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In this series I’m compiling the quick and dirty info on growing specific vegetables. Just the basics. No fluff, no frills. When you’re sitting down in the late Winter, surrounded by seed catalogs, and your garden plan in front of you, you want a quick reference. How far apart can you plant? What pH do they need? How much water? What vegetables can you plant next to others? Which should you avoid?

This quick and dirty 30 second guide to Parnsips should help you answer all those questions quickly, without having to sort through article after article. I’ve always wanted a quick cheat sheet like this, so hopefully you’ll find it useful too!

Parsnips

Native to Eurasia, parsnips are a hardy, annual root vegetable. Often called “neeps” or “swedes” in the UK, parsnips were used as a sweetening agent for food before can sugar became readily available.

Parsnips were brought to the new world by both French and British colonists in the 1600’s, but by the mid-1800’s, it lost popularity due to the potato.

High in Vitamin C and Vitamin K, 3.5 ounces of parsnip contains 27% of your daily recommended amount of Manganese.

Parsnips are a great cold weather crop. They’re very resilient, and frost actually turns the starch unto sugars, making them even sweeter.

They can be used in stews, roasts, casseroles, sliced as fries, and even made into a wine! …I need to go find a recipe…

If you’re growing Parsnips this year, here’s what you need to know:

Soil pH

6.0-7.0

Sunlight

6-8 hours

Water

1 inch per week

Planting Time

Direct sow 2 weeks before last frost

Compatible With

Beans, Garlic, Onions, Peas, Peppers, Potatoes, Radish

Avoid Planting With

Carrots, Celery

Spacing

4 inches apart in rows 12 inches apart

Maintenance

Mulch and hill soil around base to keep white.

Harvesting Fruit

100-120 days.