When to Plant Parsnips

Parsnips are a hardy cool-season vegetable. They can take a hard frost.

Sow them outdoors from 3 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it. The first harvest comes about 100 to 120 days after sowing.

Example dates

The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.

Parsnips: dates by last spring and first fall frost
TaskLast frost Mar 15first Nov 15Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25Last frost May 15first Sep 30
Sow outdoorsFeb 22 – Mar 22Mar 25 – Apr 22Apr 24 – May 22
HarvestJun 2 – Jul 28Jul 3 – Aug 28Aug 2 – Sep 27

Growing parsnips

Use fresh seed and be patient with germination; roots taste sweetest after frost and can stay in the ground over winter.

  • Spacing: 4 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 9 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
  • Days to harvest: 100 to 120 from sowing, then about 8 weeks of picking.
  • Rotation: parsnips are in the carrot family. Plant them where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.

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Questions

Can parsnips go in before the last frost?

Yes. Parsnips are hardy: sow them from 3 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it.

How long do parsnips take to grow?

About 100 to 120 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 8 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.

More planting dates

Sources

  1. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
  2. Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
  3. University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
  4. UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
  5. NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
  6. WSU Extension: Pacific Northwest Gardener's Handbook, Chapter 7: Vegetable Gardening
  7. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: Vegetable Planting and Harvesting Times (chart, central Iowa)
  8. Iowa State: Early Spring Planting of Vegetables
  9. Iowa State: Growing Carrots and Parsnips
  10. Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah