Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa)
7 sources cited · Verified
The short answer
- Ready in
- 100–120 days
- Biggest risk
- Downy mildew
In the UK, parsnips are ready to harvest 100–120 days after planting.
Parsnips (Pastinaca sativa).
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.
At a Glance
Quick Facts
| Factor | Value |
|---|---|
| Germination temp | 12C |
| Optimal growing temp | 15-21C |
| Minimum survivable temp | -5C |
| Time to harvest | 100-120 days |
| Soil texture | RHS: "deep, light soil that drains readily"; avoid "stony or compacted soil", which causes forked roots. |
| Drainage | RHS: soil that "drains readily", in an "open, sunny area". Utah State: "sunny locations". |
| Edible parts | roots |
Soil & Growing Conditions
Water: RHS: water "during dry spells" and keep the soil "evenly moist" to prevent root splitting. Utah State: "1-2 inches per week depending on weather", applied "frequent and uniform".
Growth Stages
| Stage | BBCH | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sowing & germination | 0 | Make a shallow 1cm-deep drill, sow thinly or three seeds at 15cm intervals, rows 30cm apart. Notoriously slow and erratic to germinate, needing soil around 12C -- a mid-spring sowing succeeds far more reliably than an early-spring one on cold ground. RHS. |
| Thinning | 3 | Thin to one seedling every 15cm, removing the smaller, weaker ones. RHS. |
| Root development | 4 | The long, tapering root develops through summer and into autumn -- a slow-growing crop that spends the whole season bulking up rather than maturing quickly. RHS. |
| Harvest (after frost) | 8 | Best left until after the first heavy frost, which intensifies sweetness and flavour by converting starches to sugars. Ease roots out intact with a fork; they can be left in the ground through winter and lifted as needed. RHS. |
Harvest & Storage
When to pick: RHS: lift once "leaves start to die down in late summer or autumn", and flavour improves "after the first heavy frost". Utah State: harvest "when the roots reach full size".
Storage
RHS: parsnips "can be left in the ground into winter and harvested as required". Utah State: store at "32ºF and 95% relative humidity for two to four weeks".
Diseases
Pests
Parsnip, Leaf to Root
References
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7 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do parsnips take to grow?
Typically 100–120 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What problems affect parsnips?
Our data links 1 disease and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Almost everything on this page resolves to your own frost dates rather than the calendar — the last spring frost moves by roughly two months between zone 3 and zone 10. The USA Garden Planner works from your zone so the timing is already decided before the season starts.
Get the USA Garden Planner →Instant PDF download · Written for US growing conditions
Last verified 2026-08-06
Where To Go From Here
Take this crop from reading into a written plan for your own beds.
Plan the next step
Use the printable SoilCommander planner for your region to turn this guide into sowing dates, bed layouts and weekly garden tasks.