I thought a posting about how I actually get my parsnips up out of the growing medium may be of interest….if you’re a saddo like me that is! Years ago I used to excavate a hole around the crown of each root then drench the hole and let the water sink in before pulling. This was (and still is) the method advocated by Medwyn Williams. Now I don’t bother and simply pull it dry with slow, firm pressure. I go around the plants and dig down a few inches with my fingers to expose the crowns and try to match up those with similar diameters. Good tapering, parsnips really do pull themselves quite a way down into the bore hole. Those with crowns nearer the surface tend to be misshapen I find.
Once I’ve selected the ones I want to ‘pull’ I will excavate the hole as I’ve already said and may just give a dribble of water over the top of the parsnip to wash off any sand, as leaving rough sand on it may risk scratching the skin when you handle it. Then I stand over it with both hands around it and pull upwards. Don’t do it quickly, but firmly and slowly. Eventually there’ll be a ‘click’ as the bottom of the tap root way down in the bore hole breaks away from the sub soil, and you can then extract the whole root, hopefully with a smile on your face as you expose a smooth skinned, gradually tapering parsnip with no side roots. I immerse the parsnip in a drum of water to wash off any excess sand and compost and then lay it gently on a soft surface (the lawn is good) out of the sun whilst I continue pulling more roots to make a set.
My selected set is then taken upstairs to the bathroom and laid in a bath full of water. I generally do my final cleaning once it’s dark, preferring to get back out in the garden to do other tasks whilst it's still daylight. It does however mean that my teenage daughters aren’t able to shower or bathe for several hours so I have to run a constant gauntlet of abuse!
Once I’ve selected the ones I want to ‘pull’ I will excavate the hole as I’ve already said and may just give a dribble of water over the top of the parsnip to wash off any sand, as leaving rough sand on it may risk scratching the skin when you handle it. Then I stand over it with both hands around it and pull upwards. Don’t do it quickly, but firmly and slowly. Eventually there’ll be a ‘click’ as the bottom of the tap root way down in the bore hole breaks away from the sub soil, and you can then extract the whole root, hopefully with a smile on your face as you expose a smooth skinned, gradually tapering parsnip with no side roots. I immerse the parsnip in a drum of water to wash off any excess sand and compost and then lay it gently on a soft surface (the lawn is good) out of the sun whilst I continue pulling more roots to make a set.
My selected set is then taken upstairs to the bathroom and laid in a bath full of water. I generally do my final cleaning once it’s dark, preferring to get back out in the garden to do other tasks whilst it's still daylight. It does however mean that my teenage daughters aren’t able to shower or bathe for several hours so I have to run a constant gauntlet of abuse!
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