plant

Parsnip

Pastinaca sativa

Updated 8 Jul 2026 · AI-parsed entry

Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) — a plant, for Full sun, Medium water. Companions: Garden pea, Onion.

What it needs & gives back

↓ Needs

Sunlightfull sun to partial shade
Watermoderate

↑ Gives back

Biomassmedium

Companions

Through the year

Emergence

Seeds germinate and seedlings emerge after the last spring frost when soil temperatures are consistently above 50C.

Flowering

Flowering typically occurs in the second year, initiated by lengthening days, approximately 90 days after emergence.

Fruiting

Fruits (seeds) develop after flowering, maturing over about 45 days.

Harvest

Roots are typically harvested in late autumn after the first frost, which sweetens them, or from mid-summer onwards for smaller roots.

Dormancy

Plants enter dormancy with the onset of the first autumn frosts, overwintering as roots.

Senescence

Foliage dies back after the first hard autumn frosts, signaling the end of the growing season for the aerial parts.

Timing is relative to your local season (temperate Northern Hemisphere).

Soil interactions

Drainagewell-drained
Nitrogen fixingNo
MycorrhizalYes
Accumulatespotassium, calcium
Soil textureloam, sandy_loam
Organic matterMedium
Compaction toleranceLow

Propagation

Methodsseed
Difficulty2 / 5
Establishes in~1 yr
Stratificationcold stratification improves germination
Self-seedingModerate

Wildlife & pests

Attractsbeneficial insects, pollinators
Can host pestscarrot rust fly, aphids
Can host diseasescanker