How to grow Parsnip (Gladiator)

Pastinaca sativa

🥕 Vegetable 🌱 Grown each year

Long, smooth, sweet roots that taste best after a frost. A slow but easy winter staple.

At a glance: Sow late March to mid May, harvest from mid October.

When to sow, plant and harvest

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

Sow outdoors

Harvest

Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.

Late March – mid May · 3 weeks before the last spring frost
Sow Seeds Outdoors
Sow thinly in drills where they are to grow. Always use fresh seed; sow 3 seeds every 15 cm and thin to one. Sow radishes between them to mark the row.
14–28 days after “Sow Seeds Outdoors” · Early April – late April
Check Germination
Seedlings should appear in 14–28 days. If sown outdoors, thin to 15 cm apart when big enough to handle.
21–35 days after “Check Germination” · Late April – mid May
Weed and Water
Hoe off weeds between rows and water in dry spells — even moisture gives better crops.
Mid October – mid February · around the first autumn frost
Start Harvesting
Lift as needed from the first frosts — cold turns starch to sugar.
90–120 days after “Start Harvesting” · Mid January – mid February
Finish and Clear
Clear the remains to the compost heap once cropping ends.