Parsnip Seed 'Hollow Crown'

Over 200 years old and still pretty hard to beat! A rich true parsnip flavour which, in our view, is unsurpassed.

Roots can be up to 12" (30 cm) long and 3" (7.5 cm) in diameter; as the name suggests, they are hollow-crowned. Flavour is gorgeously sweet and mellow.

Couple that with this variety's reliability, resistance to canker and high yield and you will understand why this has been a crop in our own family vegetable gardens every year for more than fifty years now!

• Sow March to mid May (we have sown as late as May 26 and had good results).
• Sow three seeds every 6" (15 cm) in ¾" (2 cm) deep drills 18" (45 cm) apart.
• When large enough to handle thin to one plant per station.

• Top Tips
• Do not be tempted to start these early in plugs or in toilet role cores; transplanted parsnips always result in fangy roots!
• Similarly, avoid sowing into freshly manured ground as this to will cause fangy roots.
• Keep parsnips watered during dry spell to avoid cracking or hard cores.
• While you can start harvesting in late summer, for the truly best flavour do not start lifting and using until after the first frost - patience really is a virtue when it comes to the flavour of parsnips. Frost in the ground converts the starch in the roots to sugar giving them extra sweetness.