The oyster mushroom gets its name from its cap which, some say, resembles an oyster. The stem of the oyster mushrooms is perhaps more distinct; it unfurls something like one of those old-time paper lady's fans. The oyster mushroom has...

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Carrot and Parsnip Growing Problems: Troubleshooting

Carrots and parsnips grow best in loose, sandy, humus-rich soil. Size does not make for more flavorful carrots and parsnips. For best flavor, lift both crops before they reach maximum size.

Carrots and parsnips can be sown thickly; later thin both from 2 to 2½ inches apart or more depending upon the variety. Young thinned carrots can be used fresh in salads.

Carrots and parsnips are in the same plant family and are attacked by the same insects and diseases. Watch for the carrot rust fly, a dark-green fly that lays eggs in the soil near carrots, parsnips, and celery; the larvae dig through the soil to the tip of the carrot and eat their way upward.

For carrot growing tips see How to Grow Carrots or Carrot Growing Success Tips at the bottom of this post.

Here are common carrot growing problems with cures and controls:

Seedlings fail to emerge. (1) Soil crusting: keep planting beds evenly moist until seedlings emerge; protect planting beds from heavy overhead irrigation or heavy rain which will cause soil to compact and crust. (2) High temperatures can keep seed from germinating.

Seeds rot or seedlings collapse with dark water-soaked stems as soon as they appear. Damping off is a fungus that lives in the soil, particularly where humidity is high. Do not plant in cold, moist soil. Make sure soil is well drained. Avoid overcrowding carrots and parsnips.

Carrots emerge in clumps or not at all. Seed sown too shallow. Warm weather or dry conditions will cause seed to dry and not germinate. Cover seed with 1 inch of fine aged-compost or vermiculite. Keep soil evenly moist to allow for germination.

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How to Grow Parsnip

Parsnip is a cool-weather biennial grown as an annual. Parsnips taste best if brought to harvest in cool weather. Sow parsnip seed directly in the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the average date of the last frost in spring. In warm-winter regions, parsnips can be planted in autumn.

How to prepare and cook parsnip: click here.

Description. Parsnip is a creamy white root that grows from 4 to 9 inches long, similar to a carrot in appearance and tasty like a celery heart. The parsnip is a biennial grown as an annual. A rosette of celery like leaves grow from the top of the fleshy root.

Yield. Plant 10 parsnips per household member.

Site. Parsnips prefer full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Grow parsnips in soil that has been turned to 12 inches deep where all lumps and rocks have been removed so that roots do not split and fork. Parsnip prefers a soil pH of 6.0 to 6.8. Prepare planting beds two to three months in advance adding well-aged compost. Add manure only if it is aged; manure too fresh will cause root crops to fork.

Planting time. Parsnips require a long, cool growing season where the average temperature is between 45°F and 75°F. Parsnips will tolerate cold and freezing temperatures at both the start and end of their growing time. Sow parsnip seed directly in the garden 2 to 3 weeks before the average date of the last frost in spring. In warm-winter regions, parsnips can be planted in autumn.

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Parsnip

Parsnips can be peeled, sliced, and sautéed or steamed like carrots. You can boil and mash them with butter and cream like potatoes.

Parsnips can be cut into chunks and added to soups or stews or baked in the oven with meat stock and butter. Roast parsnips with beef, pork or chicken.

Parsnips can be lightly cooked and eaten cold. You can parboil and fry parsnips like potatoes. Slice parsnips into rings, dip in batter, deep-fry and eat as fritters.

Grate parsnips into salads or add chopped and peeled to casseroles or soups.

The peak season for parsnips is fall and winter. The first frost of autumn will convert the parsnip’s starch to sugar and give it a sweet, hazelnut flavor. The parsnip is a hardy root vegetable that will continue to improve in flavor even as the weather turns to freezing.

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Parsnips

Ah, yes, the parsnip!

After the first frost of the year—in the next couple of weeks, the starch in the parsnip converts to sugar and that is when parsnip eating gets good.

The parsnip has a pleasantly sweet taste that combined with brown sugar, maple syrup, cream, apples or spices such as nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon or allspice, for instance, make it all the more appealing. And its sweetness offers a welcome contrast to sour, salty or bitter foods.

But that is not to say that the parsnip leans only to the sweet side; it can be chunked and added to beef stew or combined with potatoes for mashing. It can be paired with chervil, dill and parsley. It can be baked, boiled, braised, breaded, grilled, mashed, pureed, roasted, sautéed, or steamed.

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