I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?
--
Chris

"Chris" wrote ...
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?


My allotment is clay so it bakes solid in dry weather and it's almost
impossible to make a fine tilth. I used a rotavator to loosen the top 6
inches or so of soil, then I bought bags of compost to spread on top in
order to create a better surface for sowing. Seems to be working okay.

"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?

Get yourself a strong iron bar - one of those used to hang ropes round road
works is ideal - and use a sledge hammer to knock it iont the ground but
waggle it around now and then so as to get a tapered hole about 2 feet deep.
Make a line of such holes about 12 inches or so apart.

Fill the holes with a broken up earth - not John Innes or multipurpose
compost they're too "rich".

Plant about five seeds per hole cover lightly and keep watered now and then.

Parsnip seed take a long time to germinate so be patient. Pick out the weak
seedlings leaving one parsnip one per hole.

The first time I did this I thought the seeds had not germinated so made
some more holes and planted more seeds. - they all came up and in the winter
of 1963 I had use a pickaxe to get them up - they were huge! That was in
Bromley Kent, the garden of England, but who wants to live in the garden?
It's too cold!

Geoff

Hi Chris,

I have the same problem in my garden - heavy clay. I'm gradually working my
way round it by digging it over to a spade depth - sometimes using a pick,
chopping up the soil, and mixing the top few inches with generous
quantities of well rotted horse manure which is free from a local stables,
and sharp sand which can be bought from any builders merchants or DIY sheds
at around £1.50 a bag.

Hard work but should only need doing once - and is working fine so far.

Hope this helps - good luck

Alan


"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?
--
Chris

"Melanie" wrote

snip . . . . . . . . . then I bought bags of compost to spread on top in
order to create a better surface for sowing. Seems to be working okay.
Not a good idea if you want to grow decent one rooted parsnips!

Geoff

Geoff wrote:
: "Melanie" wrote
:
: snip . . . . . . . . . then I bought bags of compost to spread on top
: in
:: order to create a better surface for sowing. Seems to be working
:: okay.
: Not a good idea if you want to grow decent one rooted parsnips!

Surely it is??if it's not fresh and or lumpy

"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote in message
...
Geoff wrote:
: "Melanie" wrote
:
: snip . . . . . . . . . then I bought bags of compost to spread on top
: in
:: order to create a better surface for sowing. Seems to be working
:: okay.
: Not a good idea if you want to grow decent one rooted parsnips!

Surely it is??if it's not fresh and or lumpy

But if the original poster follows that advice it will be and he'll end up
with parsnips looking like hands!!

Geoff

"Robert (Plymouth)" wrote in message

: snip . . . . . . . . . then I bought bags of compost to spread on top
: in
:: order to create a better surface for sowing. Seems to be working
:: okay.
: Not a good idea if you want to grow decent one rooted parsnips!

Surely it is??if it's not fresh and or lumpy


I put down a very thin layer of multi-purpose compost, merely a half inch,
so that the seeds have a bit of decent soil to start off in, and it's easier
for me to sow in straight lines.

"Chris" wrote
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?

The recent rain should have helped a little but you will have to dig along
the row to break up the soil as much as possible.
Then get some old used potting compost, push a metal rod into the ground
where you want each plant (9 inches?) and run it around to make a conical
hole (parsnip shaped). Fill this hole with the old compost and plant three
seeds on each hole covering with some more old compost. Job done.
If more than one seed germinates at each station then pull out the weakest
leaving just one.

Although the soil on our allotment is not pure clay, it's fine Thames silt,
it has gone solid over the winter, especially where we had a thick layer of
horse manure dug in for the spuds last year. I'm digging it and breaking it
up as much as possible then using the rotovator to break it up further, but
a fine tilth it is not!
We have resorted to planting our parsnips in Rootrainers and will plant them
out idc.
I'll have to go see the local mushroom farm to see how much they charge for
a good load of their old compost, might help stop the ground compacting over
winter again.
--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK

What I do is to make a bed on my allotment - dig a trench and fill with in
my case old grow bags I have 12 from a friend - add some compost and mix
well.
Let it settle and then sow - fantastic - do the same for my carrots - a
gorgeous crop last year.

Alan
15 mile north of Portsmouth


"Chris" ] wrote in message
]...
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?
--
Chris

On 8 May, 12:18, Chris ] wrote:
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?

Aaarghhh ... poor you. There's no quick remedy. Took me a season to
break through (though unlike you I wasn't in any hurry and timing was
right). I added 1/2 ton of manure on top, no dig, no rotavate, let the
rain and worms do their thing. Then 3 weeks ago I digged, half a
spade, don't go deep, and raked, and raked and raked, until I got a
fine tilth. I added some sand and I surrounded the plot with lavender
and rosemary and I've got carrots and parsnips in there now. The other
1/2 ton of manure went on another side, hard as nail, did the same and
put in jerusalem artichoks.

If you have another plot/site like this, work at it in the autumn,
ready for spring. Rain, worms, snow and frost will break it down to a
fine soil. Every autumn, add manure and leave it to do its thing.
That's how you get a fine soil. No digging necessary.

In article .com, La
Puce writes
On 8 May, 12:18, Chris ] wrote:
I want to get a fine tilth for sowing parsnip seeds - and the ground is
hard as iron ... not baked clods ... but rather a hard smooth surface.
What can I do?

Aaarghhh ... poor you. There's no quick remedy. Took me a season to
break through (though unlike you I wasn't in any hurry and timing was
right). I added 1/2 ton of manure on top, no dig, no rotavate, let the
rain and worms do their thing. Then 3 weeks ago I digged, half a
spade, don't go deep, and raked, and raked and raked, until I got a
fine tilth. I added some sand and I surrounded the plot with lavender
and rosemary and I've got carrots and parsnips in there now. The other
1/2 ton of manure went on another side, hard as nail, did the same and
put in jerusalem artichoks.

If you have another plot/site like this, work at it in the autumn,
ready for spring. Rain, worms, snow and frost will break it down to a
fine soil. Every autumn, add manure and leave it to do its thing.
That's how you get a fine soil. No digging necessary.

Thanks. I would have prepared the soil in the autumn - except that I
had leeks in there - and only finished harvesting them in April.
--
Chris

On 9 May, 14:47, Chris ] wrote:
Thanks. I would have prepared the soil in the autumn - except that I
had leeks in there - and only finished harvesting them in April.

Then I would have put my spuds in there. Fab crop to get the soil
going.

In article . com, La
Puce writes
On 9 May, 14:47, Chris ] wrote:
Thanks. I would have prepared the soil in the autumn - except that I
had leeks in there - and only finished harvesting them in April.

Then I would have put my spuds in there. Fab crop to get the soil
going.

Agreed - I had put my spuds in half of it.
--
Chris

On 9 May, 20:34, Chris ] wrote:
Agreed - I had put my spuds in half of it.

) I've started using the side of the peas and broad beans rows and
put in the courgettes. I'm training them into a circle to save on
space. I've even put some carrots in a tub at the back of the house
and planted sorrel between the astrantia and verbena. I've put half a
dozen pink fur spuds in another tub (those large ones which look like
they're made of metal but they're not). It's just a matter of making
sure everything as just about enough room. Your parsnip could be happy
next to your onions or even bergamot - both are wonderful companion
plants.