How to grow nice Parsnips and not ugly octopus looking

[JacquiParticipant]

I have tried growing Parsnips for several years, but I am always disappointed as instead of beautiful Parsnips when I dig them up. I have the most ugly Parsnips you have ever seen. Lots of twisted thin arms coming of a short body! No good for roasting but only fit for soup. This is the first year of converting to no dig so I was hoping for better results. I grew the variety White Gem but as you can see with the same result.
Any advice or shall I give up on Parsnip.
I also have problems with carrots forking and splitting.

I grow in deep beds with wooden sides and paved paths which have been here for many years.
The only solution I can see is to remove the soil in the beds and sift it to remove the stones which would be so laborious! The soil level in the beds is about 9 inches higher then the paths.

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[CleansweepParticipant]

I think that
a) you must persist, for your own self respect. Try sowing thinly(place a single seed ever 50mm) directly into your no-dig bed without adding compost first (in May).I prefer a twin row 50mm apart, offset seeded.
When established as 80mm tall, lightly mulch and if necessary, thin out to 100mm centres. Top dress with more compost as you remove any weeds. Water if necessary only. They like going down for water, its what they do. Your photos look as if possibly they were transplanted?, and lost the tap root.
b) even the ugly of us have our uses- love parsnip in soup!, or poached in milk with herbs.

[JacquiParticipant]

Thanks Cleansweep for the advice

I have a 2 very large pots and so am planning to fill them with good compost and grow carrots in one and parsnips in the other this year just to prove to myself that they are forking due to stones in the soil in the beds.
Now I have switched to no dig, hopefully over the years the stones in the soil should be buried under layers of garden compost/manures.
However I am worried that the level of soil in the deep beds will increase year on year and will become higher that the sides?
The trees in the neighbour’s garden have now been cut back since this photo which should let more light and rain onto my vegetable garden.

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[CleansweepParticipant]

My plot situation is different, as it appears you have hard paths(?) I have killed the grass paths with cardboard and coarse woodchip, to be renewed as needed, building it higher. Some areas have plastic ‘linkaboard’ edgeing which I have now lifted .The increasing height should aid drainage, on what is a poor draining clay of the London Clay strata. Elsewhere, the paths are below the tapered bed level, with no appreciable edge at all.

[PaulParticipant]

The first picture seems to suggest that your soil is too rich.Stones put an odd curve in here and there but I can’t see how they could be held responsible for said pics..

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