Vanishing parsnips

[Colin Blinkhorn]

I have grown parsnips for over fouty years and never come across this problem - I went to the vegeatable plot to dig some parsnips and found that the tops had been severed from the root and the root had vanished. All that was left was a tunnel about 6 inches to a foot deep and no sign of any parsnips - has anybody experienced this?

 

[Owdboggy]

No, and cannot think of anything in Britain which would do that either. Not sure that anything other than humans actually eat Parsnips. Had the roots rotted away? Any teeth marks in the bits left?
We have lost roots to Carrot roof fly before now and Canker (wet weather to blame for it being bad this year) can cause a root to turn into slime, but not usually this early in the season.

 

[Beth_B]

Rabbits, maybe?

 

[Chuck]

I have grown parsnips for over fouty years and never come across this problem - I went to the vegeatable plot to dig some parsnips and found that the tops had been severed from the root and the root had vanished. All that was left was a tunnel about 6 inches to a foot deep and no sign of any parsnips - has anybody experienced this?

So the tops were cut from the root and the edible portion has disappeared? How do you know that the tops were cut instead of chewed off? If the tops were cut with a nice clean slice and the root is gone I would suspect a two legged varmint.

 

[alexiskilgannon]

Wow, that sounds a bit odd. Are there any signs of critters getting a hold of your parsnips? Is it just the actual parsnip that is missing from the leafy top? I've never grown parsnips, but I have grown carrots and experienced critters digging into them and eating the orange-goodness. I would definitely think that it is a critter getting into your goods.

 

[headfullofbees]

Look for paw prints around them.

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

So the tops were cut from the root and the edible portion has disappeared? How do you know that the tops were cut instead of chewed off? If the tops were cut with a nice clean slice and the root is gone I would suspect a two legged varmint.

The tops could have been chewed off and I cannot think of anyone in the village would steal our parsnips especially as we live a long way off road

 

[Chuck]

A long time ago a goat got into my carrots and did about the same thing. Pulled up the whole thing, ate part of the tops and all of the carrot.

 

[zigs]

Could be Welsh Miners on a stealth mission

Need some sort of root barrier along Offa's Dyke

 

[alexiskilgannon]

The tops could have been chewed off and I cannot think of anyone in the village would steal our parsnips especially as we live a long way off road

I feel terrible for giggling about this, but the image of someone randomly coming and stealing parsnips was a bit funny to me. I doubt someone is stealing your parsnips and am almost positive it's little critters. Four legged critters are terrible when it comes to respecting gardens.

 

[Owdboggy]

Trouble is that rabbits usually leave a real mess where they have been digging up crops. They are definitely not neat gardeners. Ditto squirrels. Now we get badgers digging up Tulip bulbs, but again they leave a terrible mess and obvious signs behind of their actions. There are no other official vegetarian wild animals in Wales (Pine martens don't normally eat parsnips, nor do mink, stoats, weasels or pole cats).

 

[Ashanti Duggins]

It could of been a Squirrel or a Rabbit that stole your parsnips. I've had this done to me a few times. The neighborhood Squirrels kept taking my potato's from me.

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

It could of been a Squirrel or a Rabbit that stole your parsnips. I've had this done to me a few times. The neighborhood Squirrels kept taking my potato's from me.

We do get a lot of squirrels in our garden

 

[headfullofbees]

Parsnips are not usually simple to dig up without leaving clues; what was the ground around them like?

 

[Colin Blinkhorn]

Parsnips are not usually simple to dig up without leaving clues; what was the ground around them like?

There was holes and tunnels but apart from that no clues