callie writes:
Thanks for your help! I've now got an awful lot of weeding to do!

Yes, your question has reminded me that parsnips are slow to appear, and
I remember having the exact same problem! Rather than trying to get out
all the weeds, just concentrate on pulling out those that you recognize
as weeds, i.e., the ones that have also cropped up in other garden beds.
Once you have them out, things don't look so bad. After some months you
will be able to make out a pattern of similar-looking seedlings has
appeared at regular intervals, and these will be the parsnips. Then you
can attack the few seedlings that you were unsure of, they being weeds.
--
John Savage (news address invalid; keep news replies in newsgroup)