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22/03/2008, 12:20 valB Joined on 21/11/2007 Posts 140 Re: seeds Yes, that is wht I thought so I will concentrate on my seeds first and worry about plants later.    Report

11/04/2008, 13:20 foxyloxy25 Joined on 23/07/2007 Albi (81) Posts 32 Re: seeds Try putting them on damp kitchen paper, then in a plastic container, watch carefully and remove seeds as soon as they start sprouting.  I tried that with some old seed last year and it worked, it also works with Parsnips. I am no expert, but picked the tip up from a very knowledgable gardener on the Kitchen Garden web site. Jeanne      Report

11/04/2008, 13:27 valB Joined on 21/11/2007 Posts 140 Re: seeds The same as growing cress, which I still do over here...love egg and cress sarnies. I have some parsnip seeds as well so I will experiment with them all   Thanks    Report

12/04/2008, 12:35 valB Joined on 21/11/2007 Posts 140 Re: seeds I have put some parsnip seeds onto damp kitchen roll and put into a plastic container. Do I cover the container ? also do I keep the kitchen roll dampened down or not.  All new tips for me so i want to get it right.    Report

13/04/2008, 9:37 water rat Joined on 17/09/2005 Posts 25 Re: seeds I did mine far too early and had to plant them out . They've probably died so I'm doing it again. I had an incredible 100% germination on the parsnips. I used one of those plastic carrot boxes from the supermarket. Laid a double thickness of damp paper towel on the bottom. Placed the seeds individually ( this can be a bit fiddley ,but saves more work later) then cover the box with more damp paper towel, the box not the seeds. Put them in a black plastic bag with gentle bottom heat. Make sure to keep the towel damp.They'll sprout in a few days. I did 300 seeds the first time --I don't like parsnips that much! I'll do about 50 this  time. Bon courage! Water Rat    Report

13/04/2008, 12:10 valB Joined on 21/11/2007 Posts 140 Re: seeds hello water rat I am now going to put more damp kitchen roll over them and will folow all your advice. I just love roast parsnip and we have put some straight into the gound but I have been told they are quite slow to surface. The carrots we planted have done nothing so far so I will try the same thing with them as well. Thanks for replying.    Report

14/04/2008, 13:58 foxyloxy25 Joined on 23/07/2007 Albi (81) Posts 32 Re: seeds Val I always keep the kitchen paper damp and keeping the lid on the plastic container helps to keep it moist until the seeds germinate, they don't take too long, check them regularly and as soon as you see they have sprouted, put them in a loo roll which has compost in, then when the root starts showing through the bottom, I use a dipper to get a nice deep hole in the soil, and put the whole lot loo roll and all, this gives you quite a nice long straight parsnip.  I do hope that is not too much information, if you already know all this I am sorry. Jeanne       Report

14/04/2008, 15:56 water rat Joined on 17/09/2005 Posts 25 Re: seeds Every year our experience of growing parsnips is different. 2006 and they looked like prize specimens, it must have been the perfect weather for them. 2007 saw just 2 make it through the atrocious summer, but mon dieu! Each was the size and shape of a football, I kid you not! We were going to ditch them 'cos we thought they would be woody, but I cooked a bit of one as an experiment and they were tender and delicious. I just sliced some off every time we wanted a bit .  I suppose in the end they were about the same amount as a normal crop. Wonder what we'll get this year?    Report

14/04/2008, 20:32 foxyloxy25 Joined on 23/07/2007 Albi (81) Posts 32 Re: seeds I know what you mean about the vagaries of parsnips, but the folks on the Kitchen Garden site know what they are talking about, so I gave it a shot and it worked.  My soil (if you can call it that) is horrible pure clay, so I have to use a dipper as if planting a bulb, then fill it with compost and put in the germinated loo roll, this works like a dream.  So here's hoping we all get beautiful parsnips, swedes and cerleriac, all of which I have had trial and error with.  Now I need to learn how to grow the perfect cauliflower. Jeanne    Report

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France Forum » Leisure and Pas... » Gardening » seeds

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