Parsnip
Pastinaca sativa
Apiaceae · carrot family
- Matures
- 90–120 days
- Harvest
- Once · Annual
- Sun
- 6–8+ hrs
- Spacing
- 3–6 in
Planting window
When to sow, by microclimate — foggier blocks run a different calendar than sunnier ones.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggy | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| Sunny | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggy | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ||
| Sunny | ● | ● | ● | ◐ |
Sunlight
How well it does at each level of direct sun per day.
Soil depth
Root room it needs — useful for sizing raised beds and containers.
Spacing
Room each plant needs — along the row and between rows — for sizing beds.
- In-row
- 3–6 in
- Between rows
- 12 in
Growth habit
The shape it makes in the bed and how tall it gets — what tells you whether to give it a trellis, a stake, or just room.
- Habit
- Low mound
- Mature height
- 12–18 in
Low and self-supporting — no staking needed.
How to start it
Sow it where it grows, or raise it under cover and set it out — and how far ahead to start the seedlings if it's the latter.
- Usually
- Direct-sow
Sown straight into the bed it will grow in.
Getting started
How it goes in the ground — how deep to sow or set it, and the soil temperature it needs to wake up. The cold-soil floor is the real limiter for direct-sowing in a foggy SF spring.
- Started from
- From seed
- Ideal soil temp
- 65–75°F
- Sow depth
- 0.5 in
- Time to emerge
- 14–19 days
Germinates between 32–85°F; happiest around 65–75°F.
Pests & diseases
What tends to trouble this crop — what it is, what you'll see, and what to do about it, least-toxic first.
Pests1
Parsnip Fly
- What you'll see
- Small white maggots that feed on and burrow into the developing root.
- What to do
- Use soil applied chemicals at planting or cover young emerging seedlings with fabric row covers to exclude egg-laying adults.
Diseases3
Leaf Blights
- What you'll see
- Fungal diseases that cause spotting on infected leaves.
- What to do
- Occur when foliage remains wet for long periods.
Root Rots and Spots
- What you'll see
- Fungal diseases that cause decay and rotting of the root. Leads to forking and off-shaped roots.
- What to do
- Crop rotation. Soil solarization.
Yellows
- What you'll see
- Yellow discoloration of plants.
- What to do
- Carried by leafhoppers. Cover plants with fabric mulch. No known control.
Sources
Every figure above is backed by these.
- UC Master Gardeners, San Mateo–SF Countiesbacks plantingWindow, startMethod · Foggy & Sunny calendars, Parsnip (seed) rows: Foggy sows Feb (wks 3-4) through Aug; Sunny sows Feb (wks 3-4) through Oct (wks 1-2). Start method: Foggy & Sunny calendars, Parsnip row: (S) sow seed only.
- Golden Gate Gardening (Pam Peirce)backs plantingWindow, lifecycle, harvestStyle · Peirce Foggier/Sunnier planting-times charts, Parsnip row: Foggier May-Oct (Jan light); Sunnier Apr-Sep (Oct light). Used to soften the shoulder months to 'maybe'. Habit and harvest: annual, once — from this source's entry for this crop.
- UC Master Gardeners, Sonoma County (Planting Summary)backs daysToMaturity, inRowSpacing, rowSpacing, startMethod · Vegetable Planting Summary, Parsnips row: 90-120 days to maturity, 3 in in-row spacing ('treat like carrots'). Between-row spacing 12 in (Parsnips row). Start method: Vegetable Planting Summary, Parsnips row: method D (usually direct-sown).
- Utah State University Extensionbacks sunlight, soilDepth, daysToMaturity, inRowSpacing · USU parsnip page: 'prefer sunny locations' (full sun) and 'deep, well-drained' soils (deep taproot); thin to 3-6 in in-row; 'roots are mature 100-120 days from seeding' (corroborates Sonoma).
- UC Master Gardeners, Marin Countybacks soilDepth · Planting & Spacing, Hydrozones: 'Deeply rooting plants include artichokes, asparagus, parsnips, rhubarb and tomatoes.'
- UC Master Gardeners, Sacramento County (Germination)backs germination · GN 154 soil-temp table, parsnips row: 32/65–75/85°F; germinationDays 14–19 derived from Table 2 across the optimum band.
- USDA GRIN Taxonomybacks botany
- Colorado State University Extension (Master Gardener)backs plantingDepth · Table 1 Cool Season, Parsnips row: 1/2 in.
- NC State Extension — Plant Toolboxbacks growthHabit · Pastinaca sativa: in the first (edible) year the plant is a basal rosette whose 'first-year leaves can be up to 18 inches long and 6 inches wide' (the tall hollow flower stalk only forms in year two). Foliage-top ~12-18 in; low-mound rosette, no support.
- UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara Countybacks startMethod · Start method: Planting chart: Parsnips carry a Direct seed row only, From seed to transplant Not applicable — a taproot crop that can't be moved.