Planting
Plant parsnips in a sunny area with loose soil that drains well and is free of rocks. As with carrots, clay or compacted soils can cause parsnip roots to be thin and misshapen. Make sure the area is clear of weeds. Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches and mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or aged manure for fertility.
When to Plant Parsnips
Parsnips need a long growing season, so sow seeds as soon as the soil is workable in the spring. Parsnip seeds will germinate in soil temperatures as low as 48°F (9°C), but ideally soil at 50º to 54ºF (10° to 12°C) will speed germination.
How to Plant Parsnips
Don’t plant where sod grew in the previous season. Excess nitrogen in the soil will cause overabundant top growth and poor root development. Consider doing a soil test.
- Always sow fresh seed. Parsnip seeds do not store well, and seeds that are more than a year old will have a reduced germination rate.
- Sow seeds directly in the garden.
- Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep, 1 inch apart, in rows 18 to 24 inches wide.
- Tip: Sow radish seeds in between your parsnip seedings. Radishes will grow quickly, marking the row and breaking the dirt’s crust for the parsnips.
- Parsnips are slow to germinate. Seedlings typically emerge in 2 to 3 weeks, or longer in soil temperatures below 50°F (10°C). To hasten the process, keep the soil moist.
- Tip: Another way to speed up germination is to start by soaking paper towels or cotton wool pads. Place them on a saucer and press papery parsnip seeds into them. Keep the seeds warm (50º to 54ºF) and watch for little white roots to appear. Then sow as described. Discard any seeds that fail.
Harvesting
Parsnips mature in about 16 weeks after planting, depending on the variety. Harvest when roots are at least 1 inch in diameter.
When exposed to near-freezing temperatures for 2 to 4 weeks in the fall/early winter, the starch in the root changes into sugar, resulting in a strong, sweet, unique taste.
- Leave your parsnips in the ground for a few frosts, but harvest before the ground freezes.
- Or leave them in the ground for the entire winter, covered with a thick layer of mulch. Harvest immediately after the ground thaws in the spring, before top growth starts. If a flower stalk develops, roots may turn woody.
How to Store Parsnips
Before storing parsnips, trim foliage down to 2 to 3 inches. Store parsnips between 32° and 35°F (0° and 2°C), with a humidity of 90 to 95%. For longer-term storage (4 to 6 months), store roots in slightly damp sand, sawdust, or leaves.
Types
Choose short-root varieties for soil that is shallow, heavy, and/or contains a lot of rocks.
- ‘All-American’: Tapered, 10- to 12-inch white roots; high sugar content; stores well
- ‘Harris Model’: Smooth, tapered, 10-inch white roots, free of side roots
- ‘Hollow Crown’: Mild, 12-inch white, fine-grain roots; flavor improves after frost
- ‘Kral Russian’: Heirloom; beet-shaped root; good for shallow or heavy soil.
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Comments
We never say never, so it's certainly possible that you can grow parsnips in Southern California (see the zone list at the top of the page, right of the photo). The end of season frost tends to sweeten them but it's not nec for growing/reaching maturity. The need a long growing season—and you folks have that in spades (not so here in New Hampshire). It would be worth your while to consult your local cooperative extension service to talk about parsnips in your area, especially if you are in a microclimate (in hills or a valley). Click here and choose your state to get specific info: https://www.almanac.com/content/cooperative-extension-services
Parsnips are tough enough to endure a few light frosts, so we would say you still have to time to plant a crop, though the roots may end up being smaller than normal. If you wait until spring to harvest, you should put down a thick layer of mulch to protect your crop through winter.
Be sure that your plants are indeed edible parsnips, because there are some weeds, some toxic, that are lookalikes. If you are absolutely sure, then you might just count days to harvest (about 100 to 130 days since you saw them sprouting), and not worry about the frost, even though the roots may not be as sweet. On the other hand, you could try letting a few plants die back naturally, and leave some of the roots in the ground until a few fall frosts hit them and see if the quality is retained. I'm not sure, though, if the warm soils of summer will preserve them. It might be better just to harvest them soon.
Note: You don't want the plant to flower, which will make the roots woody (these plants are biennial, so if the seeds just sprouted this year, it is unlikely that the plant will flower this year unless stressed). Be careful about handling parsnip, as the sap can be irritating to the skin.
Good luck!
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Well, parsnips will not be satisfactory if grown in San Diego. Parsnip is considered a winter vegetable because its flavor is not fully developed until the roots have been exposed to near-freezing temperatures for 2 to 4 weeks in the fall and early winter. The starch in the parsnip root changes into sugar, resulting in a strong, sweet, unique taste. Not sure if will ever get cool enough long enough in your area. But then again, the adventure is in the trying.