Pasternak: cultivation and care in the open field, planting seeds before winter

This root crop is an indispensable supplier of vitamins, carbohydrates, and mineral compounds. It grows in beds in almost every household plot. But growing parsnips from seeds has many nuances, following which you can get large and tasty root crops.

Description of the plant

The name comes from pastus - translated from Latin "food", "food", "nutrition". Cultivated plant of the celery or umbrella family. Came from Mediterranean countries.

It is a relative of parsley, carrots, but differs in the color of the root - not orange, but white or cream. The taste of the root crop is sweetish, highly valued for its aroma.

Parsnips have large, rich green leaves that are single or double pinnate, similar to celery leaves, with a delicate odor and astringent taste. Stem branched, empty inside. The root is taproot, thickened, rounded or conical. Flowering stems with yellow flowers in the form of umbrellas appear in the second year in mid-summer. All parts of the plant contain 0.3 to 3.5% essential oil.

As a "winter" vegetable, parsnips are stored in cellars and are an excellent source of vitamins. The root crop includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, fiber.

Pay attention! Parsnip - excellent honey plant, food for birds and animals - improves the taste of meat and milk.

Popular varieties of parsnips

There are many types of this garden crop. Among themselves, they differ, first of all, in the form of root crops. Varieties with round fruits are considered more hardy. With regards to the ripening time, you can plant early, mid-season and late parsnips.

Growing parsnips

Pasternak is a biennial plant: the seeds are flat, round and light brown in color, about 5 mm in size. After sowing in open ground, it gives root crops, from which seeds are obtained again the next year. Seed material remains viable for about two years.

You can leave a few parsnip roots to winter in the ground until spring, without visiting the dacha. Such agrotechnics guarantees that with the advent of heat, they will quickly please with lush greenery, which will bloom in June with small yellow flowers in umbrellas. Then grains appear, which are harvested until shedding as they ripen. Parsnips can again be grown from seeds for next year.

Planting parsnips

This useful plant is sown on a pre-prepared site before winter until October 15th. Seeds (several pieces) are buried in shallow (about 4 cm) holes, spaced 10 cm from one another. Between the rows they stand 40 cm. The shoots that appear in the spring are thinned out - they choose the strongest-looking plant that is left.

The timing of sowing seeds

Sown seeds as soon as the ground thaws - most often in April, as this is a cold-resistant plant.Experts suggest soaking the seeds before sowing in warm water - up to 2 days, changing the liquid as it cools, then dry. After sowing, the seeds are covered with earth, trampled down and watered. Germination is expected for about three weeks.

Since root crops take a long time to ripen, gardeners often grow parsnips from seedlings sown in March, then planted in open ground by mid-May. Parsnips are sensitive to transplantation, so seeds of 2-3 pieces are planted in paper or peat pots, lightly covered with a small layer of soil with a peat base and covered with a film.

Air the crops daily - shift the film for about a quarter of an hour. Sometimes grown seedlings need additional lighting. And it is demanding on watering: moisten the soil carefully - avoiding moisture stagnation.

Advice! After the appearance of two leaves in the sprout, pinch the extra ones in the pot, do not remove them in order to avoid damage to the root of the most powerful plant.

Ground requirements

Pasternak loves sunny beds, and tolerates partial shade. The soil is required sandy and light loamy with a neutral reaction, rich in humus. Acidic soils must be treated with lime. The best crop of parsnips comes after onions, cabbages, beets, potatoes, tomatoes, zucchini and squash.

Preparing for landing

The soil for parsnips is prepared as follows: in the fall they dig up, fertilizing with rotted manure (half a bucket per 1 m²). In the spring, digging is repeated, leveled and a high bed is made for seedlings. Sprouts can be planted in special recesses to the height of a peat pot, the distance between the pits is about 10 cm, about 40 cm is left between the rows. The bed must be watered.

Caring for parsnips

When working with parsnip, it should be borne in mind that in the heat the plant releases essential oil with a burn effect, so the time before sunrise and after sunset is preferred. Gloves and protection of exposed areas of the body are also required.

With regards to loosening and weeding, the first time it is carried out when sprouts appear or if it is clear that the seedlings have taken root. In the future, they hoe after rains, watering. Remove weeds.

Fertilizer

For the entire growing season, it is enough to feed 3-4 times. Fertilize with an infusion of ash, a solution of mineral fertilizers, that is, in the form of a liquid. Fresh manure will reduce the quality of root crops.

Feeding with a high nitrogen content - 7 and 28 days after planting seedlings. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers - in July.

Processing

With proper crop rotation, high-quality preparation of beds and seeds for planting crops, parsnips rarely get sick. The most common diseases include septoria and cercosporosis. They infect stems, leaves.

When a fungus is found on root crops, diseased units are removed, the rest are treated with Bordeaux mixture (one percent solution), Topsin - M, Fundazol.

Cumin moth, bug and striped bug are destroyed by Karbofos, Aktellik. Aphid - the most serious and insidious pest - Antitlin or Confidor (for Colorado beetles).

Water Tips

Pasternak belongs to moisture-loving garden crops. He needs irrigation 4-5 times in hot weather, in rainy weather - there is no need to water. Parsnips react to a lack of moisture with poor growth, bolting and poor-quality root crops.

Excessive humidity threatens fungal diseases.

Cleaning and storage

In the autumn, when the tops dry up - around October, the root crops are removed from the garden, digging with a pitchfork, cut the leaves and dry. Sand is prepared in the cellar, in which vegetables are placed. The temperature is maintained up to +20 C, humidity - up to 85%.

If winters are snowy and not very cold, parsnips can be left in the ground until spring, cutting off the leaves and sprinkling soil on top. In the spring, the left specimens are dug up before the leaves appear, otherwise the taste will deteriorate.

Pasternak is unpretentious and hardy, responds to self-care with excellent taste and vitamin properties. It is less caloric than potatoes, more useful than carrots. And does not accumulate nitrates. It is very necessary, beneficial and nutritious for a person.