Dennis asks: I am a great fan of parsnips. I don’t see them in the supermarkets here very often and I have never seen them at the farmers markets. Is it possible to grow them here?
Tropical Gardener: The short answer is that parsnips (Pastinaca sativa) require cool or cold weather to do well. Parsnips will grow best here in Hawaii at elevations over 3,000 feet, where winter nights dip below 50 degrees. Exposing them to near freezing temperatures the month before harvest actually enhances the sweet flavor of this white carrot-like root vegetable. Most Hawaiian gardens or farms are at lower elevations where temperatures are too high for good parsnip production and flavor. Those you occasionally see in the market were probably shipped here from colder climates.
You can try growing them if you garden at an elevation above 1,500 feet and see how they do. Be sure to buy and plant fresh seeds because parsnip seeds do not store well. Plant the fresh seeds in fall when the weather here is cooler and drier to avoid root rot in our hot, wet summers. Choose a planting spot where the soil is deep and rich and has been worked to a depth of about 12 inches. Though parsnips thrive in rich soil, too much nitrogen or heavy manure applications can cause excessive top growth and forking roots.
The seeds may take up to three weeks or more to germinate. Some growers plant radishes in the same row to mark the spot. The radishes will come up early and be ready to harvest just as the parsnips are getting started. Parsnips mature slowly. They can take as long as four months to develop a good size and flavor. The leafy tops of the parsnips look like broad-leaf parsley and may grow over two feet high before the roots are ready to harvest. After about three months in the ground you can pull a few to evaluate size and flavor. The longer they stay in cool or cold ground, the sweeter they will get. At some point, as the tops continue to grow, the roots will get fibrous and lose flavor. In our climate, where we don’t usually get a frost, you’ll have to keep sampling to find the best time to harvest.
Parsnips can tolerate temperatures as low as 30 degrees and in temperate climates they are often stored in the ground over the winter to maximize sweetness.
Some questions that appear here were originally directed to Kona’s Certified Master Gardeners. You may contact them with questions at konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu.
Diana Duff is a plant adviser, educator and consultant living on an organic farm in Captain Cook.
Gardening Events
Saturday: “Work Day at Amy Greenwell Garden” from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at the Garden Visitor Center across from the Manago Hotel in Captain Cook. Volunteers will be able to help with garden maintenance and are invited to bring a brown bag lunch. Call Peter at 323-3318 for more information.
“Sustainable Farming Workshop” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Earth Matters Farm in Ka’u (2 miles down South Point Road on the right at Kamaoa Road) with Richard Parea introducing Ka’u natural farming methods. Sponsored by Ka’u Farmers Union. Free to all Farmers Union members $25 to non-members. Lunch from the garden provided. Contact Greg Smith for information or to register at 443-3300 or earthmatterskau@aol.com.
“Garden Learning Journeys 2016” Tour starts at 8:30 a.m. at West Hawaii Explorations Academy (WHEA), 73-4500 Kahilihili St., Kailua-Kona (at the entrance to NELHA) and continues to Innovations Public Charter School, Holualoa Elementary School and ends at Honaunau Elementary School in Captain Cook at 5 p.m. Learn about each school’s unique gardening program. Bring brown bag lunch, water, sun and mosquito repellents as well as a hat and clothes for light gardening. Email Donna Mitts at dmitts@kohalacenter.org to reserve your spot.
Farmer Direct Markets
Wednesday: “Hooulu Farmers Market” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Sheraton Kona Resort &Spa at Keauhou Bay
Wednesday: “Sunset Farmers Market” 2 p.m. – sunset at the north makai corner of the Kmart parking lot.
Saturday: “Keauhou Farmers Market” 8 a.m. – noon at Keauhou Shopping Center
“Kamuela Farmer’s Market” from 7 a.m. to noon at Pukalani Stables
Sunday: “South Kona Green Market” 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at Amy Greenwell Garden in Captain Cook
Monday–Saturday: “U-Pick greens and produce” 10a.m. to 4p.m. Tropical Edibles Nursery, Captain Cook.
Plant Advice Lines
Anytime: konamg@ctahr.hawaii.edu
Thursday: 9 a.m. to noon at UH-CES in Kainaliu – 322-4892
Monday, Tuesday and Friday: 9 a.m. to noon at UH CES at Komohana in Hilo 981-5199 or himga@hawaii.edu