MikeM
grub
frost-free 365.25 + clayish soil + altitude 210m + latitude 34S + rain 848mm/yr
Posts: 91
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Post by MikeM on Dec 6, 2009 3:17:44 GMT -5
Anybody doing any breeding work with Parsnips? The only variety I've ever heard of or seen is Hollow Crown, and, while they're a fine veggie, there must be some scope for improvement...
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Post by mjc on Dec 6, 2009 11:34:55 GMT -5
Found a couple of other named varieties for you to look for...
Harris Model...not a hollow crown type, supposed to have uniform foot long roots.
Half Long Guernsey...a wide shouldered, not hollow crown, not as long as Hollow Crown one.
I've never grown either...something about hating the so-called commercial 'parsnips' (dirt flavored chunks of wood sound more appetizing) has made me reluctant to devote any space to them. Both of those are available from Baker Creek.
Kral Russian is 'turnip rooted' variety (short and squat), it's available from Heritage Harvest in Canada.
SSE had over twenty (not counting Hollow Crown) listed last year...
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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 6, 2009 12:05:25 GMT -5
I love parsnips especially their ability to overwinter in the ground here. The fact that they are quite feral, they seem mostly unbothered by pests, at least where I am. Wild parsnip which I've heard is pretty much identical to cultivated parsnip, varieties not withstanding, maintains itself as a roadside weed. I would hate to lose its independent nature to breeding but as you say they are certainly not as bred as some other root crops. Maybe increase their sugar content? There are subtle variations in colour with some being whiter and some more tawny? Turnip rooted ones like Kral Russian are useful for heavy soil and perhaps to make winter harvest easy. Also, parsnip foliage causes photosensitive burning in some, I could loss that tendancy  (P.S. I've never noticed this either but people removing wild parsnip populations are often scarred with stripy marks which can last a long time. It may be the second year when the foliage has this power - anyone? - or it might be that normally parsnips are ignored and then harvested after first frosts when we are wearing long sleeves and pants and gloves. Not sure.) Let me know if you are planning a project as I'd be interested in helping after next year. |
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Post by PatrickW on Dec 6, 2009 12:50:37 GMT -5
Parsnips don't taste good until they get a pretty solid frost. Otherwise the sugars don't develop properly. I don't think you get that in SA, do you? The only variety I've had any luck with was Hollow Crown. The others just grew stunted roots for me. I love parsnips, and mine didn't grow this year...  |
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Post by bunkie on Dec 6, 2009 14:46:37 GMT -5
we planted parsnip seed in early spring this year for the first time, i forget the name at the moment. it didn't germinate at all. i left the patch, never getting back to plant something else, and come October, with the coolish weather, they started germinating. not sure if they were big enough to make it through this winter. there's no snow cover right now and temps are in the teens.
there is this variety i'm going to try from Peace Seeds next spring...
Lomatium nudicaule Pestle Parsnip
Eaten as spring greens and winter roots, there small herbs endemic to the PNW and used by generations of local native peoples for their nutrition and sustenance. The seeds were carried and distributed by medicine folk and healers with stories that they were used for bacterial infections like pneumonia and tuberculosis and virus infections like influenza.
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Post by stevil on Dec 6, 2009 17:22:45 GMT -5
we planted parsnip seed in early spring this year for the first time, i forget the name at the moment. it didn't germinate at all. i left the patch, never getting back to plant something else, and come October, with the coolish weather, they started germinating. not sure if they were big enough to make it through this winter. there's no snow cover right now and temps are in the teens. [/i][/quote] Strange that they didn't germinate in the spring. Parsnip seed generally loses its viability quickly after the first winter and if it doesn't germinate usually means it was old seed. I always try to grow my own seed (easy to overwinter the roots into the second year outside) so that I can autumn sow. Sometimes they'll germinate mid-winter but despite that they pull through. Lomatium nudicaule Pestle Parsnip
. We had a discussion about this one here: alanbishop.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=brassica&thread=2299&page=1 |
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Post by bunkie on Dec 7, 2009 9:56:30 GMT -5
thaanks for the info and link stevil. i remember reading that now.
i don't know what the problem was with the germination. it was fresh seed. some have mentioned that parsnips like cool weather to germinate in. perhaps i tried to start them too late in the spring. our weather has been so unpredictable...we're a month or two behind in the normal hot and cold categories lately.
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Post by flowerpower on Dec 8, 2009 5:08:59 GMT -5
In NY, Wild Parsnip or Giant Hogweed is considered an invasive species. They spray a ton of herbicide on the roadsides to eradicate it. You should wear gloves if you touch the plant, it does cause a skin reaction.
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Post by grunt on Dec 8, 2009 5:18:57 GMT -5
If you want giant parsnips, drive a bar into the ground a couple of feet, wiggle it around to create a larger hole, fill the hole with a mix of good compost and fine sand, and plant your parsnip seed in the top of the hole.. Be prepared to dig to get the result out of the ground. The tap root will extend below the depth of your bar.
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Post by ottawagardener on Dec 8, 2009 8:37:22 GMT -5
I've tried that trick and can vouch for it!
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Post by bcday on Dec 8, 2009 14:58:41 GMT -5
The only variety I've ever heard of or seen is Hollow Crown The 2010 Seed Savers Exchange Yearbook has 26 varieties listed: Avonresister Bedford Monarch Cobham Cobham Improved Marrow Culinar Dlouhy Bily Exhibition Guernsey Halblange Halblange Wiesse Se Harris Early Harris Model Hollow Crown Hungarian Kingship Kral Russian Lancer Luchshiy Lz Vsekh New White Skin Offenham Short Thick Tender And True The Student Turga White Gem White Spear |
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Post by stevil on Dec 8, 2009 15:44:26 GMT -5
Of those, Avonresister, Tender and True, The Student and White Gem are all well known commercially available UK varieties.
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Post by mjc on Dec 8, 2009 16:47:35 GMT -5
Cobham and Cobham Improved Marrow should be the same thing (the full name is Cobham Improved Marrow) and the same for Harris Model and Harris Early and the two Halblange listings...at least that's what I've been able to dig up.
Many of them are available commercially...
Avonresister, Cobham, Guernsey, Halblange, Kral Russian and Student are ones that I found at various seed sites and are one my current 'wish' list...from what I found looking, if I had to narrow it down to two...Kral and Student would probably be the ones, Cobham being runner up.
Harris is the most commonly available after Hollow Crown.
There are even a couple that aren't on that list...All-American is one.
Victory Seeds has All-American, Hollow Crown and Harris.
Baker Creek has Gurensey, Harris and Hollow Crown.
Hume's has Andover (another one not in the SSE list).
Bountiful Gardens has Student and Tender and True.
Prairie Garden Seeds (Canada) has Kral.
Territorial Seeds has Cobham Improved Marrow
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peapod
gardener
Zone 4, acidic soil, and sandy loam that I have worked on for 4 years. Fixing the bad stuff.
Posts: 175
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Post by peapod on Dec 10, 2009 19:55:27 GMT -5
you can roast the parsnips to bring out the sugars in them and then they are wonderful to eat. Like candy, almost. In SA I am sure you wont get cold enough to capture the fine flavour of a frosted parsnips. But you can try roasting them.
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Post by stevil on Dec 11, 2009 3:46:02 GMT -5
you can roast the parsnips to bring out the sugars in them and then they are wonderful to eat. Like candy, almost. In SA I am sure you wont get cold enough to capture the fine flavour of a frosted parsnips. But you can try roasting them. My favourite way of preparing them too... |
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(P.S. I've never noticed this either but people removing wild parsnip populations are often scarred with stripy marks which can last a long time. It may be the second year when the foliage has this power - anyone? - or it might be that normally parsnips are ignored and then harvested after first frosts when we are wearing long sleeves and pants and gloves. Not sure.)
