Crops › Parsnip
How to grow Parsnip
in the UK
Sow March to April, plant out May to September, harvest October to January. About 170 days from seed to plate.
Parsnips are a proper winter warmer, aren't they? They sit there on the allotment, doing their thing, just waiting for when you really want them for a cracking Sunday roast.
Sowing
You'll want to sow fresh parsnip seed directly into the soil outdoors from March right through April. They don't like being moved about much, so direct sowing is always best. Get your ground ready first, make sure it's not too stony, because you're after nice deep, straight roots. Sow them about 2 cm deep, in rows about 30 cm apart. Space the seeds thinly, maybe 5 cm apart, because you'll be thinning them out later on. A little trick, if you sow a few radish seeds with them, the radishes come up quick, mark the row for you, and you get a bit of an early harvest before the parsnips really get going.
Growing on
Once your parsnip seedlings are up and showing a couple of true leaves, it's time to thin them out. This bit is proper important, to give each plant enough room to grow a good, fat root. Aim for one plant every 15 cm or so. Just gently pull out the weaker ones, don't disturb the ones you're keeping too much. They don't need any fancy support, they're happy just growing straight down. For containers, to be honest, you'd need a really deep one, so it's usually best to get 'em in the ground.
Looking after it
Keep the plot weed-free, especially when they're small, as weeds can really outcompete them. Water them regularly, particularly in dry spells, to stop the roots from splitting and getting all misshapen. They don't need a lot of feeding, mind; too much nitrogen just gives you leafy tops and small roots. A good mulch can help keep moisture in and keep the weeds down a bit.
What goes wrong
The main thing to watch out for with parsnips is canker. It's a nasty orange-brown rot that can affect the roots and spoil your harvest. Choosing canker-resistant varieties really helps here. Make sure your soil isn't too rich in nitrogen, as that can make them more susceptible. Slugs can have a go at the tiny seedlings, like they do with everything on the plot, so keep an eye out for them early on.
Harvest
Parsnips are proper winter veg, ready from October, right through November, December, and January. They take a good 170 days from sowing, you know. The flavour gets even better after a good hard frost, it turns the starches into sugars, you know what I mean. Just dig them up as you need them. You can leave them in the ground all winter, or lift them and store them in damp sand in a cool, dark place.
I always try and get my parsnip seeds sown early in that March-April window, like I say. Fresh seed is key, they don't last on the shelf like some others, so always buy new packets each year.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Gladiator F1 These give you nice long, smooth roots, good for an earlier harvest. It's a reliable choice if you want to get them out of the ground a bit sooner than some. | No club votes yet |
| Tender and True A classic, traditional variety that's been grown for years on the plots. You can't really go wrong with this one for a good, solid crop of parsnips. | No club votes yet |
| Albion F1 This one has good canker resistance, which is a real bonus on the allotment. It grows nice, long roots too, proper stuff for your dinner plate. | No club votes yet |
| White Gem This is a shorter variety, so it's good if your soil isn't quite as deep or you've got a bit of a stony patch. It's a heritage type, a bit different to the modern ones. | No club votes yet |
| Javelin F1 Produces long, tapering roots, a cracking shape for the kitchen. Good if you're after a uniform look, even if you're trying them in deep containers. | No club votes yet |
| Hollow Crown A real classic variety, known for its resilience and a good old-fashioned flavour. It's pretty tolerant of colder weather too, so good for leaving in the ground over winter. | No club votes yet |
| Palace F1 Gives you smooth white skin and a really uniform shape, looks very smart. If you like your veg looking neat and tidy, this is a good choice for your plot. | No club votes yet |
| White Gem This is a shorter variety, so it's good if your soil isn't quite as deep or you've got a bit of a stony patch. It's a heritage type, a bit different to the modern ones. | No club votes yet |
| Albion F1 This one has good canker resistance, which is a real bonus on the allotment. It grows nice, long roots too, proper stuff for your dinner plate. | No club votes yet |
| Panache F1 Produces smooth, wedge-shaped roots, very attractive on the plate. A good all-rounder for flavour and a decent yield too. | No club votes yet |
| Countess F1 This variety gives short, chunky roots, just right for shallower soils or containers. If your plot's a bit stoney or not so deep, this could be the one for you. | No club votes yet |
| White King Grows lovely long, pure white roots with a real sweet flavour, proper tasty. A cracking heritage choice if you're after something a bit special for your dinner. | No club votes yet |
| Excalibur Offers good canker resistance and develops long, strong roots, a solid performer. A reliable choice for a healthy crop that you can count on. | No club votes yet |
| Lancer Produces long, white, tapered roots, a proper classic parsnip shape that everyone recognises. A solid choice for a good, dependable harvest from your plot. | No club votes yet |
| Duchess Grows to a medium length and is known for getting really sweet after a good hard frost. Perfect for those proper winter roasts, full of flavour. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Parsnip seeds
Partner retailers. If you buy through these links we may earn a small commission. It never costs you more.
Cook the harvest
Roasted parsnips are the warm, caramelised anchor of this winter salad — tossed with peppery watercress, crunchy walnuts and creamy, salty blue cheese, then dressed with a sharp maple and cider vinegar vinaigrette. This is the salad you want on the table alongside a roast, or on its own for a quick and satisfying lunch. It comes together in under 30 minutes and it tastes properly seasonal.
30 min · easyThis is a French classic with a root vegetable twist that, honestly, improves on the original. Thinly sliced parsnips bake slowly in garlicky cream, their natural sweetness deepening into something almost nutty, with a bubbling, golden Gruyère crust on top. Serve it alongside roast beef or a simple green salad and you have something genuinely impressive for very little effort.
95 min · mediumCrispy cubed parsnip forms the backbone of this deeply savoury hash, fried with smoky chorizo and sweet red onion until golden and caramelised at the edges. It is the kind of one-pan supper that looks like more effort than it is, and the runny yolk from a poached egg pulls the whole thing together. Ready in under 30 minutes, this is a proper weeknight rescue.
28 min · easyThese are the parsnips that disappear fastest off the Sunday roast tray, and frankly they deserve their own moment. Parboiling first guarantees a fluffy interior; the honey and thyme glaze caramelises beautifully in a hot oven, and the toasted hazelnuts give exactly the right kind of crunch against the soft root. Straightforward enough for a Tuesday, good enough for Christmas Day.
45 min · easyWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: radish
Questions people ask
When do you sow Parsnip in the UK?
Sow Parsnip from March to April. Plant out May to September, after the last frost.
How long does Parsnip take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 170 days, with the harvest October to January.
Which Parsnip varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Gladiator F1, Tender and True, Albion F1, White Gem and more.
Track your Parsnip from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.