Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) are super root crops with a full, complex taste and versatility in the kitchen. You aren’t alone if you’ve ever wondered how to harvest parsnips and when to harvest parsnips, thanks to how easy they are to cultivate at home.
Home gardeners everywhere forgo the opportunity to grow these tasty root vegetables in their raised beds or container gardens, often intimidated by the long growing season that spans the time between planting and harvesting. Like some other biennial fruits and veggies, the parsnip has a two-year life cycle, which adds to the challenge of growing it.
Despite the obstacles, the parsnip offers rich rewards when you decide to sow it in your home garden. The roots are full of flavor, with an appealing texture and various culinary uses. They store for long periods and are nutritious as well as delicious. This article is a hands-on, straightforward guide to growing the world’s most delightful root vegetable in your home garden or raised bed and harvesting parsnips easily.
Everything to Know About Harvesting Parsnips
Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) are the underappreciated relative of the most popular root-vegetable, the carrot. While carrots and parsnips share a similar flavor profile, both being sweet, the parsnip is distinct in its nutty, spicy flavor, similar to nutmeg or cinnamon.
Its taste was once so beloved by Europeans that it was a sweetener before classic cane syrup took its place. Parsnips make a great stand-alone dish and a fantastic garnish in a more complex meal arrangement.
Besides uprooting old plants after their second year, the challenge in growing parsnips is their long growing season. It takes parsnips up to 180 days from planting to be ready for harvest; longer than the time to pick celery for harvesting at home.
Your parsnip harvest isn’t ready until late fall if they’re planted in the spring. In some regions, they’re considered winter plants and are ready to harvest in early spring the following year.
Like its distant cousins, radishes and turnips, the parsnip is a root vegetable and distinct in its lengthy growing time. For example, some varieties of small radishes are ready to harvest as quickly as three weeks from planting time. Most large types take about 60 days.
Turnips follow suit, with most crops ready to harvest in a couple of months. Answering questions like how to harvest parsnips and when to harvest parsnips allows gardeners to approach harvesting parsnips with confidence, just like when picking potatoes at the best time.
Planting Parsnips
Parsnips grow well in most climates, although they demand a long growing season and taste best when grown throughout the year’s cooler months. Parsnip seeds take from 120 to 180 days to mature to harvest. Like beet growing and beet harvest time, they are produced as a winter crop in some areas and sown in mid-fall to be gathered in late winter or early spring.
Parsnips are also planted in early spring as soon as the earth is workable and harvested the following fall in colder climates with freezing temperatures.
Purchase new seeds to ensure germination, and choose a planting location with loose, well-draining soil. Check for pebbles to avoid obstructing root growth. Weeding is a good idea to prevent them from competing for nutrients and moisture.
Although container growing is an option, it is not encouraged because it does not give the best conditions for root development. Sow seeds around 1/2 inch deep. In rows one and a half to two feet apart, sprinkle two to three fresh seeds per inch.
Thin the parsnip seedlings three to six inches apart once they reach a few inches tall. To prevent upsetting the neighboring plants during thinning, cut the plants off at ground level rather than plucking them.
Varieties of Parsnips for the Home Garden
When you’re ready to plant parsnips, selecting the perfect cultivar is the first step. Each parsnip variety has a different mature length, a slight variation in days to harvest, and unique attributes such as color, texture, and taste.
Purchasing fresh seeds every year helps ensure their viability and increases your chances of a successful harvest. Whether you prefer to grow an heirloom variety or want to sample multiple cultivars, parsnips offer something for every gardener.
Caring for Your Parsnip Plants
Parsnips prefer full sun – a minimum of six hours of direct sunshine most days. They can, however, endure some shade. Rich and loamy soils with good drainage are ideal. Parsnips prefer a pH range of slightly acidic to neutral. Before planting, loosen the ground about a foot down to guarantee excellent root growth.
Regular watering and avoiding heavy soils support solid and consistent root growth. Frequent, shallow watering causes weak parsnip roots, so avoid this and ensure the plants aren’t resting in soggy soil. Each week, about an inch of water is adequate, and mulch aids in water retention.
If you allow your parsnips to overwinter in the garden, add a thick layer of mulch to protect them from freezing soil temperatures.
When to Harvest Parsnips
How long does it take for parsnips to grow? When are parsnips ready to harvest? Knowing when to pick parsnips is critical to a successful parsnip harvest time. Different types of parsnip mature at different dates.
It’s time to harvest the roots when they grow to at least one inch in diameter. It’s preferable to expose your parsnips to low hard frost before gathering in the late fall for a sweeter taste. Be sure to harvest parsnips before the ground freezes.
How to Harvest Parsnips
Once the hard planting work is done and the long growing season of caring for your plants has passed, it’s finally parsnip harvesting time. Before you harvest parsnips, loosen the soil with a garden fork to ensure you get the entire root.
Gently pull the parsnip roots from the dirt and cut off all but a few inches of leaves. Preserve parsnips in a root cellar at temperatures from 32-35℉ and 90-95% humidity. They survive four to six months if stored in moist sand or sawdust.
If you need a parsnip substitute for a recipe after you run out of parsnips, try turnips or carrots. The flavor is not quite the same but they still work pretty well. Parsnips are also a great sub for potatoes.c
Parsnip Pests to Avoid
Like other root vegetables, parsnips are susceptible to pests and predators. Be on the lookout for aphids, insect larvae, maggots, or signs of fungal infection or parsnip canker, such as color changes or wilting.
Treat any pest or disease promptly to ensure your plants remain healthy, so you still achieve a large yield of produce. Consider companion planting to reduce incidences of pests and disease, and practice crop rotation to minimize issues in your garden.
Parsnips are packed with a rich, nutty, sweet flavor and make a nice change from carrots or turnips. They pair well with many meals and add something different to a dish. Understanding how to harvest parsnips and when to harvest parsnips makes harvesting parsnips and retrieving the whole root a breeze.
Parsnips are easy to grow provided they are planted in loose soil, and moisture is maintained. They’re a fun and easy addition to any home garden and are an enjoyable project for growers of all levels.
To expand your root vegetable selection, consider picking up some parsnip seeds. These delicious and versatile veggies make up for their long growing season.
If you loved this article on how to harvest parsnips, please share these brilliant tips on harvesting parsnips with your friends and family on Pinterest and Facebook.