When should I sow parsnip?

In a typical UK garden, sow outside late March to mid-May, and harvest mid-September to early March. Later in Scotland, the north and frost pockets; earlier in the south-west and near the coast.

How far apart should I plant parsnip?

15 cm apart in the row, with rows 30 cm apart. In a square foot garden, that's 9 per square.

What grows well with parsnip?

Onion, Radish, Garlic. Keep it away from carrot.

Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

In a typical UK garden, sow outside late March to mid-May, and harvest mid-September to early March.

When to sow, plant and harvest

Frost dates

Last frost around 20 April, first frost around 31 October.

Sow outdoors: late March to mid-May
Harvest: mid-September to early March

Spacing: 15 cm apart, rows 30 cm apart
Square foot: 9 per square (30 cm squares)
Sowing depth: 1 cm
Ready in: 110 to 140 days from sowing
Grows to: 45 cm
Hardiness: Hardy to about -15 °C
Sun: Full sun
Crops for: About 16 weeks

Growing tip

Buy fresh seed every year; parsnips are slow and can take three weeks to come up.

Neighbours

Grows well with

Keep apart from

Carrot

Roots are one crop rotation group. Try not to grow them where any of the family grew in the last two or three years. How crop rotation works

Guides

When to plant

Parsnips are slow to come up, so sow them in April

Sow parsnips straight into the ground from late March to mid-May, in a sunny spot with deep, stone-free soil. Use fresh seed every year and expect it to take up to three weeks to come up. Roots are ready from mid-September and taste sweeter after a frost.

More roots

Where these figures come from

Every crop in VegLog was checked against published growing advice. Dates are worked out from average frost dates, so they shift with your garden. For parsnip, we used:

Grow parsnip with VegLog

Add parsnip to a bed and VegLog reminds you when to sow, plant out and pick, timed to your own town's frost dates.