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Post by bvillebill on May 9, 2012 10:12:11 GMT -5
I have a big patch of kral just starting to flower now, so if anyone has problems with their seeds let me know in a few months and I should have a bunch of fresh seed I'd be happy to share out. I should end up with 100X what I need for my own use.
I do have problems with a worm that bores in the stalks of parsnip flower stalks and then makes cobwebby nests in the flowers, I've never seen anyone mention those. I have to keep a sharp eye on the flower and pick them off before they get out of control.
The kral is a nice parsnip if you have heavy soil, it ended up looking more like a large rough beet although with about 2/3 below the surface. Mine ended up 4"-6" in diameter and about as tall from base of leaves to bottom of root. Brownish skin, average parsnip taste.
BTW, the seeds came from Adaptive Seeds last year and germinated fine, so hopefully those of you with this year's will end up OK.
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Post by nicky on May 9, 2012 12:13:10 GMT -5
I think that your worm problem is the "parsnip webworm" (Depressaria pastinacella). My parsnip flower heads had the same problem last year. There is plenty of info if you google "parsnip webworm." I did the same thing that you did - pick em' off. The flower heads produce SO many seeds that I would never miss the ones that I picked off. The kral sounds like an interesting variety. (:
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Post by bvillebill on May 10, 2012 13:13:05 GMT -5
Thanks for the info, one of those rather obvious names I just never thought to look it up. Not a lot of info on control, I figure the number of commercial parsnip seed producers is fairly limited  It's a tough little bugger to deal with the toxins in parsnip, apparently pyrethrum and nicotene don't bother it so may have to stick with picking. |
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Post by raymondo on May 11, 2012 6:28:43 GMT -5
If it's a caterpillar, Dipel (or some other Bt product) should control it, as should spinosad, though that's a non-discriminant killer. I've used natrasoap to good effect for caterpillars. I think glue spray (flour and water) would work well too but that tends to gum everything up.
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Post by richardw on May 14, 2012 0:57:07 GMT -5
Today i dug out and sorted through the seasons hollow Crown parsnip seed crop,they were grown in a bed that had been double dug last winter so i was able to get them out of the ground really easily,i like to sort & replant in May before winter sets in,this way the foliage can re-establish itself before the heavy frosts stops all growth I like to select for long evenly tapped roots as well i look for ones that of large size also  |
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Post by templeton on May 14, 2012 2:44:04 GMT -5
How old are those 'nips, Richard?
And when would you expect to be harvesting seed?
(And I must say I'm a bit jealous of your crop)
T
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Post by richardw on May 14, 2012 5:00:19 GMT -5
The seed was sown in late Aug and seed from these should be about ready in Feb next year,if all goes well ;D
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jim
grub
Posts: 75
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Post by jim on May 15, 2012 20:47:11 GMT -5
Clever Richard...what is the success rate? do all survive replanting to set seed?
Jim
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 15, 2012 21:04:52 GMT -5
Last fall I transplanted 12 Kral Russian parsnips. Seeds were planted in April and roots dug in October.  9 of them survived the winter. Here's what they looked like a few days ago.  They seem particularly mal-adapted to my garden. But I'll give them a couple generations to acclimatize to my garden before abandoning them, or crossing them with something else. I really like the idea of a turnip-rooted parsnip. |
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jim
grub
Posts: 75
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Post by jim on May 15, 2012 21:31:59 GMT -5
What genotype is anyone using to produce "blocky" roots? I agree that this would be a beneficial phenotype...but all the varities Ive tried are long and narrow.
Jim
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Post by steev on May 15, 2012 21:47:13 GMT -5
Nice for narrows; can't grow those myself; I've got to have the more globular ones, or I'd never get them out of the ground.
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Post by Joseph Lofthouse on May 15, 2012 22:07:57 GMT -5
What genotype is anyone using to produce "blocky" roots? I am growing "Kral Russian". It is the blockiest that I have found. There are other cultivars with varying degrees of blockiness. |
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Post by richardw on May 16, 2012 4:09:14 GMT -5
Clever Richard...what is the success rate? do all survive replanting to set seed? Jim The survive rate would have to be around 99% Jim. In Feb i do remember when i cleared out the block of old parsnips after they had produced there seed,there was one that must have died during last winter but other than that they pretty much all come away again after been transplanted. I can understand those with hard clay soils wanting the more blocky type parsnip and you do have to grow what suits your soils but for me with my deep light soil the long tapped type does very well here,the advantage of the long tapped type is they are a higher producer than the short blocky type as there's a lot more of the vegetable further down. |
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Post by templeton on May 16, 2012 8:18:10 GMT -5
What genotype is anyone using to produce "blocky" roots? I agree that this would be a beneficial phenotype...but all the varities Ive tried are long and narrow. Jim Jim, on another thread here someone mentioned a US variety 'Halfback' but i haven't been able to find any supplier for it. In my neophyte plant breeding folly, I intend to cross up Halblange, and Kral, as the main parents, but throw in a bit of 3 other varieties, then select for short fatness in subsequent generations - if i can keep my enthusiasm up over the biennial life cycle. |
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Post by steev on May 16, 2012 21:23:36 GMT -5
I brought up "Halfback", which was apparently commercially available at some point but alas, no more. Unfortunately, the year I grew them, I ate them; who knew they were going out of production? Tasty, though.
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