For gardeners brave enough to try their luck with root crops, the risk is often rewarded handsomely. After all, root veggies like parsnips are surprisingly easy to grow and give few problems under most conditions. The fear factor comes in because growers don’t really know what’s going on below the surface, and that’s certainly true with parsnip diseases. Parsnip disease symptoms are often not very obvious until you have a serious problem, but others are very simple to manage. Read on to learn how to treat sick parsnips.
Diseases of Parsnip
Parsnips are very easy to grow and generally don’t give too much trouble to gardeners, provided they’re raised in loose soil that drains well. Raised beds make root crops like parsnips extra easy, since you don’t have to fight with rocks and underground roots, but even in those conditions, you may encounter these parsnip diseases: Leaf spot. Leaf spot is caused by one of several fungal pathogens that feed on leaf tissues, causing small to medium sized yellow spots to form. The spots may spread or turn brown as they age but won’t spread past the leaves. You can slow the spread of these fungal spores by thinning parsnip stands so there’s more circulation between plants and timing waterings, so leaves dry out completely. Powdery mildew. Just like with leaf spot, powdery mildew in parsnip is favored by warm, humid conditions. The white, powdery coating can be fought with increased spacing, and future problems prevented by using a three year crop rotation cycle. Make sure to clean up any dead plant material, since this is often where spores come from to begin with. Root rot. If the leaves of your parsnip pull out easily, turn black, or the root is black or has forking, oddly shaped roots or black spots when you harvest it, you’re probably dealing with root rot. There’s no easy way to solve this problem, but soil solarization for future plantings is highly recommended, as well as crop rotation from that location. Next year, increase spacing and reduce watering and nitrogen feeding to deter the fungal pathogen from taking hold again. Bacterial blight. Brown, sunken lesions and browning within the vascular tissues of your parsnips indicate that you may be dealing with bacterial blight. This bacterium often enters damaged parsnips during periods of extended wetness and spread readily on water droplets splashing between plants. Parsnip treatment for bacterial blight isn’t recommended, but cleaning up parsnip debris, increasing drainage, and using a good rotation program in the future is.
-
Are Amaryllis Plants Poisonous To Cats? How You Can Tell – And What To Grow InsteadThe holiday season is a perfect time to showcase your favorite Christmas blooms, but are amaryllis plants poisonous to cats? Here’s how to keep felines safe and well
-
Reese Witherspoon’s Natural DIY Wreath Beams With Festive Joy – Here’s How She Made ItBe inspired to recreate Reese Witherspoon's beautiful holiday wreath using greenery from your garden with our step-by-step guide to getting the look.
-
Powdery Mildew Of Parsnips – Treating Signs Of Powdery Mildew In ParsnipsPowdery mildew is a very common disease that affects a wide array of plants. Powdery mildew of parsnips can be a problem if left unchecked too. To learn more about how to manage and recognize the symptoms of powdery mildew in parsnips, click here.
-
Parsnip Leaf Spot Problems – Learn About Leaf Spot On ParsnipsParsnips are as easy to grow as their cousin the carrot. Easy to grow they may be, but not without their share of diseases and pests. One such disease, parsnip leaf spot results in exactly what it sounds like - parsnips with spots on leaves. Learn more in this article.
-
Harvesting Parsnips In Winter: How To Grow A Winter Parsnip CropGardeners that have tried planting parsnip seeds in spring often get disappointing results. Parsnips have a reputation as being difficult to grow, mostly because gardeners plant them at the wrong time. An ideal time for many regions is winter. Learn more here.
-
Can You Overwinter Parsnips – Tips For Parsnip Winter CareParsnips are a cool season vegetable that actually become sweeter when exposed to several weeks of cool, frosty weather. That leads us to the question "can you overwinter parsnips." If so, how do you grow parsnips in winter? Find out in this article.
-
Container Grown Parsnips – Learn How To Grow Parsnips In A ContainerRoot vegetables are making a comeback, and parsnips are high on the list. Parsnips are grown for their delicious roots and generally do best planted in a garden, but what if you don't have a garden plot? Can you grow parsnips in pots? Find out here.
-
Growing Parsnips From Kitchen Scraps – Can You Regrow Parsnips From TopsYou only have to buy a vegetable once, and after you can just regrow it from its base. In the case of some vegetables, like celery, this is actually true. But what about parsnips? Do parsnips regrow after you've eaten them? Find out in this article.
-
Seed Grown Parsnips: How To Grow Parsnips From SeedIf you?re interested in seed-grown parsnips, give it a try! Growing parsnips from seed isn?t difficult as long as you provide the proper growing conditions. Learn how to grow parsnips from seed with the information found in this article.
-
Parsnip Soil Requirements – Tips For Parsnip Growing ConditionsA hardy root vegetable with a sweet, slightly nutty flavor, parsnips taste even better after the weather turns frosty in autumn. Parsnips aren't difficult to grow, but proper soil preparation makes all the difference. Learn about parsnip soil requirements in this article.
