Grow your own Parsnips

A parsnip is a root vegetable that is similar in appearance to a carrot, but with a paler colour. Parsnips are an excellent source of vitamin C and potassium and their natural sweet flavour makes them an excellent addition to a Sunday roast.

Step-by-step guide for growing your own parsnips :

• Choose a cool spot in your garden – parsnips grow best in chilly areas. Dig the soil up well and add a general fertilizer like 2:3:2.
• Rake the fertilizer in well so that the soil is fine and crumbly.
• Draw a groove – about 2cm deep – in the soil using the edge of the rake. Sprinkle parsnip seeds sparingly along the length of the groove. Draw additional grooves about 30cm apart and sprinkle seeds as before.
• Cover the grooves with a light layer of soil and firm down gently. Water well.
• Your young parsnip plants will emerge after 10-28 days. Thin the new plants out so that they are eventually spaced approximately 15cm apart.

Did you know? Parsnips date back to the time of the ancient Romans, who believed that they were a natural aphrodisiac.