Parsnip Is An Undeservedly Forgotten Healthy Root Crop

2023 Author: Sebastian Paterson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 20:34

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa L.) is the oldest root crop of the Celery (Umbrella) family, which deserves no less attention from gardeners than, for example, carrots. By the way, it was even confused with carrots for a long time.

However, despite the ancient origin, the presence of varieties and seeds, parsnip still remains a rare crop in our country. I will try to draw the attention of the magazine's readers to it.

Since the beginning of the 16th century, parsnips have been a common vegetable crop in Russia. And in Western Europe, it has been cultivated for over two thousand years. It is still widely cultivated there. However, with the spread of carrots and especially with the "invasion" of the triumphant from the New World - potatoes, the significance and spread of parsnips, like other cultures of the Old World (rutabaga, turnip, etc.), decreases.

Meanwhile, parsnips contain up to 11% sugars, vitamins C, B1, B2, carotene, essential oils, and mineral salts. Roots and seeds are widely used for medicinal purposes: as an analgesic, diuretic, appetite stimulant, cardiac, hypnotic. Parsnip preparations improve hair growth, are used to remove age spots, etc.

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Parsnip is a biennial plant. In the first year, it forms a rosette of large split-pinnate leaves with large lobes and a root crop of various shapes depending on the variety: from round to almost cylindrical. In the second year, flower stalks appear, seeds are formed. Its plants are light-requiring, relatively drought-resistant, cold- and frost-resistant.

The varietal variety of parsnips is small. The "State Register … 2004" lists the varieties Krugly, Best of All, Serdechko, White Stork of VNIISSOK selection. In 2004 the agrofirm "POISK" introduced into the "Register …" a new cultivar Culinary.

The culinary specialist is a medium-early variety. The period from full germination to the beginning of technical ripeness is 80-85 days. The rosette of leaves is erect. The leaf is green, the leafy segments are sharply incised, the petiole is light green. The root crop is conical-convex, rounded-flattened at the base, white, the surface is uneven, the lentils are strongly developed, the head is medium, convex, the pulp is rough, slightly juicy. The root crop is completely submerged in the soil. Root weight 143 g, yield - 2.97 kg / m².

In addition to the aforementioned varieties, European varieties appear on the seed market from time to time - Semiblange white, Guernseinsky, as well as the long-rooted variety Student, which we remember from our student years. × Notice board Kittens for sale Puppies for sale Horses for sale

Parsnip agrotechnology

Parsnips require neutral, humus-rich, well-fertilized, deeply cultivated, loose soils. It is better if large doses of organic fertilizers were applied under the predecessor (cabbage, cucumbers, potatoes or tomatoes). On dense, poor, acidic soils with a close occurrence of groundwater or after the introduction of fresh manure, root crops turn out to be "bearded", small, and a good harvest cannot be expected.

Due to the fact that parsnip seeds contain up to 2.5% of essential oils, 3-4 days before sowing they are soaked in an open container: a day in a solution of potassium permanganate, two or three in a solution of fertilizers with microelements. Before sowing, they are washed and slightly dried.

It is necessary to sow as early as possible: as soon as it becomes possible to re-dig the soil, prepare the bed. They sow to a depth of 1.5-2.0 cm according to the scheme of 20x10 cm, placing 3-4 seeds in the nest if they have been stored for 2-3 years. After sowing, the surface of the beds is compacted. After germination, one plant is left in the nest.

Care consists in regular watering, foliar top dressing with fertilizers with microelements 1-2 times a month, watered after dressing. Particular attention is paid to crops in the first 20-25 days, when shoots appear. Plants are cold-resistant and can withstand frosts down to -8 ° C.

After 110-160 days after germination, depending on the variety, you can start harvesting. Root crops are harvested with gloves, digging in with a pitchfork, freed from the soil, cut off the tops, dried.

Root vegetables should be stored in the same way as carrots: it is better in boxes, layered with sand, or in open bags. In such conditions, they persist until spring.

Part of the crops is left for spring consumption or seed production. The tops of the plants are removed, the root crops are spud, and then covered with peat or sawdust. In the spring, before the ejection of the peduncle, the root crops are used for food. The rest, if necessary, are used for seed purposes. Only one variety is left. 4-5 copies are enough.

The seeds ripen in 100-130 days. When the umbrellas are brown, they are cut and hung in the drying room. Thrash umbrellas with gloves.

Seeds sprout up to 3 years. 1 g contains up to 200 of them. The mass of 1000 seeds is 3.5-5.0 g.