Parsnip Gladiator F1

'Gladiator F1' parsnip is an excellent RHS AGM winning hybrid variety. It produces handsome, long, tapering roots with smooth white skin. It shows particularly good resistance to canker. Sow this productive, high quality variety from March to June and harvest 4 months later.

The parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is a biennial root vegetable, grown as an annual. It belongs to the Apiaceae family alongside carrots and parsley and has been cultivated since the Middle Ages for its long, fleshy, yellow to white edible taproot. It has an instantly recognisable sweet, earthy flavour and is packed full of nutrients, including fibre, minerals and vitamins C, K and B9 (folate). Parsnip has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be prepared in a variety of ways: added to hearty soups and stews, fried, roasted, mashed, and even grated raw into colourful salads with beetroot and carrot.

Parsnips enjoy light, deep soil. Prepare the seedbed in late autumn or early spring by digging it over thoroughly and amending with well-rotted manure or compost when necessary (3 kg/m2).

Harvesting and storing: parsnips are ready to harvest when the leaves start to die back, from late autumn through till January. Lift the roots gently with a garden fork, cut off the remaining leaves and leave them to dry for a few hours before storing in a cool, dark place such as a cellar or garage. They can also be left in the ground and protected from hard frosts with a layer of mulch. Mild frosts are not a problem - they actually improve the flavour of parsnips by turning the root starches into sugars.

Good to know: In milder climates, parsnips can be sown in the autumn.

NB: This variety is marked F1 for "F1 hybrid" meaning that its qualities are derived from carefully selected parent plants. This results in a variety that is both full of flavour and resistant to diseases. Sometimes criticized or wrongly assimilated to GMOs, F1 hybrid seeds have the advantage of producing reliable, uniform, disease resistant plants. Unfortunately, these qualities will not be passed on to following generations.