Parsnips

Parsnips can be sown any time from mid-February until the end of April. Dirty Nails has planted his first sowing in the ground this week. ‘Snips prefer a deeply dug bed raked into a fine tilth, with as few stones as possible. White King is a variety which can produce large tender roots in these conditions. If your soil is rather shallow and/or stony, try Avonresister.

Having prepared the ground, mark out your rows, each one a foot (30 cm) apart. Dirty Nails likes to station-sow his parsnips at 6 inch (15 cm) intervals. This is a simple task which involves pushing a finger into the soil to a depth of ¾ inch (2 cm). Place three of the confetti-like seeds into each shallow hole, cover, and firm gently. Choose a dry, calm day for this, as even a slight breeze can cause the seeds to become very hard to handle. When Dirty Nails sows his Avonresister later this month, he will halve the planting distance because the roots are smaller.

Natural History In The Garden: Daisies And Dandelions

The old saying goes that spring is truly sprung when a maiden can put her foot on seven daisies. That is sure to be the case in the days ahead on the lawn, as these lovely little flowers start to really get going, popping up their cheery heads all over the place. The name daisy comes from ‘day’s eye’, which sums up this low growing plant perfectly. In the bright sunshine they spread their petals to catch the rays, but close them up when it is dull and overcast.

Dandelions have been showing themselves shyly for a few weeks now, but they will be producing their sun-like yellow flower heads in profusion soon. These beautiful, bold flowers would surely be cherished more if they were not so common. They are especially valuable to bees and hoverflies that are on the wing in early spring.

Like most veg ‘snips like to be kept moist and weed-free. They are slow germinators, and it may be over a month before the seedlings emerge from the soil. Be patient! Thin to the strongest seedling, and enjoy the wait. Roasted parsnip is a highlight of the long winter months.

Vegetable Snippets: A Brief History Of The Parsnip

Wild parsnip (Pastinaca saliva) grows all over Britain on well drained grasslands and waste ground. It is most at home on alkaline chalky and limestone soils. Above ground, the flowers and foliage of the wild version are very similar to its well-bred, domesticated cousin. Indeed, biologically they are the same plant. However, selective breeding down the generations has differentiated them, and developed the fat root in one which is so popular in the kitchen.

Parsnips are native throughout Eurasia and have been eaten since ancient times. In fact until the sixteenth century, when potatoes arrived in Britain from the Americas, they were a staple part of the winter diet. Parsnips are rich in dietary fibre as well as numerous vitamins and minerals, especially potassium and calcium. It is exposure to cold temperatures which prompts starch in the root to become sugar. This desirable sweetness is the main reason why the advice traditionally is not to lift ‘snips until after the first frost.