Parsnip in Zone 9 -- plant

Subzone	Last spring	First fall	Growing days	Winter min	Fruits reliably
9a	Mar 8	Nov 24	~261	20-25°F	Yes · two seasons
9b	Feb 28	Nov 30	~275	25-30°F	Yes · two seasons

Beginner

Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Parsnips need deep, loose, stone-free soil more than almost any other vegetable, because the root grows very long (often 10 to 12 inches) and straight down. Dig and loosen the bed at least 12 inches deep and pull out every rock, clod, and root, since anything the parsnip hits makes it fork or grow stubby. Light, sandy soil grows the best roots; heavy clay grows short, twisted ones, so mix in compost or use a deep raised bed. Do not add fresh manure or heavy fertilizer, which causes forking and hairy roots. Aim for a soil pH around 6.0 to 7.0, and rake the surface fine so the slow seeds make good contact.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil

The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight

Full sun to partial shade · 6-8 hrs/day

Water

Regular

Spacing

3 inches

Soil

sandy loam, loam

Days to maturity

100-130 days from transplant

Soil pH

6 to 7

Container OK?

Yes · 5+ gal pot

Germination temp

50-70°F

In a pot

Yes, 5 gallons and up

Parsnips can grow in containers, but you need a deep one, deeper than the root will grow long (so at least 15 inches), and a short, stubby variety. Use loose potting mix, make sure the pot drains, keep the soil evenly moist, and be patient, since parsnips are slow and stay in the pot for months. In cold areas you can leave the pot out and dig sweet roots through winter.Parsnips are growable but not ideal in containers because of their root length. Use a deep pot or bag (15 inches or more), a short stump-rooted cultivar, loose potting mix, and drainage holes, and keep moisture even through the long season. The payoff in cold climates is overwintering: the frost-hardy roots can be dug from the pot through winter, gaining sweetness with cold, if the pot is insulated against freezing solid.

Pot size: 5 gallons and up; 7 gallons is comfortable
Drainage: Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Do not let the pot sit in a saucer of water. Parsnips need steady, even moisture, but soil that stays soggy will rot the roots, so empty the saucer within an hour of watering.Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Do not let the pot stand in a saucer of water. Parsnips need even moisture but waterlogged mix rots the long root and worsens canker; empty the saucer within an hour of watering.
Watering: Pots dry out much faster than the ground, so check daily in warm weather. Keep the soil evenly damp but not soggy, since drying out and then soaking cracks the roots.Containers dry far faster than garden beds, and uneven moisture cracks parsnip roots. Check the top inch or two daily in warm weather and water before the mix dries out; aim for consistently moist but never soggy.
Depth and shape: At least 15 inches deep. Depth is the governing constraint. Parsnip roots commonly reach 10 to 12 inches, so a container must be deeper than the root, ideally 15 inches or more of loose soil; shallow pots produce stunted, forked roots. (UMN Extension) Short, stump-rooted cultivars are the realistic container choice; long types are impractical in pots. A tall, wide grow bag or deep tub with drainage holes works; the long season means the pot is occupied for months.
Self-watering pot: A self-watering container suits parsnips once they are growing, because steady sub-irrigation delivers the even moisture that prevents cracking. It does not help germination, though: the seed sits at the dry surface above the wicking zone, so keep the top inch moist by hand for the 2 to 3 weeks until the stand is up. Choose a deep container so the reservoir hardware does not crowd the long root.
Mix: Container potting mix. Use a light, loose potting mix; sieve out bark chunks and debris that deflect the taproot. A handful of compost improves moisture-holding. Avoid garden soil, which compacts and causes forking.
Feeding: Parsnips are light feeders. Mix a small amount of low-nitrogen slow-release fertilizer into the potting mix at sowing. Excess nitrogen drives leafy tops and forked roots.

Winter

Parsnips are very cold-hardy, so in cold areas you can leave the pot outside and dig the roots through late fall and winter, when they are sweetest. Move the pot against a wall or wrap it so the soil does not freeze into a solid block, or tip the roots into damp sand in a cool garage. They keep for months.Parsnips overwinter well in containers in cold climates: the roots are very frost-hardy and sweeten with cold, so the pot can be left in place and dug through late fall and winter. Insulate the pot (against a wall, wrapped, or plunged) so the limited soil volume does not freeze solid, which makes digging impossible, or lift the roots into damp sand in a cool, frost-free spot near 32 to 40°F for storage.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for parsnip

Preferred

6 to 7

Tolerated

5.5 to 7.5

Soil pH measures how acidic or alkaline your soil is, on a scale from 1 to 14 where 7 is neutral. Parsnips do best from about 6.0 to 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral. Very acidic soil, below about 5.5, holds them back and worsens problems like canker, so a soil test from your local extension office tells you your number and whether to add lime. Clemson suggests liming to about 6.0 to 6.5 for this group of root crops.Parsnips grow best at a slightly acidic to neutral pH of about 6.0 to 7.0. Clemson advises liming the bed to a pH of 6.0 to 6.5 for the carrot-beet-radish-parsnip group. (Clemson HGIC) Strongly acidic soil, below about 5.5, depresses growth and is associated with more root canker, while very alkaline soil reduces micronutrient availability. A standard soil test from your local extension office removes the guesswork before sowing; lime is worked in ahead of planting since it acts slowly.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much

Frequency

Keep the soil evenly damp, and pay closest attention while the slow seeds are sprouting and later while the roots are bulking up. From planting until the sprouts appear (often 2 to 3 weeks), keep the surface moist so it does not dry into a hard crust. After that, give about 1 inch of water a week, counting rain.Even, consistent moisture is the rule, and it matters most during the long, slow germination window and again as the roots size up. From sowing until the seedlings are up, often 2 to 3 weeks, the surface must stay moist and uncrusted. Once established, parsnips want steady moisture rather than a wet-dry swing: aim for about 1 inch of water per week including rain.

Amount

About 1 inch of water a week, including rain, once the plants are growing. While the seeds are sprouting, just keep the top of the soil damp, not soggy.Roughly 1 inch per week including rainfall once established, adjusted up in heat or sandy soil. During germination the seedbed needs only enough to stay evenly moist near the surface, not soaked. (UMN Extension)

Method

Water gently at soil level, using a soft spray, soaker hose, or drip line. A hard blast from the hose can wash out the shallow seeds or pack the soil into a crust the slow sprouts cannot push through.Water at the base with a gentle setting, soaker hose, or drip line to keep the surface evenly moist without crusting the bed or washing out the shallow-sown seed.

Signs of trouble

Too much water

If the soil stays soaking wet, parsnips can rot and seedlings can damp off. Watch for yellow leaves, soft roots, and a constantly wet, sour-smelling bed. If you see these, water less and make sure the soil drains well.Constantly saturated soil invites damping-off and root rots and can worsen canker; yellowing tops, soft roots, and a sour, waterlogged bed are signs to back off. Poor drainage is the usual cause, which is why deep, loose, well-draining soil matters.

Too little water

Dry, cracked soil on top, droopy or dull leaves, and slow growth mean the parsnips need more water. Letting them go bone dry and then soaking them cracks the roots, so keep the watering steady.Dry, cracked surface soil, dull or wilting tops, and slow growth signal too little water. A dry spell followed by heavy watering makes the roots take up water fast and split, the most common parsnip watering fault.

Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency

low

Type

Balanced

When to start

Work a low-nitrogen balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-10 into the bed before sowing; an optional light side-dressing once plants are about 4 inches tall.

Parsnips do not need much feeding, and too much nitrogen actually hurts them, growing big leafy tops and forked, hairy roots instead of one clean root. Mix a low-nitrogen balanced fertilizer like 5-10-10 into the bed before planting, and give at most one light feeding when the plants are about 4 inches tall. Skip fresh manure, and use finished compost instead of strong fertilizer.Parsnips are light feeders and especially sensitive to excess nitrogen, which drives leafy tops and forked, hairy roots at the expense of a clean taproot. Clemson recommends a 5-10-10 fertilizer worked in before planting at about 30 pounds per 1,000 square feet, with an optional side-dressing of a nitrogen source such as calcium nitrate when plants are about 4 inches tall. (Clemson HGIC) Avoid fresh manure entirely, and lean on well-finished compost rather than concentrated nitrogen.

N · P · K = 5-10-10

The three numbers on a fertilizer bag are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (N-P-K). Parsnips do best with a low-nitrogen blend where the first number is smaller, like 5-10-10, mixed into the soil before planting. Do not use high-nitrogen fertilizer, which gives leafy tops and forked, hairy roots instead of good ones.Parsnips want steady phosphorus and potassium for root development and only modest nitrogen, so a low-first-number blend such as 5-10-10 worked into the bed before sowing suits them well. Clemson gives a rate near 30 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Excess nitrogen is the classic parsnip mistake, producing lush tops and forked, hairy roots.

Try 5-10-10

Who grows well together

Companion planting

Parsnips are slow and easygoing neighbors. A common trick is to sow fast radishes in the same row: they come up quickly, mark where the slow parsnips are, and are pulled long before the parsnips need the space. Onions and other alliums make tidy neighbors and their smell is widely said to help mask carrot-family root pests. The main thing to keep apart from parsnips is other carrot-family crops like carrots, celery, and dill, which share the same pests and diseases. As always, do not trust every companion chart online, since many of their claims have never been tested. Parsnip companions are largely traditional rather than trial-proven. The most practical pairing is interplanting fast radishes as a row marker for the slow-germinating parsnip, a long-standing technique. Alliums (onions, leeks) are commonly listed as good neighbors for root crops on space and scent-masking grounds. The clearest caution is grouping parsnip with other Apiaceae (carrot, celery, parsley, dill): they share carrot rust fly and soilborne problems, so they are kept apart and rotated. As University of Minnesota's review stresses, most companion claims are tradition rather than tested science, so treat them as sensible defaults and watch your own results.

Other

Radishes (as a row marker)

Parsnip seeds are very slow, so gardeners sow quick radishes in the same row. The radishes pop up in days and show you where the row is, and you pull and eat them long before the parsnips get big. A classic trick for a slow crop.Sowing a few fast radishes along the parsnip row is the classic marker interplant: radishes emerge in days, flag the slow row so it is not hoed by mistake, help keep the surface from crusting, and are pulled well before the parsnips size up. A space-and-timing benefit, not a pest one. Traditional

Onions and other alliums

Onions, leeks, and garlic grow tall and narrow with shallow roots, so they tuck in beside parsnips without crowding them, and their strong smell is widely used to help confuse carrot-family root pests. A popular, space-saving pairing.Alliums are a classic interplant for carrot-family roots: shallow-rooted and upright, they share the bed without competing for the parsnip's space, and their sulfur volatiles are widely credited with masking the crop from carrot rust fly. The space benefit is solid; the pest-deterrence is plausible but not proven for parsnip specifically. Well-grounded

Keep apart from

Carrots, celery, and other carrot-family crops Parsnips, carrots, celery, parsley, and dill are all in the same plant family and share the same pests and diseases, especially carrot rust fly and root canker. Growing them right next to each other just helps those problems spread, so keep them apart and rotate them around the garden.The clearest avoid for parsnip is its own family: carrot, celery, parsley, and dill share carrot rust fly (whose larvae predispose roots to Itersonilia canker) and soilborne problems, which build up when the Apiaceae are grown together or in succession. Keep them apart in space and on a three-year rotation. Research-backed

Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key

Harvest signals

When to pick

Parsnips are ready when the roots are full sized, often 1 1/2 to 2 inches across at the top and 8 to 12 inches long, with the leafy tops dying down in fall, usually about 100 to 120 days after planting. But the real signal is cold weather, not a date: parsnips get much sweeter after a few frosts, as the cold turns starch into sugar, so there is no rush. They keep right in the ground, and in cold areas you can pile straw over the row and dig them through winter and into early spring, and they taste sweeter the longer they wait. Loosen the soil next to the row with a garden fork before pulling, because the long roots break easily. Dig any you left in over winter before they start growing again in spring, or the root turns woody. Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling the leaves on a sunny day, since the sap can give some people a rash.Parsnips are ready when the roots have sized up, often 1 1/2 to 2 inches across at the shoulder and 8 to 12 inches long, with the tops beginning to die back in fall, usually around 100 to 120 days from sowing. But the real cue is cold, not the calendar: flavor sweetens markedly after the roots sit through several frosts as starch converts to sugar, so there is no rush to lift them. In mild soil they hold for weeks, and in cold regions a heavy straw mulch lets them overwinter for pull-as-needed harvest through winter and into early spring, growing sweeter the longer they wait. Loosen the soil beside the row with a spading fork before pulling, because the long roots snap easily. Lift any overwintered roots before they regrow in spring, since once the plant bolts the root turns woody. Wear gloves and long sleeves when handling the foliage in bright sun, as the sap can cause a skin rash.

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Yield

What to expect

Each parsnip plant gives you one parsnip, the single long root it grows. So it helps to think about how much row you plant rather than per plant. Spaced 3 inches apart, a foot of row gives you roughly 4 big roots.One root per plant. Parsnips are not a cut-and-come-again crop, so yield is best thought of by row length: at a 3 inch final spacing, expect roughly 4 large roots per foot of row, each often 8 to 12 inches long.

Parsnips do not keep producing after you pick them, since each plant makes one root. A planting is ready about 100 to 120 days after sowing, and then you can leave the roots in the ground and dig them across fall and winter. You plant just once, not in batches.There is no repeat harvest. A sowing matures over a long season, roughly 100 to 120 days, and is then held in the ground and lifted across fall and winter as needed. There is no succession sowing; the single spring or fall crop is the whole year's supply. Parsnips are grown fresh from seed each year, so your first planting can do just as well as any later one. What decides your results is deep, rock-free soil, fresh seed, and keeping the bed evenly damp while the slow seeds sprout.Parsnips are grown fresh from seed each season for the root, harvested before the plant's second-year flowering, so there is no first-year-versus-later distinction as with perennials. The first sowing performs as well as any, provided the soil is deep and stone-free, the seed is fresh, and moisture stays even through the long germination.

What changes yield

Fresh seed: parsnip seed loses viability within a year, so old seed is the leading cause of a failed stand.Soil depth and looseness: stones, clods, and compaction fork and stunt the long taproot.Even moisture through a long germination and season: drying-then-soaking splits roots and a dried crust fails the stand.Cold at the finish: roots that go through several frosts convert starch to sugar and taste far sweeter.Nitrogen balance: excess nitrogen grows tops and forked, hairy roots at the expense of a clean root.

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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

Pick a parsnip variety to match your soil and your disease pressure. Long old kinds like Hollow Crown need deep, loose soil to grow well; shorter kinds (like Lancer or Avonresister) handle shallower or heavier soil and pots better. If root canker (a brown rot on the shoulders) is a problem where you garden, choose a canker-resistant variety such as Avonresister, Cobham Improved Marrow, Gladiator, or Javelin. Harris Model and All American are good dependable choices. Whatever you grow, buy fresh seed every year, because parsnip seed does not keep.Parsnip variety choice turns on root length versus your soil depth and on canker resistance. Long heirlooms like Hollow Crown need deep, stone-free soil to size up, while shorter modern types (Lancer, Avonresister) suit shallower or heavier ground and containers. Where Itersonilia canker recurs, choose a resistant or tolerant cultivar (Avonresister, Cobham Improved Marrow, Gladiator, Javelin). (RHS) Harris Model and All American are reliable all-rounders. Most parsnips mature in about 100 to 120 days and all need fresh seed each year.

Harris Model

A long-standing white, smooth-skinned standard with good length and flavor.

Hollow Crown

An old open-pollinated heirloom with long, broad-shouldered roots for deep soil.

All American

A dependable, uniform main-crop type.

Gladiator (F1)

A vigorous hybrid with good canker tolerance and smooth roots.

Javelin (F1)

A uniform hybrid with some canker resistance.

Cobham Improved Marrow

A sweet variety with useful canker resistance.

Lancer / Avonresister

Shorter, smooth types, with Avonresister bred for canker resistance.

Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp

Not good for more than a few days. Left out, parsnips go soft and dry. Cut off the tops, keep out only what you will eat soon, and store the rest cold.Poor for more than a few days. At room temperature parsnip roots lose moisture and soften and the cut tops wilt; trim the tops and refrigerate or store cold. Counter storage is only for what you will use within a couple of days.

Fridge

This is the best way for everyday storage. Cut off the leafy tops, leave the roots unwashed, and put them in a loosely closed or vented plastic bag in the crisper drawer. They stay good for several weeks, often a month or more.The best everyday option. Trim the tops, leave the roots unwashed, and store them in a perforated or loosely closed plastic bag in the crisper drawer, where high humidity and cold keep them firm for several weeks to a month or more.

Freezer

You can freeze parsnips for the long term, but blanch them first (a quick dip in boiling water, then ice water). If you freeze them raw they turn mushy. Peel and cut them, boil about 3 minutes, cool fast in ice water, drain, and freeze. They keep about 10 to 12 months.Good for long-term use after blanching. Frozen raw, parsnips turn mushy and lose flavor; peel, dice or slice, blanch in boiling water about 3 minutes, cool quickly in ice water, drain, and freeze. Quality holds for roughly 10 to 12 months. Many cooks freeze them cooked or as part of soups.

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From the garden to the kitchen

Recipes to try

Mains

Roasted Root Vegetable Tray

Mains · 60m · Serves 4

More recipes

arriving with the harvest

When something goes wrong

Common problems

Seeds did not come up

01 of 05

What happened Few or no seedlings came up. The number one reason is old seed, because parsnip seed goes bad fast. On top of that, the seed is slow (often 2 to 3 weeks or more) and the tiny sprouts cannot push through a dried, crusted surface, so a bed that dried out, seeds planted too deep, or soil that was too cold are the usual culprits.Few or no seedlings emerged. The overwhelmingly common cause is old seed: parsnip seed loses viability within a year. Beyond that, the seed is naturally slow (often 2 to 3 weeks or more) and the fine seedlings cannot break a dried or crusted surface, so a bed that dried out during germination, was sown too deep, or stayed too cold accounts for most failures. Next season Use fresh seed every year and sow a bit thickly. Keep the soil surface damp from planting until the seedlings appear, sow shallow (about 1/2 inch), wait until the soil is around 50°F, and scatter a few fast radish seeds to mark the row.Buy fresh seed every year and sow generously. Keep the surface evenly moist from sowing to emergence, sow shallowly (about 1/2 inch), wait for soil near 50°F, and interseed fast radishes to mark the row and keep the surface open.

Forked or twisted parsnipsForked or twisted roots

02 of 05

What happened The root split into several prongs or grew crooked because it hit something hard as it grew down: a rock, a clod, packed soil, or a lump of fresh manure or fertilizer. Moving a started parsnip does the same thing.The long taproot split into prongs or grew crooked because it met an obstruction as it drove down: a stone, clod, hardpan, or pocket of fresh manure or concentrated fertilizer. Transplanting parsnips causes the same damage. Next season Before planting, dig the bed deep, break up clods, and pull out rocks (at least 12 inches down). Skip fresh manure and heavy fertilizer, use finished compost, and always plant the seeds where they will grow. In rocky or heavy soil, grow short parsnip types or a deep raised bed.Work the bed deep and fine, removing stones and clods to at least 12 inches; avoid fresh manure and heavy nitrogen, use well-finished compost, and always direct-sow. On heavy or rocky ground, grow shorter cultivars or use a deep, loose raised bed.

Split or cracked parsnipsSplit or cracked roots

03 of 05

What happened The parsnips cracked open, usually because the soil went dry and then got soaked: the root drinks fast and splits. Roots left in the ground a very long time also crack more easily.Roots cracked lengthwise, usually because a dry spell was followed by heavy watering or rain: the root takes up water rapidly and the tissue splits. Over-mature roots left long in the ground are also prone to cracking. Next season Water steadily, about 1 inch a week, instead of letting the soil go dry and then soaking it, and mulch to keep the moisture even.Keep moisture even, roughly 1 inch per week, rather than letting the bed swing from dry to flooded, and mulch to buffer the soil.

Brown rotten patches on the tops of the rootsBrown or black rot on the shoulders (canker)

04 of 05

What happened The tops and shoulders of the roots developed brown to black rotten patches, which can spread into the whole root. This is parsnip canker, a fungal disease that is worse in cool, wet weather and on roots left late, and it gets in more easily where carrot rust fly maggots have damaged the root. (UMass)Reddish-brown to black cankers formed on the crown and shoulders of the roots, sometimes letting other organisms rot the whole root. This is Itersonilia canker, a fungal disease worse in cool, wet weather and on late-harvested crops, and carrot rust fly damage predisposes roots to it. (UMass) Next season Grow a canker-resistant variety. Rotate parsnips with crops this disease doesn't infect. Keep the tops of the roots covered with soil all season. Control carrot rust fly. Grow them in loose soil that drains well. Bury old parsnip plants deep in the soil after harvest. Sprays won't fix root canker.Choose canker-resistant varieties. Rotate with crops the pathogen doesn't infect, keeping carrot, coriander and parsley out of the rotation too. Hill soil over the root shoulders throughout the season. Control carrot rust fly. Grow in loose, well-drained soil. Dig old parsnip residue in deeply after harvest. Fungicide sprays don't control root cankers.

Parsnip shoots up a flower stalk and the root goes woodyPlant flowers and root turns woody (bolting)

05 of 05

What happened Parsnip is a biennial, which means it lives two years: the first year it makes the root you eat, and the second year it sends up a tall flower stalk and the root turns tough and woody. If you leave overwintered parsnips in the ground into spring, they bolt and the roots are ruined.Parsnip is a biennial: in its first year it stores energy in the root, and in its second year it sends up a tall flower stalk and the root turns fibrous and woody. Overwintered roots left in the ground past spring will bolt, ruining the root. An unusually cold spell on a first-year crop can occasionally trigger early bolting. Next season Dig parsnips in their first fall and winter, and get any you left in over winter out of the ground before they start growing again in spring. Plant at the right time so the seedlings do not get a hard cold shock early.Harvest the root in its first fall through winter, and dig any overwintered roots before growth resumes in spring. Use fresh seed and sow at the recommended time to avoid a hard cold check on tiny seedlings.

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The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests

Carrot rust fly

P · 01

Symptoms The lower part of the root gets rusty, reddish-brown tunnels and scars, sometimes with small maggots inside. Bad damage stunts the plant and lets root rot get in. Because parsnips sit in the ground for months, the damage can build up.Rusty, reddish-brown tunnels and surface scarring honeycomb the lower root, often with the maggots present; heavy feeding stunts plants and the wounds open the door to parsnip canker. Because parsnip is in the ground a long time, late-season damage can be significant. Cause The maggots of the carrot rust fly (also called carrot fly), a small fly whose young tunnel into carrot-family roots. There are usually two or more rounds a year, and the longer the roots are in the ground, the worse it gets. (USU Extension; RHS)The larvae of the carrot rust fly (carrot fly), a small fly whose maggots mine the roots of carrot-family crops. There are typically two or more generations a season, and damage worsens the longer roots stay in the ground. (USU Extension; RHS) Organic treatment You cannot fix roots that are already tunneled, so this is about prevention. Pull and remove damaged roots, do not leave leftovers in the bed, and harvest before the late-season flies build up.There is no rescue for tunneled roots; management is preventive. Lift damaged roots and do not leave culls in the bed, and harvest before late-season generations build. Naturally occurring controls and good rotation reduce pressure. Prevention Cover the bed with a fine insect mesh or row cover right after sowing to keep the flies from laying eggs. This is the best home defense. (RHS) Move parsnips away from where carrots or their relatives grew, and do not leave roots in the ground longer than you need to where this pest is bad.A floating row cover or fine insect mesh laid over the bed at sowing keeps the egg-laying flies off and is the most effective home defense. (RHS) Rotate parsnips away from where carrot-family crops grew, avoid leaving roots in the ground longer than needed where pressure is high, and time sowings to dodge peak fly flights.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Crop rotation

Sow parsnips somewhere other than the bed that grew carrots, parsley, or another carrot-family crop, and keep the family moving around the garden from year to year. Good rotation, along with the natural controls already at work in your garden, brings the background pressure down before you get to the timing and the cover.Rotate the crop off any ground that carried carrot-family plants. With two or more fly generations in a season and roots that stay in the bed for months, rotation and the naturally occurring controls set the baseline pressure that the timing and exclusion steps then work against.
Timing the planting

Where the calendar gives you a choice, shift your sowing date to dodge the peak flights, the stretches when adult flies are out laying eggs. Those dates move with the region and the season, so work from a local window rather than one carried in from somewhere else.Set sowing against local flight periods rather than a fixed calendar date. There are typically two or more generations a season, and the late ones do the damage that shows up at lifting, so what this step decides is which flights the crop is standing through. Published windows shift by region and belong as starting points to confirm.
Prompt harvest

Pull the roots once they are ready instead of leaving them in the ground longer than you need to, and where this fly runs bad locally, get the crop out before the late-season flies build up. Damage adds up the whole time a root sits there, and the tunnel wounds also give parsnip canker a way in.Lift on schedule rather than holding mature roots in the bed, and where pressure is high, harvest ahead of the late-season generations. Injury accumulates with time in the ground, and the wounds are an entry point for Itersonilia canker, so the harvest date caps two problems rather than one.
Garden sanitation

A root that is already tunneled cannot be repaired, so this step is cleanup rather than rescue. Lift the damaged roots and carry them off the bed instead of leaving culls, the rejects you were not going to eat, sitting in the row.Mined roots are past saving, so the work here is removal: lift the damaged ones and clear culls off the bed instead of leaving them in the row. Doing it at lifting, while you are already sorting the crop, is the practical moment for it.
Floating row cover

Lay fine insect mesh or a floating row cover over the bed as soon as you sow, and tuck the edges down all around. It stops the adult flies from reaching the row to lay eggs, and it is the most effective defense a home garden has here. Put it over rotated ground rather than last year's carrot bed, since a cover on the wrong bed can hold flies underneath with your plants.Fine mesh or row cover laid at sowing and sealed at the edges is the strongest home defense on this pest, because it denies the egg-laying females access to the row. It has to be on from sowing, given that parsnip stands through several flights, and it belongs on rotated ground rather than over a bed that carried the family last season.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Leafminers

P · 02

Symptoms You will see pale, squiggly trails or blotchy patches inside the leaves, where the little larvae feed between the top and bottom of the leaf. Since you eat the parsnip root, not the leaves, this is mostly a looks problem.Pale, winding tunnels or blotches appear inside the leaves where the larvae feed between the leaf surfaces. On parsnip, grown for the root, this is mostly cosmetic and rarely affects the harvest unless young plants are heavily mined. Cause The young of small leafmining flies that tunnel inside the leaves. They can have several rounds in a season. (USU Extension)The larvae of leafmining flies that tunnel within the foliage of carrot-family and other crops. Several generations can occur in a season. (USU Extension) Organic treatment Pick off and throw away (do not compost) leaves with trails in them, which gets rid of the larvae. Sprays usually do not work because the pest is tucked inside the leaf, and healthy plants grow past light damage.Pick off and destroy mined leaves as they appear, which removes the larvae; sprays are largely ineffective because the larvae are protected inside the leaf. Vigorous plants outgrow light damage. Prevention A row cover keeps the flies off, and clearing old leaves and weeds nearby cuts down the pest. Pulling off the first trailed leaves you see helps too.A floating row cover excludes the egg-laying flies, and clearing crop debris and weed hosts reduces carryover. Removing the first mined leaves promptly breaks the cycle.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Pick off leaves with pale trails or blotches as soon as you see them, and throw them away instead of composting them; the larva, the young insect feeding inside, goes out with the leaf. A spray has little chance against something feeding between the two surfaces of a leaf, and a plant growing well shrugs off light mining anyway.Taking mined leaves off as they appear removes the larvae with the tissue, which is why it works where a contact spray is largely ineffective against a feeder sitting between the leaf surfaces. Getting the first mined leaves off promptly is what interrupts the sequence, and vigorous plants absorb light mining without it reaching the root you are growing.
Clearing the weeds that host it

Clear the weeds around the bed that these flies also live on, and rake up old crop leaves nearby. Both give the pest somewhere to carry over between plantings, which is how a clean bed picks the problem back up.Keeping the bed edges free of weed hosts, alongside clearing crop debris, cuts the carryover that several generations a season otherwise ride on. The relationship is host-specific rather than general tidiness, so it is worth knowing which weeds near you hold leafminers before clearing ground that was doing no harm.
Floating row cover

A row cover, a light fabric laid over the bed, keeps the adult flies from landing to lay eggs in the first place. On parsnip it earns its keep mainly over young plants, since heavy mining while they are small is the case that can reach the harvest.Row cover excludes the egg-laying adults. Given that mining on an established parsnip is mostly cosmetic on a crop grown for its root, the case for covering is strongest early, when heavy mining on small plants is what actually costs harvest.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Aster leafhopper (aster yellows vector)

P · 03

Symptoms The little hopping insect does not do much direct damage itself. The problem is that it carries the aster yellows disease from plant to plant, which makes the tops yellow, twisted, and bunched and the roots thin, hairy, and bitter (see the aster yellows entry).The leafhopper itself does little direct feeding damage; the concern is that it transmits aster yellows. Plants infected by way of the leafhopper show yellowed, twisted, bunchy tops and slender, hairy, bitter roots (see the aster yellows disease entry). Cause The aster leafhopper, a small insect that spreads the aster yellows disease as it feeds from plant to plant. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension; USU Extension)The aster leafhopper, a small wedge-shaped insect that moves the aster yellows phytoplasma between plants as it feeds. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension; USU Extension) Organic treatment Trying to spray the leafhoppers to stop aster yellows usually does not work and is not recommended. Instead, pull out infected plants and weedy hosts right away. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)Controlling the leafhopper to prevent aster yellows is generally not effective and not recommended; the practical response is to remove infected plants and weed reservoirs promptly. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension) Prevention Pull out infected plants and weeds like dandelions that hold the disease, and a row cover can help keep the hoppers off a small bed. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)Remove infected plants and nearby broadleaf weeds such as dandelion that harbor the phytoplasma, and a floating row cover can reduce leafhopper access to a small planting. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

Spraying the hoppers to head off aster yellows generally does not work and is not the recommended route, so put the effort into removal instead. Pull plants showing the disease as soon as you notice them, which leaves fewer infected plants for the hoppers to pick it up from and carry down the row.Vector control aimed at preventing aster yellows is generally ineffective and not recommended, which leaves roguing as the practical response: take out symptomatic plants promptly. The insect does little direct feeding damage, so what is being managed is acquisition, and a symptomatic plant left standing is where that happens.
Clearing the weeds that host it

Pull the broadleaf weeds near your bed, dandelion above all. They can harbor the disease this insect moves around, so a weedy edge keeps a supply of it right beside the crop.Clear dandelion and other broadleaf weeds from the planting's edges. They harbor the phytoplasma, so they hold a reservoir that roguing the crop alone does not reach, and on this problem the reservoir is the half of the system a home garden can act on.
Floating row cover

On a small planting, a row cover, a light fabric over the bed, can cut how many leafhoppers get to your plants. Treat it as reducing their access rather than shutting them out, and as a better use of effort than spraying, which generally does not pay off here.Row cover reduces leafhopper access on a small planting, which is the exclusion available for a vector that spraying does not reliably suppress. It is scale-limited by nature: practical over a bed, harder to justify down a long row.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Diseases

Itersonilia canker (parsnip canker)

D · 01

Symptoms Brown, black, or purple-black rotten patches form mostly on the crown and shoulders (the top) of the root, and the rot can spread until the whole root is ruined. Leaves can get small orange-brown spots with a pale halo. It is worst on roots left late in the season. (UMass)Reddish-brown, black, or purple-black cankers form mainly on the crown and shoulders of the root, and other microbes may follow until the whole root collapses in rot. Leaves can show small orange to brown lesions with a pale green halo. Disease is worst on late-harvested crops. (UMass) Cause A fungus (Itersonilia perplexans, also called black canker) that thrives in cool, wet weather. Carrot rust fly maggots make it worse by wounding the roots, and root tops sticking out of the soil let it in. (UMass)The fungus Itersonilia perplexans, also called black canker, favored by cool, wet weather. Carrot rust fly larvae predispose roots to infection by wounding them, and exposed shoulders are an entry point. (UMass) Organic treatment There is no cure once a root has it, and sprays do not work on root canker. Dig and use the good roots and throw out the rotten ones. The fix is in how you grow the next crop. (UMass)There is no cure for infected roots, and fungicide sprays do not control root cankers. Lift and use sound roots, and discard rotted ones; management is preventive and cultural. (UMass) Prevention Grow a variety that resists canker. Rotate parsnips with crops this disease doesn't infect. It also attacks carrots, parsley and cilantro. Keep the tops of the roots covered with soil all season. Control carrot rust fly, since its larvae can make roots easier to infect. Cool, wet weather makes the disease worse, and it does the most damage in parsnips harvested late. After harvest, dig old parsnip plants deep into the soil so they break down.Choose canker-resistant varieties. Rotate parsnip with crops the pathogen doesn't infect. Besides parsnip, it infects carrot, coriander and parsley, along with sunflower, aster and chrysanthemum. Hill soil over the root shoulders throughout the season. Control carrot rust fly, since its larvae can make roots more prone to infection. Grow parsnips in loose, well-drained soil. Cool, wet weather favors the disease, and it can be serious in late-harvested crops. After harvest, dig old parsnip residue in deeply so it decomposes and less inoculum survives in the soil.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Resistant varieties

If canker has turned up in your beds before, pick a resistant variety when you order seed. Avonresister and Cobham Improved Marrow are the two named for it, and variety is a choice you can only make before sowing.Where canker recurs, start from a resistant cultivar; Avonresister and Cobham Improved Marrow are the named ones. Resistance lowers what the cultural steps have to carry through the cool, wet weather that favors the fungus, which is also the weather a late-harvested crop stands in.
Crop rotation

Keep parsnips and their carrot-family relatives out of the same bed for two to three years. Old parsnip remains are part of what carries the fungus to the next crop, so the bed needs the break as much as the plants do.Two to three years out of the carrot family. The reservoir here is the bed itself, since residue from the previous crop carries inoculum forward, and a same-family replant sets a susceptible crop down on top of it.
Improve drainage

Do not put parsnips in a bed that stays waterlogged; improve the drainage or grow them in a raised bed if your ground holds water. The fungus does best in cool, wet conditions, so soggy soil is working in its favor all season.Site the crop off waterlogged ground, open up the drainage, or raise the bed on heavy soil. Itersonilia perplexans is favored by cool, wet conditions, so a bed that holds water keeps the crown and shoulders, where the cankers form, sitting in what the pathogen wants.
Prompt harvest

Lift the roots before the season runs very late, especially through a cold, wet spell. Canker is worst on parsnips left in the ground late, so harvesting on time keeps the crop out of the weather that drives it.Harvest before the season runs very late, particularly in cold, wet spells; the disease is worst on late-harvested crops, so lifting on time shortens exposure rather than doing anything for an infection already underway. It pairs with keeping carrot rust fly down, since larval tunnels are what predispose the roots to infection.
Garden sanitation

There is no cure for a root that already has canker, and sprays do not control it, so sort as you dig: set the sound ones aside for the kitchen and get the rotted ones out of the garden. Clear the old parsnip tops and leftover roots out of the bed after harvest as well, rather than leaving them to carry the fungus into next year.Infected roots cannot be salvaged and fungicides do not control the root cankers, so sanitation carries the end of the program rather than sitting below a spray. Grade at lifting, use the sound roots, discard the rotted ones, and clear the crop's residue after harvest so less of it stays with the ground the next crop will meet.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Aster yellows

D · 02

Symptoms Infected plants get yellow or reddish, twisted, bunched-up tops, and the root stays thin and grows a beard of fine hairy roots, often tasting bitter. There is no cure. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)Infected plants show yellowed, reddened, twisted, and bunchy tops, and the taproot stays slender and grows a mass of fine hairy rootlets; affected roots often taste bitter. There is no cure. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension) Cause A bacteria-like organism (a phytoplasma) carried from plant to plant by the aster leafhopper. It also lives in many weeds and flowers, which act as a source. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)The aster yellows phytoplasma, a bacterium-like organism that lives in the plant's phloem and is spread plant to plant by the aster leafhopper. It also infects many weeds and ornamentals that serve as reservoirs. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension) Organic treatment There is no cure. Pull out any plant you think is infected, plus weeds like dandelions, to slow the spread. Spraying the insect that carries it usually does not help. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)There is no cure. Remove plants suspected of infection promptly, including weed hosts such as dandelion, to limit spread; trying to control the leafhopper vector is generally ineffective. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension) Prevention Keep weeds down, pull infected plants right away, and use a row cover on a small bed to keep the leafhoppers off. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)Keep down broadleaf weeds that host the phytoplasma, remove infected plants as soon as they are spotted, and use a floating row cover on small plantings to reduce leafhopper access. (Wisconsin Horticulture Extension)

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Garden sanitation

There is no cure once a plant is infected, so pull any parsnip with the yellowed, twisted, bunched-up top as soon as you spot it and take it out of the garden. Pull the suspect weeds nearby too, dandelion above all, since they can carry the same organism.An infected plant does not recover, so the response is removal on sight: pull parsnips carrying the bunchy, discolored tops and the slender, hairy roots that go with them, and take out suspect weed hosts such as dandelion at the same time. What is being removed is acquisition material, since the leafhopper picks the phytoplasma up from an infected plant and moves it on.
Floating row cover

Because nothing treats the disease inside the plant, the preventive lever is the carrier: on a small bed, a row cover cuts how many aster leafhoppers, the insects that move it around, reach the crop. It goes on early and stays on, since the protection lasts only while the cover is in place.Row cover on a small planting intercepts the vector rather than the pathogen, which is the shape prevention takes for an infection with no treatment and a vector that sprays do not reliably suppress. Its limits are scale and duration: it protects the bed it covers, for as long as it is on.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Damping-off

D · 03

Symptoms Seeds that never come up, or tiny seedlings that flop over and die with a dark, pinched, wet-looking spot at the base of the stem. You see it as bare gaps in the row. Because parsnips are so slow to sprout, they are exposed to this for a long time.Seeds fail to emerge, or the slow young seedlings topple and collapse with a dark, water-soaked, pinched spot at the stem base. Losses show as bare gaps in the row. Parsnip's long germination prolongs the vulnerable window the pathogens exploit. Cause Soil organisms (mostly Pythium and Rhizoctonia) that attack sprouting seeds and baby seedlings, worst in cool, soggy, poorly drained soil and when you overwater. Old seed and a hard, wet seedbed make it worse.Soilborne pathogens, chiefly Pythium and Rhizoctonia species, favored by cool, wet, poorly drained soil and overwatering. Old or weak seed and a crusted, slow-draining seedbed increase losses. Organic treatment Seedlings that have flopped will not recover. If it shows up, stop watering for a bit to let the surface dry, and clear away the fallen seedlings. There is no good home cure, so this one is about prevention.Affected seedlings cannot be saved. If it appears, stop watering and let the surface dry somewhat, and clear collapsed seedlings; there is no home cure once it takes hold, so prevention is the lever. Prevention Use fresh seed, wait until the soil is warm enough (about 50°F) and not cold and soggy, keep the seedbed damp but not soaking, do not plant too deep, and improve drainage or use a raised bed on heavy soil.Sow fresh seed into warm-enough (about 50°F), well-drained soil rather than cold, wet ground, keep the seedbed evenly moist without saturating it, do not sow too deep, and improve drainage or use raised beds on heavy soil.

The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

Sound sowing practice

Sow fresh seed, not too deep, once the soil has warmed to about 50°F and drains, rather than into cold, wet ground. Keep the seedbed damp but not soaked, and since parsnip takes a long while to come up, resist watering more just because nothing has appeared yet.Seed quality, depth, soil warmth and watering restraint are all set on sowing day: fresh seed at a modest depth into well-drained ground at about 50°F. Parsnip's slow emergence is what makes the restraint matter, because the bed has to be held damp through a long germination, and the longer that window runs the more of it the soil pathogens have to work in.
Improve drainage

On heavy ground that crusts over and stays wet, work on the drainage or sow into a raised bed. These soil organisms do their damage in cool, soggy conditions, so a bed that drains gives a slow-starting crop better odds.Heavy, slow-draining ground is worth correcting before sowing, or working around with raised beds. Cool, wet, poorly drained soil is the condition Pythium and Rhizoctonia are favored by, and a crusted seedbed adds to the losses on top of that.
Garden sanitation

A seedling that has gone over at the soil line is finished, so take the collapsed ones out of the row. Easing off the water so the top of the bed dries down somewhat takes some of the drive out of what is left. Once it is underway there is nothing you can apply at home to stop it, so the rest of the work belongs to the next sowing.Collapsed seedlings are unrecoverable, so clear them and pause irrigation to dry the surface down, which takes some momentum out of a stand already going. With no home treatment available past that point, the gaps in the row are a signal to fix sowing conditions rather than to look for a rescue.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

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Seasoned

Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Move your parsnips to a different spot each year, and do not put them (or relatives like carrots, celery, and dill) back in the same bed for about three years. This keeps shared pests and the root canker disease from piling up. Parsnips do well following beans or peas, which add nitrogen, or following leafy greens.Rotate parsnips on a three-year cycle, keeping them and all other carrot-family crops out of a bed for two to three seasons after they are grown there. This breaks the buildup of carrot rust fly and the soilborne fungus behind Itersonilia canker, which is worse where parsnip residue and the family persist. (UMass) Following a legume or a light feeder suits parsnips; following a heavily manured crop does not, because residual nitrogen causes forking.

Family

Apiaceae

Years between

3 years

in the same bed

Avoid following

Do not grow parsnips where you grew parsnips, carrots, celery, parsley, or dill last year. These are all in the same plant family and share the same pests (carrot rust fly) and root diseases (canker), which build up in the soil over time. Also avoid beds that got a lot of manure for the last crop, since leftover nitrogen makes parsnips fork and grow hairy. Wait about three years before parsnips or their relatives go back into the same bed.Do not plant parsnips where another carrot-family crop (Apiaceae) grew the previous season, including parsnip, carrot, celery, parsley, dill, or fennel, since they share carrot rust fly and soilborne diseases such as Itersonilia canker that build up where the family is grown repeatedly. Avoid beds heavily manured for the previous crop, because residual nitrogen drives forking and hairy roots. The standard guideline is a three-year gap before parsnips or their relatives return to a bed; deep cultivation that buries old parsnip residue also lowers canker inoculum.

Plant after

Legumes such as beans and peas that have added nitrogenAlliums such as onions and garlicLeafy greens such as lettuce

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