FULL SUN – PARSNIP, Sugar Hollow Crown – Pastinaca sativa, native to Europe where they have been cultivated for centuries, parsnips were brought to the US by the first colonists in 1609. They are a much beloved vegetable in England, and they have become popular with northern vegetable gardeners in the US. Introduced in 1850, Sugar Hollow Crown is still the most widely grown parsnip in the US. The creamy white roots are 10-15 in. long, 3 in. wide, and tapered. Flesh is creamy white, very sweet, fine grained, extremely frost hardy. Excellent storage. Sugar Hollow Crown can be sown in the early spring for a fall-winter crop and in early fall for a following year spring crop. In the spring, plant as soon as the ground can be worked. Soil should be deeply spaded before planting and amended with bone meal for stronger root development and lime to sweeten the parsnips. Rows should be 18 in. apart. When seedlings are 2 in. high, thin, leaving 4 in. between plants. Parsnips need exposure to frosts to sweeten, so do not harvest until after a few frosts. Type Spacing Planting Depth Days to Germination Maturity Parsnip 4 in. 1/2 in. 21 120
