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What To Sow
Parsnips growing

Photo: Unsplash

Hardy — can tolerate frost

When to plant
parsnips in the UK

Very slow to germinate (2-4 weeks). Use fresh seed every year. Sow radishes alongside to mark the row.

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18wto harvest
15cmspacing
5°Cmin soil temp
hardyhardiness
Plan it for your plot

Work out your own dates

Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.

Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it

Sow18 March
Harvest from22 July

Growing journey

Last frost
Direct sow4w before frost
Harvest14w after frost

18 weeks from sowing to harvest

Get parsnips seeds

Thompson & MorganSarah RavenSuttons

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What parsnips need

Sun. Deep, stone-free soil. Patience.

Spacing

15cm

15cm between plants · 20cm between rows

Space evenly in rows. Thin seedlings early to avoid crowding.

the varieties

Varieties worth growing

Tender and True

common

Long, tapering, and with a sweetness that intensifies after frost. The name says it all — this one won't let you down, provided you give it deep, stone-free soil and a healthy dose of patience.

in the kitchen

Honey-roasted parsnips

Quarter lengthways, toss with honey, olive oil, and a grating of nutmeg. Roast until the edges are dark and caramelised. The Christmas dinner MVP.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→Sarah Raven→
Tender and True— full guide →

Gladiator

common

Vigorous, canker-resistant, and germinates faster than most parsnips — which is to say it only takes two weeks instead of four. Smooth-skinned and reliable, like a parsnip should be.

in the kitchen

Parsnip soup with crispy sage

Sweat onion, add chunked parsnips, a splash of white wine, stock. Simmer, blitz until velvety. Fry sage leaves in butter until crisp, scatter on top. Winter comfort perfected.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→
Gladiator— full guide →

Guernsey

uncommon

A heritage variety that's been around since the 1800s. Half-long roots that are easier to dig up than the full-length types, and wonderfully sweet after a good frost. Old-fashioned in the best possible way.

in the kitchen

Parsnip crisps

Peel into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler, toss in a little oil, and bake at 180C until golden and curling. Salt them hot. Impossible to stop eating.

Guernsey— full guide →

Hollow Crown

rare

A heritage variety dating back centuries, named for the depression around the crown of each root. Long, tapering, with a complex, sweet flavour that modern varieties have smoothed away. The parsnip your great-great-grandparents would recognise. Wants deep soil and patience, but repays both generously.

in the kitchen

Parsnip and apple soup

Sweat onion, add chunked parsnips and a cooking apple, stock, and a splash of cream. Simmer until soft, blitz smooth. The apple lightens the sweetness of the heritage parsnip. Finish with a drizzle of truffle oil if you're feeling flash.

find the seedsThompson & Morgan→Suttons→
Hollow Crown— full guide →

When to sow parsnips

Direct sowMarchApril

Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.

Seeds

Where to buy parsnips seeds

Thompson & MorganSarah RavenSuttons

Links may be affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Kit

What you'll need for parsnips

The stuff beginners wish they'd bought sooner.

Enviromesh (insect mesh)Amazon

Stops carrot fly, which flies low and finds carrots by smell. Cover from sowing day and leave it on all season.

Links go to Amazon. We earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

Get your exact dates

Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for parsnips.

Keep exploring

Other crops to grow

Broad beans

Pinch out the growing tips once the first pods form to discourage blackfly. They

Peas

Sow every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Pick regularly to keep them producin

Lettuce

Sow a short row every 2 weeks and you'll never buy a supermarket bag again. Pick

Spinach

Bolts the moment it gets hot. Best in spring and autumn. Pick little and often —

Radishes

The quickest crop you can grow — seed to plate in 4 weeks. Sow between slower cr

Carrots

Sow thinly to avoid thinning — the smell of crushed leaves is a dinner bell for

Beetroot

Each seed cluster produces several seedlings — thin to the strongest. Don't chuc

Onion sets

Push sets into the soil with the tip just showing. Easiest way to grow onions —

Potatoes (maincrop)

Plant a few weeks after earlies. Earth up as haulms grow. Harvest when foliage d

Potatoes (early)

Chit (sprout) seed potatoes on a windowsill before planting. Earth up as they gr

Kale

Gets sweeter after a frost. One of the hardiest crops — can harvest all winter.

Spring onions

Sow a pinch every few weeks and you'll have spring onions all season. Dead easy

Swiss chard

Beautiful and productive. Pick outer leaves and it keeps going for months. Rainb

Turnips

Harvest when golf-ball sized for the sweetest flavour. Leave them too long and t

Leeks

Drop seedlings into deep holes and just water in — no need to fill the hole. The

Broccoli

Cut the main head first and you'll get side shoots for weeks. Purple sprouting i

Cabbage

Different varieties for each season — spring, summer, autumn, and winter types.

Cauliflower

Fold outer leaves over the curd to keep it white. Cauliflower leaves are delicio

Brussels sprouts

Grow through summer, harvest from autumn through winter. Flavour improves after

Garlic

Plant individual cloves Oct-Nov, pointed end up, 2.5cm deep. Garlic needs a cold

Parsley

Slow to germinate (3-4 weeks) — don't give up on it. Soak seeds overnight in war

Strawberries

Plant runners in spring or late summer and you will be picking fruit the followi

Raspberries

Plant bare-root canes in winter for the cheapest option. Summer varieties fruit

Blackberries

Cultivated blackberries produce bigger, sweeter fruit than wild ones and are tho

Gooseberries

One of the easiest fruit bushes for UK allotments. Plant a bare-root bush in win

Blackcurrants

Blackcurrants are packed with vitamin C and make the best jam and cordial. Plant

Redcurrants

Beautiful jewel-like berries that hang in trusses. They tolerate more shade than

Rhubarb

Plant a crown in winter, do not harvest the first year, and it will reward you w

Sweetcorn

Plant in a block, not a row — they're wind-pollinated and need neighbours. Each

Courgettes

You only need 2-3 plants. Seriously. Pick them small (15cm) or they turn into ma

French beans

Dwarf varieties need no support. Pick every few days — once they start producing

Squash

Big hungry plants — give them space and feed them well. Leave to cure in the sun

Pumpkins

Limit each plant to 2-3 fruits for bigger pumpkins. Sit them on a tile or slate

Coriander

Bolts at the slightest excuse. Sow every 3-4 weeks, pick frequently, and choose

Rocket

Dead easy and fast. Gets spicier in hot weather — which is either a feature or a

Pak choi

Sow early spring or after midsummer — it'll bolt faster than you can blink in th

Fennel

Sow after midsummer for best bulbs — earlier sowings often bolt. Don't transplan

Celery

Sow seeds on the surface — they need light to germinate. Start early in a propag

Dill

Sow direct — dill absolutely hates being transplanted. Short rows every few week

Tomatoes

Pinch out side shoots on cordon types. Feed weekly with tomato feed once the fir

Peppers

Start early — they're slow growers. Pinch out the first flower to encourage bush

Chillies

Need heat to germinate — use a propagator or the warmest windowsill you've got.

Cucumbers

Outdoor varieties are tougher and easier than greenhouse ones. Keep picking and

Runner beans

Build a strong frame — they get seriously heavy. Pick every 2-3 days or they go

Aubergine

Start very early — January isn't too soon. Limit to 5-6 fruits per plant if you

Basil

Pinch out flower buds to keep leaves coming. Harvest from the top to encourage b