Category: Edible

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Learning about the best parsnip planting times – February week 1

Last time on parsnip news you can use: “My parsnips (“Harris model”) said on the package I could do either spring or fall planting. While researching whether this was true for Oklahoma, I came across a useful post on an Oklahoma gardening forum (expand the featured answer by “macmex” who is located north and east of us, in Talehquah in northeastern Oklahoma) It sounds like you CAN plant them in fall, but as a biennial, they may flower (“bolt”) in the spring before the roots are big enough to be useful. So, we’ll see what happens with my fall-planted ones, but I have just put out a row of them today and I will put out another row each week until the third week of February and see what happens to those.”

Parsnip seeds before burying. I put a lot because they go bad quickly and thus I might have low germination from these 2019 seeds.
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Airflow to prevent damping off?

Wes rigged up a small fan with power supply to pull air through the plant window. Fingers crossed it works! There’s always taking the baby plants in and out each day for sunshine but I’d really rather not. Because I’m lazy.

The small fan. You can see the plexiglass gap there and a larger gap is at the top, which you can see in the next picture.
The cause of all this nonsense (Gram the cat) walks by the clamp I need to put back up to hold the plexiglass in place. Briar supervises.
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Damping off fungus attacks

Well we are having some damping off fungus in the plant window.  Lost the only surviving tommy toe tomato seedling and a lot of onion seedlings are falling over. I had hoped we left enough air circulation despite our cat blocking plexiglass but apparently not. The chef is looking into tiny fans to put there. I’ll have to start another tommy toe too.

Onion seedlings falling over from damping off, which is caused in seedlings ny overwatering. I set them outside in hopes that some might make it.
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Learning about the best parsnip planting times

My parsnips (“Harris model”) said on the package I could do either spring or fall planting. While researching whether this was true for Oklahoma, I came across a useful post on an Oklahoma gardening forum (expand the featured answer by “macmex” who is located north and east of us, in Talehquah in northeastern Oklahoma) It sounds like you CAN plant them in fall, but as a biennial, they may flower (“bolt”) in the spring before the roots are big enough to be useful. So, we’ll see what happens with my fall-planted ones, but I have just put out a row of them today and I will put out another row each week until the third week of February and see what happens to those.

I also read everywhere about parsnip seeds that they do not keep well. Mine are going on two years old now so I put a lot out to make up for potentially poor germination rates.

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Trimming the onion shoots for root growth

I read recently (but can’t for the life of me remember which book) that when sprouting onion seeds, you should trim them to promote more root growth. I did this to half of my sprouts. This will make sure it doesn’t kill them first. If these turn out okay I’ll do the other half.

Supervisor Briar is not concerned about onion haircuts. I put them back in the plant window after their trim.
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Fruit plants in the ground!

I planted the peach tree and currant bush in the front and back yards, respectively.

Briar supervised. We have no fence in the front yard but she likes to hang out and watch. The peach tree is hard to see but has the lighter colored bamboo stake next to it. I believe this dwarf tree is a genetic dwarf, not grafted onto a dwarf rootstock, so while I looked for soil line on the tree for planting I didn’t have to watch for keeping the graft above the soil.
Another underwhelming stick picture! The Crandall black currant is a native North American currant. Both this and the peach I made sure to water deeply per instructions. I put this currant on the northeastern corner of my “currant patch” (three others planted last year) just because it’s where there was room.
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Peach and currant planting

Well it’s my day off so it’s time to plant yesterday’s new arrivals. I secured them out of the way from box- and stick- interested supervisors Gram and Briar.

Peach and currant bare roots showing packaging
Ison’s vineyard packaged these with a nice bamboo support stake for the peach, some sort of water retaining goo/slush, and tied them together gently with a thick baling twine. I will save the baling twine to tie the peach to its stake.
This nursery’s instructions didn’t specify a pre-planting soak for the roots, but Stark Bros does and I’ve seen it in several books now. So, these new friends are getting a drink while I walk the dog (most important) and then dig holes (possibly more relevant to their interests).
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Onion success in a dish

I haven’t had much success getting onion seeds to sprout the last few years. This time I tried making sure there was constant moisture by putting the seeds in a sealed dish with a clear lid (lid not shown). Now that the seedlings are taller I have removed the lid.

The best seedlings I’ve ever gotten for onions!

For those readers in Norman, the takeout dish is from Magic Noodle on Classen. Highly recommend. I get the spicy xian noodles.