Medwyn Williams is preparing parsnips for next year’s Chelsea Flower Show
It’s time to get the parsnips started for the show in May
Now the RHS has confirmed that the Chelsea Flower Show is going ahead, albeit with reduced numbers of visitors as well as an extended day, I need to get on with my preparations. The extra day for Chelsea is going to be the Sunday, which means I shall be away from home for 10 days.
It’s time to start on the parsnips and I’ll be growing ‘Viking’ F1. This was originally a number, ‘TZ9045’ – those growers who tried it out initially all commented on how white and smooth the skin finish was. This is certainly the whitest parsnip that I’ve grown.
Both the parsnips and long carrots will be grown in my glasshouse in 45-gallon drums sitting on a raised bed double block high. The 45-gallon oil drums, with their bottoms removed, will sit on a bed of concreting sand, with the drums filled with the same.
Three of the drums for parsnips have another third of a barrel on top, which gives me a potential depth of around 1.5m (5ft).
I’ll core four holes out in each barrel using my coring pipes.
My mixes have varied over the years and the one that I use now is as follows: one 75 litre bag of Levington F2S, 10 litre pot of fine grade Vermiculite, 10 litre sieved top soil, 200g (7oz) finely sieved bone meal and 300g (10oz) of Medwyn’s ground calcified seaweed.
I slowly pour the mix down the hole and about halfway down I use a cane to prod it to ensure that there are no possible air locks or blockages. Finally, I use a steel bar in the hole to form a conical shape 12.5cm (5in) diameter at the top. To make sure all the holes are the same size I use a bottomless 12.5cm (5in) pot placed over the pipe until it fits into the hole. The seeds are sown 12mm (½in) deep, four seed in each station.
■ Why not follow me on Twitter throughout the season as I grow vegetables for my show displays – @medwynsofangles.