Reply To: Parsnips at day 36 after sowing and protecting with fleece……

[Leif]

This year I have had very fast germination from salsify, root parsley and parsnip, which I think is due to planting in a 3″ layer of compost, which warms up much faster than the heavy clay soil beneath. The leaks are a bit slow, but doing okay, with more in the coldframe in modules. I’m not sure Charles promotes this warming as an advantage of no dig, but if not he should. I will try the fleece next year. Presumably it can also be used as an insect guard for brassicas? Mine get totally destroyed by caterpillars and flea beetles if I leave them uncovered.