What do my raised beds need to grow parsnips?
David Beaumont, by email
Stefan says: You say that you grew potatoes, then onions and garlic, then Brussels sprouts for three years running and that each season you put on stable manure mixed with compost and some granular feed. You wonder what to do differently to grow parsnips this year. The answer is nothing! You can’t achieve a proper crop rotation in a raised bed but you have done well so far.
The only thing I’d say is to be careful about using stable manure.
Only put it on if it’s well rotted, and in any event, I’d hold off using it for parsnips because both parsnips and carrots are prone to produce distorted roots when animal manures have been used.
If you haven’t grown parsnips before, remember not to expect the same rate of germination as with carrots and other vegetables. Parsnip seed germinates slowly and erratically, so use rather more seed and then thin out carefully.
Kathy Fitzgerald, by email You have nowhere else for your new plants but the advice is still the same because of a problem called rose replant disease, which means the new roses may not establish well. The answer is to dig the hole, then swap the soil with some from elsewhere in the garden. If possible, use container-grown rather than bare-root plants.
Toni Everson, by email Almost certainly because the roots became dry at a critical time, although very cold weather during flowering can also cause this. In 2020, I’m sure it was the hot spell when they were in flower. This year make sure to have a wellprepared planting trench with plenty of organic matter to keep the roots cool and moist.
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