Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa 'Hollow Crown'

vegetable

Parsnip is a hardy root vegetable resembling a pale, cream-colored carrot, with sweet, nutty, almost spicy flesh that is best after heavy frost, the Hollow Crown strain producing long, broad-shouldered, tapering roots. A long-season crop needing roughly 110 to 120 days, it is famously slow to germinate and improves dramatically once cold weather converts its starch to sugar.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Onions — Scent helps mask roots from the carrot rust fly
• Radishes — Mark slow rows and break the soil crust
• Bush Beans — Fix nitrogen nearby
• Lettuce — Uses space while parsnips germinate slowly

❌ Keep away from

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Carrot rust fly →

  Mask the planting with onion-family scent and cover with insect netting

• Canker →

  Rotate beds, avoid root injury, and keep soil from staying waterlogged

• Forking →

  Sow in loose, stone-free soil free of fresh manure

🌾 Harvest & storage

Leave the roots in the ground until after several hard frosts, which convert the starch to sugar and bring out the sweet, rich flavor parsnips are prized for. Dig as needed through late fall and winter, mulching to keep the ground workable; roots can even be overwintered and harvested in early spring before they regrow.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Parsnips are higher in calories and carbohydrates than carrots and are an excellent source of fiber, with vitamin C, folate, potassium, and manganese, plus antioxidants in their cream-colored flesh.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Handle the tops with care. Parsnip leaves and sap can cause a skin rash that flares in sunlight (phytophotodermatitis) - wear gloves and long sleeves when handling the foliage, especially on sunny days. The roots are fine to eat.