key growing information

Growing Parsnips From Seed

How to grow parsnips: soil and pH, direct sowing and slow germination, thinning, seeding rates, harvest and overwintering, storage and a skin-contact caution.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Parsnip - Key Growing Information

A box of parsnip roots, harvested, cleaned, and ready for storage.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Pastinaca sativa

CULTURE:

Parsnips need well-drained soil with a pH of 6.0–6.8. Deep, loose, fertile sandy loam or peat soil that holds moisture well gives the straightest, smoothest roots.

DAYS TO MATURITY:

Counted from direct sowing.

DIRECT SEEDING:

Sow in early to mid-spring, ½" deep, about 1" apart (20 seeds per foot) in a 2" band, with rows 18–24" apart. Germination usually takes about 3 weeks, so keep the soil from drying out until seedlings emerge. Thin to 2–3".

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:

At 20 seeds per foot in 24" rows: 1,000 seeds sow about 50', 5,000 about 250', 25,000 about 1,250', and roughly 436,000 seeds per acre.

HARVEST:

Mow or fork off the tops and loosen the roots from below, or use a root harvester. Parsnips need a full season to grow, and cold weather brings out their sweetness. Dig them in fall or leave them in the ground over winter, hilling soil over overwintered rows. For spring digging, harvest before new top growth starts for the best roots.

STORAGE:

Store washed or unwashed in perforated bags or bins at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity.

CAUTION:

Rarely, touching the foliage can cause a severe skin rash. On hot, sunny days, wear long sleeves and long pants when working with this crop, and wash any exposed skin as soon as you can afterward.

SEEDS/LB.:

From 107,300 to 123,100, averaging 115,700.

PACKET:

350 seeds per packet, enough for about 17'.