Best time to plant parsnip in Australia
Pastinaca sativa
The parsnip is a relative of carrot and parsley, grown for its long, cream-coloured taproot. It is a biennial usually treated as an annual, and the root turns sweeter once winter frosts have passed. Left until its second season, the plant flowers and the root becomes inedible.
On a shared plot: suits a plot
Finishes in a season and stays within its space, so it suits most plots.
When to sow
| Zone | Months | How well checked |
|---|---|---|
| Cool | Aug to Feb | Matches local guides |
| Temperate | Jul to Mar | Matches local guides |
| Subtropical | Feb to Sep | Broadly matches local guides, with some differences |
| Tropical | Mar to Aug | Not yet checked against a local guide |
| Arid | Feb to Sep | Matches local guides |
Your local conditions can shift any months shown here, so treat them as a guide.
Growing details
- How to start
- Sow directly in the bed
- Sowing depth
- 12mm
- Plant spacing
- 20cm
- Row spacing
- 60cm
- Height
- 30cm
- Germination
- About 21 days
- Time to harvest
- 110 days from sowing
- Frost
- Semi-hardy, protect from hard frost
- Sun
- Full sun
- Life cycle
- biennial, usually grown as an annual
These are typical figures, and varieties differ. Your seed packet takes priority.