Parsnips

I've never had any real success with parsnips and never really been bothered because I don't like them. However, the missus loves them, so we grew them this year.

Snips in taller 6in pots

We sowed them in a small trough of compost - the veggie beds are very stoney so anything carrot shaped grows all wonky in the ground, and weeds are always a problem. Sowing in troughs or pots gets round both problems.

Unfortunately we forgot to put holes in the trough so the snips were waterlogged. A couple of weeks in the greenhouse to dry didn't help.

Then I had a brainwave - we have a lot of taller pots that we weren't using, just the right size for big fat parsnips - so transplant the whole lot. There had sown a lot more than we thought and didn't have enough pots, so we used a large patio tub as well.

9 parsnips in a patio tub

Two days later they're looking fine. Hopefully they'll stay that way and keep on growing!

Added 22/5/12 - foxes have had a dig around in the large tub, 2 parsnips have gone. Foxes seem to love rooting around in pots, probably looking for slugs for lunch ....