and storage
Harvest in late autumn before the onset of cold weather. This must be done in dry weather. The root crop is quite difficult to dig up because it sits firmly in the soil. You need to dig up the vegetable carefully so as not to damage it, otherwise store it for a long time It will be impossible, it will quickly rot. First, the leaves of the parsnip are cut off, and only then dug up.
The root vegetable is best stored in wooden boxes with sand in a cold room, having previously cleared the soil, thoroughly washed and dried.
Sometimes part of the crop is harvested in the spring, leaving it in the ground for the winter. Before this, it is hilled up and covered with straw to protect it from freezing. In the spring, you need to have time to dig up the vegetables left for the winter before they sprout again.
If you don't want to grow large number parsnip, then making a whole bed with this plant makes no sense. You can do it differently. After harvesting the first parsnip harvest, at this place next year self-seeding plants will appear. They need to be thinned out so that they do not grow and become large fruits, and, fertilizing with humus, leave until autumn. Self-seeding can only be left for small area beds, using the rest of the space for other plantings.
In the fall, these seeds will sprout, bloom and produce seeds again. They can be collected and sown next year; not all of the sown seeds will sprout, but enough will allow you to use parsnips for almost a whole year, as a seasoning or an additional ingredient for your dishes. In order for the seeds to sprout next year, they need to be sprinkled with earth, humus or straw. Surprisingly, self-sowers cope with weeds on their own, much better than specially planted plants.
Parsnip root is very beneficial for your health As you can see, growing parsnips in your garden is quite simple, and the benefits of this vegetable are certainly worth the effort. When preparing various dishes from this vegetable, its benefits are retained, as when preparing seasonings.
IN folk medicine The benefits of parsnip also did not go unnoticed: this root vegetable is used for lotions, decoctions, and infusions. The vegetable helps with swelling, stomach colic, colds, and improves the functioning of the digestive system.
Just recently I came across this expression about parsnips: “He who knows, loves it; he who doesn’t know, must love it.”
And, indeed. How can you not love it if its beneficial properties can be compared to ginseng?
Having eaten a salad with the addition of parsnips, you will immediately feel a significant increase in strength and you are ready for new feats)
In addition, it is not at all picky when growing.
This white carrot with parsley leaves will take root in your garden for a long time if you grow parsnips at least once.
Parsnip, although it was known in ancient Rome, has wild ancestors in our country.
Until now, uncultivated species grow in the Caucasus, this is its historical homeland.
Parsnips grew in ancient times in many European regions, as well as in Asia.
Romans and Greeks nutritional value They didn’t know the crops; they grew it as a fodder crop.
Of the 15 species known in nature, only one has been cultivated. In Russia, parsnips are widespread.
Biological portrait
The umbellaceae family, a relative, and other green ones, forming an inflorescence - an umbrella.
Parsnips are perennial or biennial. Its shoots are similar to emerging parsley or, but the leaf is immediately larger.
Usually the color is richer, but lighter (depending on the variety).
Plant height depends on growing conditions:
- Soil type;
- Care;
- Planting schemes.
Affects the height and choice of variety. Therefore, parsnips can be a low bush, about thirty centimeters high, or they can grow up to 2 meters.
Nutritional value – root vegetables. The shape of the root crop is either conical, like that of, or round, like.
It is formed in the first growing season, which is convenient for the gardener.
The next season, parsnips expel flowering stems (“go into the tube”) and produce seeds.
Root crops of the second year are not used for food. The parsnip root becomes coarse, almost woody.
The value of culture
Parsnip as a seasoning has many fans.
Exquisite aroma good taste, allow it to be present in different dishes.
Soups, addition to main courses, independent dishes, side dishes. Parsnips are especially good with meat.
It is also used for canning and preparing pickled vegetables for the winter.
They even named the plant parsnip after the Latin word for food, which is similar to pastus.
Parsnips are tasty, and also medicinal:
- Aroma – stimulates appetite;
- Serves as a pain reliever different types colic: renal, hepatic, gastric;
- Relieves cough;
- Increases potency;
- Has a diuretic effect;
- Helps with dropsy;
- Treats loss of appetite;
- Has a sedative effect;
- Regulates metabolic processes due to the saturation with vitamins, minerals, acids of organic origin;
- Relieves vascular spasms;
- Blurs kidney stones;
- Parsnip seeds are also medicinal. Pharmaceutical preparations used in dermatology are made from the seeds. They treat vitiligo with “parsnip” medicine. It also helps with psoriasis and hair loss (baldness).
Parsnip is a universal plant. It will please both the taste and the health benefits.
Only ignorance, busyness or reluctance to reap the benefits prevent gardeners from paying more attention to parsnips.
This culture deserves a place in the garden of any plot. Anyone who grows it knows this.
Popular varieties
There are many varieties of parsnip, they differ in the shape of the root crop and the timing of ripening.
Hormone. Early ripening variety with interesting name. The cone-shaped root vegetable is ready for the table within 2.5 months from germination.
Length - 20 cm on average, weight more than 100 g. Aromatic, good as a seasoning.
An independent dish - fried, stewed or boiled - will not disappoint either.
Guernsey. This variety will take longer to grow - almost 4 months.
It is also early, but mid-early. Cold-resistant. The root crop is conical.
Delicacy. This variety is also classified as mid-early. It is truly a delicacy, very tasty and aromatic.
The shape is round, the root crop can weigh more than 300 g.
Round. Another rounded root vegetable (the unassuming name indicates the type).
The shape, however, is rounded only at the top; the root itself is elongated. Weighs half as much as the previous one.
It is inferior in taste to others, and in aroma too. But he will sing quickly - a little more than three months and he’s ready.
In addition, it is unpretentious to soils: it can handle heavy soils, grow and ripen.
The best of them all. Medium early - ready in 3 months, in the south it ripens in just 2.
Fragrant, conical, up to 150 g. Easy to grow - you can sow early, and to store - at the end of May.
Harvested, tasty, it lives up to its name.
White stork. It is considered mid-season, although it ripens approximately like mid-early Guernsey - in 4 months.
A white, carrot-shaped root vegetable. Weight 100 g (average).
Intended for food use, excellent taste. Ripening is good, it stores well - it lasts for a long time without spoiling.
Gladiator. Also mid-season, conical, white. It is productive and grows well.
Large root vegetables. A variety for culinary purposes.
Gavrish. In terms of ripening - medium early, it lasts less than 3 months.
Cold-hardy, even frost-resistant, grows normally even at low temperatures above zero (5°C).
The seedlings will withstand a short five-degree frost, the grown plant will tolerate frost and minus eight.
Student. Late (150 days) productive variety. Root crops are large, cone-shaped. Length 30 cm.
Tasty, aromatic, with white flesh. Drought resistant.
Petrik. Dietary mid-season variety. Valuable in cooking and medicinal, especially for men.
The shape of the root crop is conical. Tasty, aromatic.
Parsnips of any variety, even uncultivated ones, are a product that carries healing substances to the human body.
Parsnips will exhibit beneficial properties both in food and in special infusions for treatment.
When planning a set of crops for sowing, do not forget about it.
Growing parsnips
Most gardeners have heard about the root vegetable, many have even eaten parsnips; however, not everyone knows how to grow them.
The crop is cultivated either by sowing in the ground, or - seedling method. The vegetable grower decides for himself what is more convenient.
Not every gardener manages to get parsnip seedlings. The reason is usually in the seeds.
Most umbrella crops are essential oil crops. Seeds containing various essential oils do not last long.
The best sowing period is the next year after harvest. Already in the second season of storage, the germination of essential oils drops sharply, sometimes to zero.
Therefore, purchase seeds from reputable sellers, in trusted stores. Or grow it yourself.
Sowing time
The timing of sowing parsnips varies. The weather, the region and the desire of the vegetable grower all influence.
Parsnips are cold-resistant, they will tolerate February sowing, you can choose March, April, even May.
You need to get it earlier, sow it earlier. Parsnips are the first to be harvested during winter sowing.
For winter storage calculate the timing - when stable frosts begin in the region.
The countdown for late varieties is 5 months.
Sowing
Seed preparation. Parsnip seeds are difficult to germinate. They take a long time to germinate, so it is optimal to prepare them in advance for sowing.
First, soak for a day. Fill it with water and change it periodically to keep it fresh. Kept in the room.
After the water is drained, the seeds are left wet in a cloth, placing it somewhere where the seeds will not dry (a plastic bag, plastic container with lid).
You can’t put moistened seeds and just wait. Periodically, after about 3 days, remove the cloth with the seeds and wash the seeds directly in it with fresh water. Check their condition.
Valid seeds do not mold and have a normal smell. Those that are not viable will deteriorate.
When viewing, the seeds are ventilated - aeration is also needed. Then the cloth is folded and put back into a damp temporary storage.
In about a week and a half, the sprouts will sprout. These are the roots. The seeds are viable and almost ready.
Hardening remains. By placing the seeds closer to freezer(don’t be afraid to freeze - they will survive) the refrigerator, prepare the soil.
Soil preparation. When choosing a location, we take into account: parsnip is light-loving, but does not favor heat.
If planting in the south, it is better to prefer partial shade for the crop than an open hot place.
The soil is partially ready - dug up in the fall, frozen in the winter and ripened in the spring.
In autumn on poor soil mineral composition Fertilizers (NPK) are applied in areas or rotted manure is plowed.
In the spring, shallow furrows are cut into which parsnips will be sown.
If the soil is heavy, the sowing grooves are made deeper. Humus is poured at the bottom.
Row spacing is left up to half a meter wide - orientation by variety, soil type, expected plant height.
Sowing seeds. Hardened seeds with mini-roots are carefully distributed in the grooves, the interval is 12 cm.
The grooves are pre-diluted. The seeds are equipped with impellers, this makes them larger, more noticeable, and easier to sow.
You can play it safe and plant twice as close, this will replace the ungerminated seeds. But then thinning will be required.
Light rolling (you can lay a board along the length or width of the bed, press it down, then transfer it to a nearby area) will help the soil and seeds to adhere.
If the soil is not sufficiently moistened, moderate watering will compact it.
If you sow before winter, you sow thicker, the seedlings thin out on their own - not everything comes up.
Incorporation at any selected sowing time is 4 cm, no deeper.
Sowing seedlings. All root crops do not like transplantation and have difficulty withstanding it.
The slightest injury to the roots, especially the central one, and the root crops will grow ugly: forked, twisted, non-standard. That's why they don't pick parsnips.
Prepared (sprouted) seeds are sown in a nutrient mixture, preferably in a peat pot, so that the grown plant can be planted with it later.
They also sow in pots with backup, two seeds at a time, spacing them out a little. This is necessary so that later, when removing the excess, you do not injure the main plant.
Parsnips are sown shallowly in pots, 1 cm.
Growing seedlings. The substrate in the pots is kept moist so that the roots develop. Over-moisturizing is unacceptable.
You can avoid drying out the surface of the substrate by covering the pots with film. Check the humidity every day while waiting for the sprouts to sprout.
Once they have sprouted, provide light, parsnips love it. If you sow early, it is better to highlight it, prolonging the daylight hours.
Then the sprouts will be strong and will not stretch.
Month-old seedlings are ready for planting. Parsnips are planted according to the accepted sowing pattern.
The only difference is that they sit immediately on optimal distance, no thinning is required.
And instead of grooves there are holes. Lower the pots into them carefully, without damaging the roots.
A handful of ash in the hole won’t hurt either. Then the survival rate is high, and the harvest will be pleased with the shape of the root crops.
Parsnip care
The unpretentiousness of the plant makes care easy. It is important to go through the first phase, especially when sowing into the ground.
- Keep the soil moist - the sprouts grow slowly at first. Dry, crusty soil is an obstacle to seedlings, which causes them to thin out.
- Remove weeds in a timely manner: they are quickly able to “clog” with their active growth young parsnip.
- Loosen the rows.
Once the seedlings have strengthened and risen, care becomes easier.
Parsnips produce a decent rosette of leaves and begin to suppress the weeds themselves.
The foliage covers the ground, maintaining moisture.
You can give one or two fertilizing (foliar, spraying or at the root - with watering) if the soil is not rich in composition.
Mullein or diluted, fermented bird droppings are quite suitable.
The second half of the growing season does not require such fertilizing, they are even harmful. The root crop may crack (eating too much sometimes is not good for the plants).
Care is preferable in the morning, in the evening - not in the heat.
In the sun, parsnips release essential oils from their leaves, which can act as allergens. It is better for allergy sufferers to work with this crop in protective gloves at all times.
Pests and diseases
Parsnips are damaged by pests, and sometimes plant diseases occur.
Pests
Parsnips are a persistent plant and have few enemies. They are common to other umbelliferae.
But parsnip is more resistant and is less affected, which is why the pests are called not by its name, but by the name of its relatives:
- carrot fly;
- Celery fly;
- Field bug;
- Caraway moth;
- Striped shieldweed;
- Root aphid.
They look at parsnips if they don’t find their main, favorite crop.
Or if the umbelliferous plots are carelessly located - nearby.
carrot fly. Red-haired, small, but the harm from a miniature half-centimeter fly is great.
The fly has adapted to lay eggs directly in the root collar of the plant.
Having hatched, the larvae immediately bite into the root crop and feed on it for almost a month. They manage to thoroughly make holes in the parsnip with their passages and spoil it.
They attack damaged root crops and rot, causing cracking. You have to fight the fly.
Having found it in the plot of any umbrella plants, change the tactics of growing them:
- Alternate rows of parsnips and onions. Get double the benefits: onions will repel carrots, and parsnips will repel onion fly. Garlic in the aisles will serve a similar purpose. At the same time it will compact the plantings. Thus, reasonable placement of vegetables makes them helpers in protection from misfortunes.
- It is customary to plant parsnips rarely - do not break the rule. The carrot fly prefers damp places. Rare plantings are well ventilated, the fly is uncomfortable there. Avoid lowlands - moisture stagnates there too.
- The soil in a small plot can be sprinkled with mustard powder. This will scare away the fly.
- If the fly bothers you, spray with diluted ammonia will annoy her. She will fly away.
- You can spray the plot with caustic infusions at hand (potato or tomato tops, garlic, wormwood).
- A week's strained infusion of burdock will also help.
Celery fly. It affects umbellifers and also harms parsnips. The fly is also small, like the carrot fly. The color is brown, with a red tint.
It affects the above-ground mass: it lays eggs inside, under the skin. They are transparent and invisible.
If the clutch is numerous, a tubercle is formed. It changes color to brown.
If the parsnip is slightly affected by the celery fly at this stage, the tubercles can simply be crushed.
If a stage is missed, larvae hatch. They feed on the tissues of leaves and stems for a whole month.
The leaves wither and die. The larvae go into the soil to pupate.
Compliance with agricultural technology, crop rotation, and proper proximity of crops protects against pests.
When there are few affected plants, it is advisable to remove them from the site, neutralize them, and destroy them.
If the damage is widespread, odor-repellent substances (naphthalene) or insecticidal treatments of the plot are used.
Field bug. Another miniature parsnip lover.
A small gray bug with a greenish tint. It damages the green part, the larvae hatch inside the tissues and suck the juice out of them.
The bug is also poisonous to parsnips - its saliva contains caustic toxins.
Affected plants, even if they set seeds, are infertile. The bug is destroyed with insecticides.
Organophosphate insecticides are more reliable, although they are also toxic to humans.
Caraway moth. The picky insect eats everything from parsnips.
“Tops and roots” - the caterpillars of this pest do not miss anything. If the plant manages to bloom, they will get to the flowers and “stream”, which is possible.
It is difficult to fight; preventive measures are needed.
A handy method: infusion of tomato tops. Half a bucket of tops is filled to the top with boiling water. A day later, two people spray the plot with parsnips with the strained solution.
Tomato tops are poisonous to caterpillars - they contain solanine.
Striped shieldbill. It is unlikely that anyone has not seen this bug.
Bright red with black stripes and a very unpleasant smell.
This bug doesn’t just “walk” around the garden, it’s a pest. The stink bug loves umbrella plants; it will definitely visit the umbrellas of carrots, dill, and, of course, parsnips.
It feeds on plant juices. The bug itself is poisonous, birds do not touch it.
The stink bug does not cause much harm, although it feeds at all stages of growth.
It is possible to reduce the number manual collection pest, no treatment is carried out.
This is called the root. There is another name: grass louse. The insect is small, yellow or greenish in color.
Most aphids are wingless, but some are winged. They are dispersed mainly by mobile larvae.
To do this, the wanderers (larvae) have to come to the surface, they are mobile, fast, find new hosts and again go deeper closer to the roots, into the soil.
The larvae feed on the juices of the roots. By damaging the roots, they open the gates to various infections: fungi, bacteria, viral diseases.
The first step is to combat aphids with agricultural technology. Crop rotation, harvesting of plant residues.
Root crops and weeds abandoned on the site are a refuge for the pest to overwinter.
Biological products (boverine, fufanon and the like) will also help.
Chemical insecticides are an extreme case; sometimes you have to resort to them, applying them at the root.
Parsnip diseases
Mostly this rotten, they are caused by settling on damaged (or in high humidity) root crops.
Rot often occurs during storage. This:
- Gray rot;
- Bacterial wet rot;
- White rot.
Powdery mildew. The disease is recognized by plaque white covering the leaves.
The fungus spreads quickly, the leaves die, the harvest decreases or does not form at all.
They fight rot - prevention. Prepare storage facilities (disinfection, drying), maintain optimal humidity, low temperature during storage.
Powdery mildew is destroyed with copper preparations; try not to over-moisten the crops or thicken them so that there is ventilation.
In general, parsnips are hardy and rarely get sick.
Cleaning and storage
Pasternak is loyal to low temperatures, you can remove it “at the end” - before frost.
Small short frosts will not damage the root crop.
To minimize damage when digging, it is better to use a pitchfork rather than a shovel.
The tops are stinging, gloves are needed. Especially if the harvesting is early, at the beginning of the leaves drying, this is also practiced.
Storing parsnips is not easy. He is comfortable in a damp room, but pathogenic flora is also comfortable; it can cause diseases.
When the air is dry, parsnips wither, lose their juiciness and taste. The temperature must be maintained strictly, the range is small: 0 + 2°.
Therefore, storage is easier for southerners - there you can leave root crops undug, they overwinter without any problems.
Dig it up when you need it for the table, this is the storage technology.
Not everyone grows a healthy root vegetable.
Undeservedly pushed aside, pushed aside by other cultures, it is still waiting for the return of its former food glory.
If it is not yet provided for in your crop rotation, take a little space and plant at least a couple of rows.
Afterwards, you are unlikely to refuse the nutritious, tasty and healing parsnip: it will be registered on the plot to your satisfaction.
See you soon, dear readers!
Before we begin to describe the technology for growing parsnips in a country house or garden plot, we should figure out whether we even need this vegetable, this white root. It turns out that it is needed, and how. Judge for yourself. The parsnip plant is quite unpretentious, although there are some subtleties in its cultivation. They will be discussed below. And parsnip has a lot of beneficial properties. Let us consider these beneficial properties of parsnip root in more detail. And let’s find out why parsnips are an ideal vegetable not only when grown in a country house or garden, but also for private plot owners or farmers.
Useful properties of the parsnip plant
This vegetable has been known in Europe since ancient times. It follows that this wonderful white root is as dear to us as, for example, onions or rye. That is, all of them healing properties parsnip conveys to us completely, as fellow countrymen.
So what are these properties? In terms of easily digestible carbohydrates for the body, parsnip occupies one of the first places among root vegetables. It contains in decent quantities useful microelements(sodium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus). Also present are carotene, vitamin C, and the entire group of B vitamins. That is, parsnip is such a natural, natural root vitamin.
It is the presence of B vitamins in parsnips that seems to provide the following important application. It is useful for general loss of strength. And what is especially important, an aqueous infusion of the root is used as a general tonic and aphrodisiac for sexual disorders.
Parsnips have a positive effect on regulating digestion and stimulating appetite.
So there is no doubt that parsnip is the root that must be present in our beds.
Parsnip varieties
There aren't too many of them. In our area, the varieties “Round” and “Long” are mainly grown. It is very possible that all other varieties of parsnips are popularly called “long” if they are not round in shape. The fact is that we very often use our own seeds, or buy them “on a spoon” from grandmothers at the market. Whether they know exactly what variety they sell is anyone's guess.
In fact, except for the “Round” variety, which is similar in shape and size to black radish, all other parsnip varieties have oblong, long roots. This is the Student variety, very cold-resistant variety“Guernsey” (the author is the company “Biotechnika”), parsnip “Kulinar” (the company “Gavrish”) and the super variety “Russian Size” (NK-Russian Garden). Perhaps I missed something.
The “Round” variety has been successfully grown for a long time both here in the Kuban and on the Don. I fundamentally disagree with the statement that parsnip is an exotic plant. We grow it in every yard. And according to the stories of old-timers, parsnips were grown in the middle of the last century.
Planting, care, cleaning and storage of parsnips
Parsnip – biennial plant. In the first year it grows into a root, in the second (if the root is not dug up or planted again in the spring) it blooms and produces seeds. If you wish, you can always have your own seeds. The seeds are quite large, these are not carrot or celery seeds. Theoretically, you can sow the seeds right away, but it’s better not to do this. The main and only problem when growing parsnips– poor seed germination. Seeds are stored for only a year or two.
For normal development parsnips require light soil with a deep topsoil, especially for long varieties . The sowing scheme is as follows– row spacing is approximately 40 cm, in rows between plants – at least 9-12 cm (for the “Kulinar” and “Russian Size” varieties - 20 cm). Of course, we ensure the required distance in the rows when arranging (thinning) parsnip plants that have already been born in the 2-3 leaf phase.
Since parsnip seeds begin to germinate at temperatures above +3 degrees, they are one of the first to be sown in early spring, while there is moisture in the soil.
The seeding depth is approximately 2 cm. Parsnip seeds germinate very slowly – up to 20 days. The seedlings can withstand frost.
But it often happens that the first batch of parsnip seeds does not germinate at all. Either the seeds are of poor quality, or the return of cold weather is the reason. There was one year in our area when no one’s parsnips sprouted. Although different people sowed, with different seeds, at different times.
This year, the parsnips in our garden have not yet sprouted. Although the early sown carrots, parsley, peas, and lettuce have already sprouted.
In this case, you can also plant parsnips using. The soaking period is three days. The emergence of seedlings will now be more guaranteed.
Parsnip care consists of thinning the seedlings (discussed earlier) and loosening.
A few are enough for parsnips. abundant watering in dry weather. If there were good rains, then it’s not worth watering. Prolonged excess moisture is also undesirable for parsnips.
There is also no need to spray parsnips with various chemicals. It doesn't have any pests yet.
You can, if desired and necessary, feed the plant with some complex fertilizer or biostimulant.
Regarding the fact that parsnip leaves cause burns on the human body in hot weather…
For as long as we have been growing parsnips, I don’t remember anything like this either at home, or at friends, or at neighbors. On the other hand, why climb there in hot weather? And if you climb, then wear clothing that covers your entire body and use work gloves.
When the leaves of the parsnip grow enough, they “choke out” the weeds.
Harvesting parsnips later than all root crops, preferably in dry weather on dry soil. Leaves are trimmed, sorted, and allowed to dry.
Quality roots put into storage. Stored in basements or dark rooms at a minimum positive temperature. It is very desirable that it be dry there.
Good storage results are obtained if parsnips are sprinkled with sand. The sand must always be kept moist.
But the easiest way is to leave the parsnips in the garden bed during the winter, cutting off the foliage and hilling it up a little. In spring, the roots are dug up before the leaves grow.
Applications of parsnip roots
When used in cooking everything depends only on the imagination of the cook. These are salads, seasonings, side dishes. Add to soups, borscht. You can just take it and simmer it in a frying pan like potatoes with tomato and onion. Quite an edible dish.
Used in folk medicine(discussed a little above).
Apply as fodder crop (roots only) on home farm eg for cows and pigs.
And of course, parsnips can be grown for sale. Is it profitable to grow this vegetable? Judge for yourself. Now in the spring parsnips cost 100 rubles. per kg (if you sell in bulk, it is noticeably cheaper). Demand is not too high, but stable. They buy it throughout the year, including young roots in the summer. Therefore, parsnips can be grown as a minor (additional) crop and sold as a related product.
So, let's draw a conclusion from this article. The conclusion is simple and obvious.
Since parsnips are enough healthy vegetable, and it can be obtained without much labor, and it does not need to be treated with pesticides, then it is undoubtedly an ideal option for growing in a country house, a personal plot, or even in a field with the owner of a private household plot.
Parsnip plant, or meadow, or ordinary (lat. Pastinaca sativa) is herbaceous perennial, a species of the genus Parsnip of the Umbelliferae or Celeryaceae family. The name of the plant is derived from the Latin word “pastus”, which means “food, feed, nourishment”. Otherwise, parsnips are called white carrots, white root, field borscht. The homeland of parsnips is the Mediterranean. Parsnip has been known to mankind since time immemorial - mentions of it were found in the works of Pliny and Dioscorides dating back to the first century BC, and its seeds were discovered in Neolithic excavations in Switzerland. The ancient Greeks and Romans knew this vegetable under the name "pastinaka", used it for food and medicinal purposes, and also fed them to livestock. By the middle of the 16th century, parsnips had become as common and accessible food for Europeans as potatoes later replaced parsnips from European gardens, and in the 17th century, parsnips also appeared in Russia under the name “field borscht”. Today, the parsnip vegetable grows wild in weedy places among bushes in the Caucasus, Turkey, Europe, and Western Siberia. Parsnips are cultivated all over the world.
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Planting and caring for parsnips (in brief)
- Landing: sowing seeds in the ground - from mid to late April or before winter, at the end of October. Sowing seeds for seedlings - in mid or late March, planting seedlings in the garden - in mid-May.
- Lighting: bright sunlight or partial shade.
- Soil: wet, loamy, sandy loam or peaty, neutral reaction.
- Watering: when grown in moist soil, 4-5 abundant waterings are sufficient during drought, but during the season with normal rainfall, watering is not needed.
- Feeding: 3-4 times per season with mullein solution, ash infusion and liquid mineral complexes: a week after planting and again, three weeks later - with nitrogen fertilizer, and from the second half of July - with potassium and phosphorus.
- Reproduction: seed.
- Pests: caraway moth, striped stink bug, field bug and aphid.
- Diseases: septoria, cercospora, wet bacterial rot, black rot(or Alternaria), white and gray rot of root crops.
Read more about growing parsnips below.
Parsnip vegetable - description
The stem of parsnip is from 30 to 200 cm high, erect, rough, grooved, faceted, sharply ribbed, pubescent and branched in the upper part. The leaves are imparipinnate, consisting of 2-7 pairs of lobed or large-serrate oval, more or less pubescent leaflets, short-petiolate in the lower part, sessile in the upper part. The parsnip root, ripening in the first year, is white, thick, aromatic and sweet in taste, sometimes round like a turnip, sometimes cone-shaped like a carrot, and dirty yellow when cut. Flowers with a yellow corolla - small, regular, bisexual, collected in a complex umbrella-shaped inflorescence consisting of 5-15 rays - bloom in the second year. The fruit of parsnip is round-oval, flattened, dirty yellow in color.
Parsnips are closely related to garden plants such as carrots, parsley, fennel, dill, celery, coriander and lovage. From our article you will learn how to plant and care for parsnips, what varieties of parsnips exist for open ground, how to grow parsnip seedlings, what is the time frame for planting parsnips in the ground, when to plant parsnips in middle lane, as well as how to plant and care for parsnips in open ground.
Sowing parsnip seeds
Growing and caring for parsnips begins with sowing the seeds. Parsnips are the most cold-resistant of root crops, so the seeds could be sown simply in the ground as soon as the soil warms up. But since parsnips sprout very poorly due to the high content of essential oils in the seeds, it is, of course, better to grow them seedling method. Before sowing large seeds parsnips must pass special treatment: first they are soaked for a day in warm water, which is changed as soon as it cools down, then the seed is treated with a growth stimulant - Heteroauxin, Epin or Zircon, and only after that is sown in peat pots filled with a peat-based soil mixture. The substrate can be purchased at the store or made from garden soil, peat, sand and perlite - the main thing is that it is light and porous. Before sowing, the substrate must be sifted and steamed in the oven or poured with boiling water for disinfection.
The pots are filled with a damp substrate, compacted so that it is at least a centimeter below the edge of the container, 2-3 parsnip seeds are placed in each pot on the surface and sprinkled on top with a thin layer of substrate, after which the pots are placed on a tray and covered film.
Growing parsnip seedlings
While waiting for germination, lift the film that covers the crops every day for 7-10 minutes for ventilation. Parsnip seeds, as already mentioned, due to the presence of essential oils in them, are difficult to germinate, so you will have to wait at least two weeks for the first sprouts. As soon as they appear, the film can be removed and the pots moved closer to the light. How to care for parsnips during the seedling period? Growing parsnips requires long daylight hours - for normal development of seedlings, a parsnip day should last at least 14 hours, so if necessary, be prepared to provide additional lighting for the seedlings. Watering the seedlings is carried out as the top layer of soil in the pots dries. Try not to over-water the plants, otherwise they may get sick and even die from stagnation of moisture in the roots.
Parsnip picking
Root plants do not tolerate picking well, which is why they are sown not in common boxes, but in separate containers. When the seedlings form the first pair of true leaves, you need to select the strongest of them in each pot for further growth, and pinch off the rest above the surface of the substrate, so as not to injure the root of a strong seedling by pulling it out.
About 10 days before planting seedlings in open ground, they begin to expose them to the street for some time every day for hardening, gradually increasing the duration of the seedlings’ stay in the fresh air.
Planting parsnips in open ground
When to plant parsnips in open ground
Parsnips are planted in open ground in mid-May, when the seedlings are 28-30 days old. At this time, as a rule, return frosts are already behind and the soil has already warmed up sufficiently. Parsnips are planted in the Moscow region at approximately the same time, adjusted for spring weather.
Soil for parsnips
Give the parsnip an area that is well lit by the sun, although it can grow in partial shade. Moist peat, sandy loam and loamy soils with a neutral reaction are most suitable for parsnips. Acidic soils are contraindicated for parsnips, so they must be limed.
Avoid growing parsnips after plants such as carrots, parsley, celery, parsnips and other root vegetables, as they all have common diseases and pests. The best predecessors for parsnips are considered to be onions, cabbage, beets and potatoes, especially if fertilizers were applied to their planting - parsnips grow better on soils fertilized in advance, so the area for it needs to be prepared in the fall: the soil is freed from weeds and, if there are no predecessors for organic matter was introduced, the area with rotted manure was dug up at the rate of half a bucket per m² of area. In the spring, before planting seedlings in the ground, the soil is dug up again, leveled and raised beds are formed.
How to plant parsnips in open ground
Holes are made in the garden bed at a distance of 10-12 cm from each other in the row and the row spacing is no narrower than 40 cm. The depth of the holes should be such that the seedling can fit into it along with peat pot. If you sowed parsnips in plastic pots, water the seedlings before transplanting and carefully transfer them from the pots into the holes along with a lump of earth. After planting, water the garden bed.
Planting parsnips before winter
Pre-winter sowing Parsnips are produced until mid-October in previously (preferably in the spring) prepared soil. Since parsnip seeds are large, they are sown in threes at a depth of 3-4 cm in holes located at a distance of 10-12 cm from each other with a row spacing of 40-45 cm. Winter sowing of parsnips the better that in the spring the seedlings appear very quickly. The emerging shoots are thinned out in the same way as seedlings - the strongest sprout is left in the hole, and the rest are plucked out. We will tell you how to care for parsnips in the next section.
Parsnip care
How to grow parsnips
Growing parsnips in open ground involves performing procedures that are familiar to every gardener - watering, loosening the soil between rows, weeding and fertilizing. Overall, parsnips are surprisingly unpretentious. The first loosening is carried out when seedlings appear or when you are sure that the seedlings have started. Then the soil is loosened after each watering or rain.
Watering parsnips
Parsnips are moisture-loving and especially need water at the stage of root formation. From a lack of water, the leaves of the plant become pale, their growth slows down, and the parsnip can even shoot out an arrow, while the root crops crack, become rough, dry and fibrous. And from excess moisture, parsnips can get fungal diseases. So how to water parsnips? If it grows in moist soil, 4-5 deep waterings in dry weather will be enough, but if it rains regularly in the summer, then it is likely that you will not need to water the parsnips. After watering, it is convenient to loosen the soil in the area and remove weeds. But keep in mind that in hot, dry weather, parsnip leaves emit a caustic essential oil that causes burns, so try to work on the site after sunset or early in the morning.
Parsnip feeding
During the growing season, parsnips are fed 3-4 times. How to fertilize parsnips? Fertilizers should be applied only in liquid form - mullein diluted with water in a ratio of 1:10, ash infusion or solution mineral fertilizers. A week or two after planting the seedlings, feed it nitrogen fertilizers, after another three weeks, nitrogen fertilizing is repeated, and from the second half of July they switch to fertilizing parsnips with potassium and phosphorus fertilizers. However, if you are growing a plant in fertile soil, you can do without fertilizing, especially if fertilizers were applied during site preparation.
Pests and diseases of parsnip
Parsnip diseases
Parsnips suffer from the same diseases as other members of the Umbrella family: septoria, cercospora, wet bacterial rot, black rot (or Alternaria), as well as white and gray rot of root crops.
Septoria is manifested by the formation of numerous medium-sized spots on the leaves of the plant without clear boundaries, which gradually darken and become brownish-brown. Affected plants turn yellow and dry out. Septoria disease progresses in cool weather against a background of high air humidity. Penetration of infection occurs through the stomata.
Cercospora can be recognized by irregularly shaped yellowish or dirty-brown spots up to 6 mm in diameter that appear on the leaves and stems of the plant. As the disease progresses, the spots in the middle fade, and the border around them becomes darker. The edges of the affected leaves rise and curl slightly. On the stems, elongated reddish-brown spots appear depressed. Sick plants lag behind in development, their leaves turn yellow and dry.
Wet bacterial rot– the disease is widespread, especially in conditions of unstable temperature and high humidity. It affects root crops both during storage and in the field. The disease begins with rotting in the tail part - first, dark watery-oily spots appear on the plant, then in their place depressions with a rotting, fetid mass are formed, which flows from the fruit in the form of mucus, which is why the infection spreads to other plants very quickly.
Alternaria blight, or black rot, develops mainly already in storage: slightly depressed spots appear on root crops dark spots, on which a dark olive coating forms in wet weather. In cross-section, the affected tissues are coal-black in color.
White rot (botrytis) And gray rot(sclerotinia) differ in the color of the coating that forms on root crops. When the disease is white rot, the coating is white, in the form of flakes with black sclerotia of the fungus, and gray rot covers the root crops with a gray fluffy coating. These diseases are most harmful in warm weather with high humidity air.
Processing parsnips
In order to fungal diseases parsnips are not affected, we recommend that you take a set of measures, including:
- compliance with crop rotation - parsnips can be returned to the site again no earlier than after 3-4 years;
- strict compliance of care activities with the rules of agricultural technology;
- thorough preparation of the site before planting, including the removal of remnants of the previous crop;
- pre-sowing half-hour treatment of seeds in water at a temperature of 50 ºC, followed by rapid cooling and drying;
- proper storage of root vegetables.
If, despite the strict fulfillment of all these conditions, a fungus appears on the site or in the storage facility, immediately remove the diseased specimens and treat healthy ones with one percent Bordeaux mixture, Fundazol or Topsin-M.
Parsnip pests
Of the insects, the most dangerous for parsnips are caraway moth, striped stink bug, field bug and aphid.
Caraway moth destroys parsnip testes. Its caterpillars penetrate roots, stems and leaves and feed on their tissues. When flowering begins, they entangle the parsnip inflorescences in a web, feeding on pedicels, flowers and seeds, after which they crawl back into the stem. In order to destroy caterpillars, plants are sprayed with a decoction of tomato tops: 3.5 kg of tops are crushed, poured with 10 liters of boiling water, left for two days, filtered and 40 g of grated laundry soap added to the infusion.
Striped shieldbill lives off the juice of young ovaries and buds, from which they die.
Field bug- a greenish-gray bug reaching a length of 4 mm. Females lay eggs in the tissue of the plant, and the larvae that emerge from them feed on the juice of the leaves and tops of parsnip shoots. At the puncture sites, the tissue dies, turns yellow and dries, and the toxic saliva of these pests leads to seed infertility. In warm areas, 3-4 generations of bedbugs can form during the growing season. You can destroy the field bug and striped stink bug with Karbofos or Aktellik.
Aphid- one of the most dangerous and at the same time the most prolific pests. She, like bedbugs, feeds on plant sap, causing them to wither, become deformed and stop developing. In addition, she suffers from incurable viral diseases. You can fight it traditional methods, or you can use Antitlin, Biotlin or the same means as in the fight against Colorado potato beetle– Confidor, for example.
As a preventive measure, it is necessary to fight weeds, and after harvesting, remove plant debris from the site and dig the soil deeply.
Harvesting and storing parsnips
Harvesting begins in the fall, when the parsnip leaves begin to die. How to harvest parsnips? Root crops are dug up with a pitchfork, trying not to damage them, and if necessary, leaving them in the soil until winter - low temperatures only make parsnips tastier. Because parsnip tops can cause burns on your hands, wear gloves when working. Root vegetables are stored in the same way as carrots - in boxes with sand at a temperature of 0-2 ºC and air humidity of 80-85%, but from storage in the cellar they soften, so warm regions where it doesn't happen frosty winters, it’s better not to dig them up at all - they overwinter well in the ground.
There are not so many types and varieties of parsnips in cultivation. Types of parsnips are divided into round and long based on the shape of their roots. Varieties related to round view, are unpretentious in care, and parsnips with long roots require well-developed soil. According to the timing of ripening, parsnip varieties are divided into early, ripening in 110-120 days from germination, mid-ripening, which will take from 120 to 140 days, and late, ripening in 140 or more days. We offer you the best varieties parsnip:
- Round – early ripening variety with a rounded-flattened cone-shaped root crop of a grayish-white color, weighing up to 170 g, with white, strong-smelling pulp with a grayish-white core;
- Culinary- also an early ripening variety, reaching ripeness in 95-105 days with a small but spreading leaf rosette and a cone-shaped, creamy root crop weighing up to 140 g, roundly flattened at the base. The pulp is white with a grayish core;
- White stork – early variety with a white smooth root crop weighing 90-110 g with white and juicy pulp of good taste. The variety has good keeping quality;
- Boris– an early-ripening, highly productive variety with cone-shaped cream-colored roots and aromatic white pulp of excellent taste;
- Hormone– an early-ripening variety with white cone-shaped root crops up to 22 in length and up to 5 cm in diameter, completely immersed in the soil. The weight of the fruit is 100-130 g, they are used as a side dish, fried and boiled, or as a seasoning;
- Delicacy– a mid-early, well-stored variety with rounded root crops weighing from 200 to 350 g and up to 8 cm long with aromatic white pulp with yellowish spots;
- The best of them all – mid-early variety with a conical, pointed white root crop weighing up to 200 g with white, tasty, aromatic pulp;
- Petrik– a mid-season and high-yielding dietary variety for universal use, resistant to disease, with a white conical root crop up to 35 in length and up to 8 cm in diameter with juicy, dense and aromatic gray-white pulp;
- Gladiator– a mid-season productive hybrid with smooth, cone-shaped white root crops and white, aromatic, sugary pulp;
- Guernsey– a high-yielding late variety with well-stored root crops weighing up to 200 g and length up to 25 cm with white, aromatic, sweet pulp of excellent taste;
- Student– late ripening drought-resistant variety, different high yield, with white cone-shaped root vegetables up to 30 cm long and weighing up to 160 g with white, very aromatic pulp of excellent taste.
Properties of parsnip - harm and benefit
Medicinal properties of parsnip
Parsnip contains carotene, ascorbic acid, carbohydrates, essential oil, mineral salts, B vitamins (B1, B2, B3). The carbohydrates contained in the root vegetables of the plant are easily digestible; they also contain a significant amount of potassium, which promotes blood circulation and has a beneficial effect on nervous system and improves digestion. The complex of vitamins, micro- and macroelements found in parsnips is close in composition to that found in spinach.
Parsnip leaves are rich in essential oils, and its root contains three times more sucrose and fructose, which are harmless to diabetics, than carrots. The uniqueness of parsnip is that it contains substances that relieve spasms. If you use grated parsnip root correctly and on time, you can relieve liver and kidney colic.
Parsnip has an expectorant, tonic and analgesic effect; in ancient times it was used as a diuretic for edema, and also as a means of strengthening the walls of capillary vessels, increasing appetite, and stimulating sexual activity.
Currently, parsnips are used for prevention and treatment cardiovascular diseases. Furocoumarins contained in parsnips have been experimentally shown to increase skin sensitivity to ultraviolet rays, and this property has been used to repigment discolored skin areas in patients with vitiligo disease. The preparations “Eupiglin” and “Beroxan” are prepared from parsnip fruits, used for the treatment of vitiligo and baldness; they are the raw material for the production of furocoumarin pastinacin, which is a vasodilator, which is used to prevent angina attacks in heart neuroses and coronary insufficiency, as well as in other cases. spastic phenomena.
Our ancestors used a tincture of parsnip root in moonshine to stimulate appetite and improve mood. And an aqueous infusion of parsnip root was used to restore strength in seriously ill patients. Parsnip infusions have a sedative effect, so they are used for insomnia and neuroses.
Parsnip - contraindications
You should not use parsnips and preparations made from them if you have an individual intolerance to the product and photodermatosis - inflammation of the skin due to increased sensitivity to the sun, since parsnips contain substances that make this sensitivity even stronger.
Greetings, friends, to the site, advice for gardeners. Scientific name The genus Pastinaca, to which parsnip belongs, comes from the Latin noun pastus - “food”, due to the edible root.
The name of this plant has many synonyms: field borscht, kozelets, popovnik, deer root. Parsnip, how weed, grows in wastelands, arid slopes, fields and river valleys. Its homeland is Central Asia and Europe.
In Russia, it is cultivated as a cultural crop. vegetable plant steel since the 18th century. Now parsnips are grown everywhere in personal plots as a spicy vegetable and medicinal plant. The taste of the root vegetable is spicy-sweet with a pleasant aroma.
The healing properties of parsnips
The entire parsnip plant - roots, seeds and leaves - is medicinal raw materials. Parsnips have an analgesic, antispasmodic, tonic, diuretic and expectorant effect.
It increases appetite and enhances libido. Root vegetables contain a sufficient amount of microelements and vitamins. The presence of the entire group of B vitamins, which the body needs during severe fatigue, is especially important.
With the help of these vitamins, metabolism is normalized, they are very effective in the treatment of certain forms of anemia. The plant has a photosensitizing property, which is due to the presence of furocoumarins in the plant.
Their presence increases skin sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation. As a result of this process, white spots on the skin of people with vitiligo repigment.
The pharmaceutical industry produces parsnip based medicines. Such, for example, as "Beroxan" for the treatment skin diseases and nesting baldness.
Indications for use
Traditional medicine suggests using parsnips in the form of infusions, decoctions and lotions in following cases: swelling, lack of sexual function, poor digestion, vascular and heart diseases, loss of strength, liver and stomach colic, colds and bronchopulmonary diseases with hacking cough and poor sputum discharge.
The main contraindication to the use of parsnips, as well as drugs based on it, is gastritis and peptic ulcers.
Root vegetables are used as a seasoning for side dishes and first courses. It is also prepared as an independent dish - baked, fried, boiled, stewed. Parsnips are used in the canning and culinary industries and serve as valuable feed for birds and animals, because they significantly improve the quality of meat and milk.
Parsnip varieties
Parsnips are a biennial plant and produce seeds in the second year. There are two types of parsnips: round and long. From the first one, the early ripening variety “Round” is grown in our country.
Among the varieties of long parsnip, we cultivate the varieties “Student” and “Guernsey”. These types of root vegetables are more cold-resistant and store better than round parsnip varieties because they have a higher dry matter content.
Place for planting and growing parsnips
Growing parsnips from seeds is similar to growing carrots. However, due to the fact that it is more cold-resistant, its seeds germinate at 4 degrees Celsius. Parsnips are grown in open ground.
It prefers sunlit areas, but can also grow in semi-shaded areas. Does not tolerate acidic soils well. The most preferred are humus-rich, moist, but not waterlogged, loam and sandy loam soils.
On dense soils, root crops take on an ugly shape. The thickest roots are formed on peaty soils. The best predecessors this vegetable crop- cabbage, onions, potatoes, under which they were added various types organic fertilizers.
If fertilizers are immediately applied during sowing, the quality of the root crops deteriorates and they begin to branch. The beds for cultivation begin to be prepared in the fall. Compost or rotted manure is added, and in the spring the ridges are harrowed, their surface is leveled and compacted.
On normal soils Parsnip seeds are buried 2 cm into the soil, and 3.5 cm on light ones. The following planting pattern is used: 40 cm row spacing, 10-12 cm between plants in the furrow. Seedlings germinate very slowly - more than three weeks.
Plant care
Caring for the plant comes down to thinning, weeding, loosening the rows and fertilizing. On hot days, all care work should be carried out in the early morning or evening to avoid skin burns when coming into contact with leaves containing a lot of essential oils.
When seedlings appear, you need to loosen the row spacing, and in the phase of one or two true leaves, thin out the seedlings, leaving a gap of about 6 cm between them.
After two weeks, it is necessary to make a second thinning, increasing the distance between the seedlings to 15 cm. During the entire growing season, parsnips are watered rarely (3-4 times), but abundantly.
Harvesting and storing parsnips
Parsnips are harvested late in the fall, some time before frost in dry weather. It is difficult to dig it up, since the root crops sit quite firmly in the soil.
Before digging, the leaves are cut off and given to livestock feed. Root vegetables are cleared of soil, washed in cold water if necessary and dried. Store in wooden boxes with damp sand in the basement.
If the plant remains to overwinter in the beds, it is hilled up and the parsnip leaves are cut off. In spring, root crops are dug up before the leaves grow. To obtain seeds from overwintered plants, several plants are left.
In 2.5 months the seed plants will bloom. When the seeds turn light golden brown, they are removed. Umbrellas along with the stalks are cut off and tied into bundles. After drying, they are threshed and stored for two years, no more, in canvas bags.