Back
Vegetable
Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
A slow, sweet root crop sown in autumn or late winter and harvested 4 to 5 months later; frost sweetens the roots. Always use fresh seed, as it loses viability within a year. Sow directly into deep, loose, stone-free soil and keep it moist until seedlings appear.
- SunFull sun
- Spacing10 cm apart
- First pick16–20 weeks
- FrostFrost hardy
- HeatStruggles in heat
- Sow depth10 mm
When to plant where you live
Checking your area…
Add parsnip to my gardenVarieties (2)
- Guernsey (Half Long)Shorter roots that cope better with heavier soil
- Hollow CrownLong, smooth tapered roots; the standard home variety
Neighbours
Grows well with
From seed to plate
Plant
10 cm apart, seed 10 mm deep. Full sun.
Water
Keep moist through germination.
Feed
Compost only.
Pick, from about 16 weeks
Lift after cold weather sweetens them.
Good to know
- Sow radish in the same row to mark it while parsnips are slow to emerge
- Thin to 8 to 10 cm apart
- The sap of the leaves can irritate skin in sunlight; wear gloves when handling foliage
Common problems
- Poor germinationuse fresh seed each year; keep the surface moist for up to 3 weeks
- Forked rootsavoid fresh manure and dig deeply before sowing
- Canker (brown rot on the shoulders)rotate beds; keep soil evenly moist
If you use a garden chemical, follow the label exactly. Try organic options first, and ask the community or Plant Doctor if you're unsure.
Safety: Sap can blister skin in sunlight.
Where this information comes from
- UC Master Gardener Program (UC ANR): soil temperature conditions for vegetable seed germination (germination, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Australian seed company regional sowing charts (temperate zone) (germination, low confidence)
- ABC Gardening Australia fact sheets (growing, low confidence)
- ABC Gardening Australia plant finder: Parsnip (growing, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
- Sustainable Gardening Australia: planting guides (sowing window, low confidence)
- Poisons information centre plant guidance (Australia) (toxicity, low confidence)
- Ohio State University BYGL: A blistering wild parsnip report (toxicity, medium confidence, checked 27 Oct 2026)
Reviewed by AI cross-check (Claude), not a horticulturist on 27 Oct 2026. Version 2.