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How to Grow Parsnips: Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Guide

clean parsnips on paper
Image Credit:
Martina Unbehauen/Shutterstock
Botanical Name
Pastinaca sativa
Grown as
Biennial
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Partial Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Neutral
Special Features
Deer-resistant
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Vegetables
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Feeling bold? Try growing the unsung hero of the root veggie world: the parsnip! These pale beauties thrive in cool weather and actually improve in flavor after a good frost. Think sweet, nutty, and earthy perfection—especially when roasted to caramelized glory.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just digging in, our guide will show you how to plant, grow, and harvest parsnips like a pro. Let’s root for parsnips!

Parsnips need a long growing season and are best harvested after a few fall frosts; if planted too late in the season, their roots will be small. 

Parsnips lend a nutty, sweet flavor to any dish, but these root vegetables can also be enjoyed by themselves as a side dish. (Roasting is a favored method!) Plus, they are packed with nutrients, like potassium and vitamins B6 and C.

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.

harvested parsnips in a basket

Growing

  • Once seedlings are 2 to 3 inches tall, thin them so that they’re spaced 3 to 4 inches apart. To avoid disturbing the delicate roots of the remaining seedlings, simply snip off the tops; do not pull seedlings.
  • Use row covers to deter pests such as carrot rust flies.
  • Always keep the beds free of weeds, especially when plants are young. Mulching suppresses seeds and retains moisture.
  • Water in summer if rainfall is less than 1 inch per week. Parsnips need a fair amount of moisture to form healthy roots.
  • As long as you started with good soil, fertilizing is likely not necessary. Excess nitrogen will encourage top growth instead of root growth.
  • Once roots start to form, hill soil around the plants’ base to prevent greening of the roots’ shoulders.

Note: Be careful about handling parsnips, as the sap and/or leaves can be irritating to the skin. Wear long pants, long sleeves, and gloves when weeding or harvesting.

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.
picking a parsnip in the garden
Credit: Deyan Georgiev/Shutterstock

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.

Pests and Problems

Parsnip Pests and Diseases
Pest/DiseaseTypeSymptomsControl/Prevention
AphidsInsectMisshapen/yellow leaves; sticky “honeydew” (excrement); sooty, black moldGrow companion plants; knock off with water spray; apply insecticidal soap; put banana or orange peels around plants; wipe leaves with a 1 to 2 percent solution of dish soap (no additives) and water every 2 to 3 days for 2 weeks; add native plants to invite beneficial insects
Black (Itersonilia) cankerFungusShallow, reddish brown/purple/black cankers form on crown and/or shoulder of root; small, orange-brown spots on leaves may have green halosChoose resistant varieties; cover exposed shoulders of roots with soil; rotate crops
Carrot rust fliesInsectWilted/stunted plants; tunnels with rust-color excrement in roots; root rotMonitor adults with yellow sticky traps; use row covers; add native plants to invite beneficial insects; destroy crop residue
Leaf minersInsectMeandering blisters in leaves caused by tunneling larvaeRemove infested leaves; weed diligently; use row covers; till soil early in season; rotate crops

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.

Wit and Wisdom

Parsnips, popular with ancient Greeks and Romans, were brought over to the Americas with the first colonists. A relative of carrots and parsley, parsnips are biennials even though they’re usually grown as annual vegetables. 

Soft words butter no parsnips, but they won’t harden the heart of the cabbage either.
–Irish proverb

Vegetables

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Kelly Stump</span> Mon, 10/27/2014 - 16:13
I have parsnips in the ground and would like to over-winter. The foliage has grown tall, can I cut the foliage before I mulch? What's the best mulch to use?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 10/30/2014 - 11:25

If you overwinter your parsnips, just add a few inches of soil over the crowns after the first fall frosts.Harvest the roots in early spring. They should be even more tender and sweet!

 <span>Paul W.</span> Mon, 10/06/2014 - 14:36
Are the lower leaves (stalks) supposed to fan out onto the ground? I can barely get into my parsnip patch because of these lower leaves fanning out on the ground. It prevents me from weeding, because if I walk in there, I'll trample the parsnip leaves and break the stalks.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 10/07/2014 - 16:27
That's interesting that your parsnip greens are fanned onto the ground. You can trim them a little bit to make weeding easier, but keep in mind that some people develop a rash after handling parsnip greens. It is best to wear gloves when handling the tops.
<span>Mary Jean Gross</span> Tue, 07/15/2014 - 20:07
I overwintered parsnips. Did nothing this season, now have 5 foot tall plants. What should I do?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 07/17/2014 - 07:07

Overwintered parsnips taste wonderfully tender and sweet from the frost. Flower stalks can indeed grow five feet tall, blossoming with large yellow flowers.You want to dig them up, as they can no longer store well. They have long tap roots so get ready to dig!

 <span>Joyce Malison</span> Wed, 06/25/2014 - 15:06
I Have a large problem with mine for the last two years. I use fresh seed and my soil has cow manure worked into the grown before planting. My husband then plants the seeds like carrot seeds are planted with sand due to the size. Now we have already planted them, twice this year. Can anybody HELP ,GARDENER NEEDS HELP!!!!!
<span>Butrose</span> Thu, 09/25/2014 - 16:40
I have been pre-sprouting my parsnips for the last few years with great success. Just dump all of the seeds on a wet paper towel and cover them with a fold of the towel. Cover the whole thing with plastic wrap and put on top of the fridge. They take quite awhile to sprout, 2-4 weeks.If you are lucky half of them will sprout. Parsnip seeds are not real viable.Plant the sprouts as you would the seeds.Enjoy success as I have.
<span>Molly Holst</span> Thu, 03/27/2014 - 09:34
Last fall I left my parsnips in the ground. I had them covered, but uncovered to dig some and forgot to cover them back before the hard freeze. I covered them after the freeze, but they had froze. This spring I tilled the tops off and they are growing again. Should I leave them or till them up?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 03/27/2014 - 12:01

Parsnips are best if they stay in the ground for a frost--or, a few frosts! They're also fine if you leave them in the ground and overwinter, even through the snow. However, we would harvest the roots in the spring before new growth begins. If you have too many parsnips, you can always blanche and freeze.