Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

About it

Kind: Vegetables · Annual
Family: Apiaceae
Frost: Semi-hardy — takes a light frost
Sun: Full sun
Spacing: 3 in apart
Soil depth in a pot: At least 12 in
Water: About every 7 days

ⓘ We don't know this plant's soil pH, feeding needs and mature size yet.

When to plant

Sow outdoors: Sow around the last frost
Soil temperature: Germinates from 35°F
Ready: About 100 days from sowing

Based on your last frost date. Outside the US, check local advice.

Planting partners

No cited companion planting notes for Parsnip yet.

Safety for pets and children

Cats Listed as a problem for cats (NC State Extension) — Medium severity; in the flowers, fruits, leaves, sap/juice, seeds and stems; toxic principle: Furanocoumarin
Dogs Listed as a problem for dogs (NC State Extension) — Medium severity; in the flowers, fruits, leaves, sap/juice, seeds and stems; toxic principle: Furanocoumarin
Horses No information in our sources
Children Listed as a problem for children (NC State Extension) — Medium severity; in the flowers, fruits, leaves, sap/juice, seeds and stems; toxic principle: Furanocoumarin

If a pet or child eats part of this plant, call your vet or poison control.

Read from NC State Extension ↗.

"No information" means our sources do not say, not that the plant is harmless. A non-toxic listing is not a reason to let anyone eat a plant.

Pests and diseases

No pest or disease notes for Parsnip yet.

Check the label and your local extension service before using any product.

Where this comes from

category NC State Extension ↗ Listed in Table 16-4, "Garden Planting Calendar for Annual Vegetables, Fruits, and Herbs"
climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Plant Type: Cool Season Vegetable, which ch. 16 defines as cold-hardy. No zones: an annual has no winter to survive (see the header)
climate requirement NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Plant Type: Cool Season Vegetable, which ch. 16 defines as cold-hardy. No zones: an annual has no winter to survive (see the header)
days to maturity NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4: Parsnips 100-130; low end
direct sow weeks rel last frost extension.unh.edu ↗ UNH (New Hampshire) table: parsnip direct seed after last frost. CSU #720 (Colorado) semi-hardy class allows 0-2 weeks before; the later, crop-specific figure is kept, so no window
family npgsweb.ars-grin.gov ↗ GRIN page: Pastinaca sativa L.
frost hardiness cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) semi-hardy class lists parsnips
life cycle NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Life Cycle: Biennial, and the page describes WILD parsnip, whose sap causes severe dermatitis -- the same species as the garden root. Recorded as annual: the root is harvested in the first season
life cycle NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Life Cycle: Biennial, and the page describes WILD parsnip, whose sap causes severe dermatitis -- the same species as the garden root. Recorded as annual: the root is harvested in the first season
maturity counted from NC State Extension ↗ Direct-seeded crop; the 0069 row took NC State (North Carolina) Table 16-4's 100-130 (from seed)
min soil depth in NC State Extension ↗ Not in Table 18-1, where carrots take 10 in; 12 in for a root that runs longer than a carrot's, matching ch. 18's "12-inch deep container" for a large taproot. Derived. A group figure, as every ch. 18 depth is
min soil temp f cmg.extension.colostate.edu ↗ CSU #720 (Colorado) Table 1: parsnips germination minimum 35°F
space requirement NC State Extension ↗ Table 16-4 distance between plants: 3-4 in; low end. The table publishes no row distance, so rows equal plants -- the square spacing of an intensive bed
species NC State Extension ↗
sunlight NC State Extension ↗ Toolbox Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
toxicity NC State Extension ↗ toxic for cat, dog, child from the page's "Problem for" listing. Severity, parts and principle are the page's poison characteristics for the whole plant.
water frequency days NC State Extension ↗ NC State Gardener Handbook ch. 16, "Watering": "On average, vegetable gardens need 1 inch of water per week; provide only what is not supplied by rain." This is the handbook's general guidance for a vegetable garden, not a figure published for this crop.