Parsnips

Parsnips are native to Europe and Asia, but are now cultivated around the world. This sweet root vegetable is a close relative of both carrots and parsley. Parsnips are grown for their tasty taproots just like carrots. They can be roasted, baked, boiled, fried, steamed and even a welcome addition to soups and stews. If left in the ground until after a hard frost, parsnips will taste even better and become sweeter.  If you haven't grown them yet, try growing parsnips in your vegetable garden.

Parsnips like deep, loose fertile soil. Direct sow as soon as the ground can be worked, planting at a depth of 1/2" (13mm) and with spacing of 1" (2.5cm) apart. It takes a few weeks for them to germinate. When they reach a height of around 4" (10cm) tall, thin them out to about 3-4" (7.5-10cm) apart. Parsnips require moderate watering.

For more on growing parsnips in the vegetable garden see this video on How to Grow Parsnips.

To get more information on growing parsnips in the vegetable garden check out the University of Illinois Extension or you can visit PlantVillage of Penn State University, they have some really great tips.