Hello Karen, nice that your parsnips are enormous!
I have harvested the half needed so far and the other half are still in the ground, improving in sweetness with any frosts.
However if it rained a lot, they would be susceptible to canker on the shoulders.
And if the rats get hungry, they gnaw the tops.
If either of those happened, I would harvest and store in crates, unwashed.
Yours will keep fine except for drying a little.
There is no rush to prepare the ground though feeding soil with compost is certainly good now.
I am behind with that from packing so many diaries: sales are very good and I hope you like yours.
