Parsnips

The edible root of the parsnip plant is a good source of Vitamin C, potassium and folic acid.

Parsnips can be grown on any kind of moist soil, but they grow best on soil that is deep and sandy.

Soil should be deeply cultivated, and probably subsoiled.

Before sowing your parsnip seeds, make sure that the soil is in a fine tilth.

Sow parsnip seeds as early as you can, usually before the end of February.

You can wait until the end of March if you are sowing seeds on rich soil.

Sow seeds in holes that are 1 foot to 1 ½ feet apart and 1 inch deep.

You can thin out seedlings that sprout early so that they are from 6 to 10 inches apart.

Parsnip has a low germination rate.

Cultivate the soil by hoeing throughout the summer. Hoeing will help to provide a mulch of dust. Be sure to keep the seedbed free from weeds.

Once your parsnips are fully grown, you can leave them in the ground and pull them up when you need them.

However, if you need the land to grow another crop, you can lift up the parsnips and store the roots.