(Pastinaca sativa) (100-110 days) Tender, sweet, carrot-like roots provide flavorful winter meals roasted, stir-fried, or mashed. Delicious ingredient in soups and stews. Harvest in late autumn and early winter; sweetness and flavor amps with the frost, as cold temperatures change the starch into sugars. Hardy heirloom annual; an amazingly vigorous parsnip with excellent yields. Grows well even in heavy soils. A great winter storage crop. Excellent source of vitamin C, folic acid, magnesium, niacin and potassium.
Growing Notes
For optimal growth dig ground, loosening soil ahead of planting for longer parsnips. Plant seeds in early spring, 1/2" deep and 1/2-1" apart (~30 seeds per foot in a 2” wide row), at least two weeks before the last average frost date, when soil temperatures are 48°F. Space rows 12-24” inches apart. Keep soil moist until emergence and then weed carefully. In some instances, parsnip greens can cause skin irritation; harvest and weed with gloves and long sleeves to prevent skin exposure.