When to Plant Parsnip in Alice Springs, Arid / Semi-Arid Guide
Sow March to May. Right now in October it is out of season. The next sowing month is March.
Grow Parsnip in your space
- Planting window
- Sow fresh seed direct in autumn; frost sweetens the roots. Parsnips do poorly in alkaline soil, so dig in compost and a little sulphur...
- Days to harvest
- about 14 weeks
- Sunlight
- Full sun to light afternoon shade
- Water needs
- Consistent deep watering throughout the growing season. Inconsistent watering causes...
- Spacing
- 12cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Soil pH
- 6.0-6.8
- Shop price
- $12.00/kg average
Published · Last reviewed · By GardenBuddy.au
Growing advice is reviewed by hand. Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
This Parsnip guide is written for the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, which takes in Alice Springs, Broken Hill and Port Augusta. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Parsnips are a cool-season root vegetable prized for their sweet, nutty flavour which intensifies after frost exposure. They are slow-growing and demand patience, but reward with excellent yields. A staple of temperate Australian gardens, they struggle in tropical and subtropical climates.
See what grows now in your own postcode
Planting Calendar for Arid / Semi-Arid
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| - | - | D | D | D | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
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Current Growing Conditions
Soil temperature: 23.9°C (optimal range: 10–21°C) ✗ Outside optimal range
Modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Alice Springs), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like
In October the Arid / Semi-Arid zone normally runs 32°C by day and 16°C overnight, with about 19 mm of rain over 2 or 3 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was 1.9°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 10 postcodes, SILO.
How to Grow Parsnip in Arid / Semi-Arid Australia
When to Plant
Sow fresh seed direct in autumn; frost sweetens the roots. Parsnips do poorly in alkaline soil, so dig in compost and a little sulphur first.
- Soil
- Deep, loose, stone-free loam. Dig to at least 30-40cm depth. Avoid heavy clay or stony soil which causes forked, stunted roots. Do not use fresh manure. This also causes forking.
- pH Range
- 6.0-6.8
- Sunlight
- Full sun to light afternoon shade
- Spacing
- 12cm apart, 40cm between rows
- Watering
- Consistent deep watering throughout the growing season. Inconsistent watering causes cracking and woody cores. Water deeply once or twice per week. Reduce watering slightly as roots approach maturity.
Companion plants: Radish (as row markers), Onion, Garlic, Pea
Avoid planting near: Carrot (shares pests), Celery, Dill
Grow before, grow after
Parsnip belongs with the root crops, the roots and alliums turn of a four turn bed rotation.
- Grow before it
- Fruiting crops (Tomato, Capsicum, Zucchini)
- Grow after it
- Legumes (Beans - Dwarf, Peas, Broad Beans)
Give the bed 3 turns before root crops go back in. Roots fork and go leafy in fresh manure, so they take the bed after the heavy feeders have used it.
Arid / Semi-Arid Growing Tips for Parsnip
Recommended Varieties
- Hollow Crown
- Melbourne Whiteskin
Key Challenges
- Summer heat kills plants or makes roots woody
- Maintaining consistent moisture
- Soil may be too alkaline
Pro Tips
- Grow only as a winter crop
- Drip irrigation is essential. Consistent moisture prevents cracking
- Check soil pH - arid soils tend alkaline; parsnips need 6.0-6.8
Harvesting Parsnip
When ready: Foliage begins to yellow and die back. Roots should be at least 5cm diameter at the crown. Flavour improves significantly after first frost. Can be left in the ground and harvested as needed.
How to harvest: Loosen soil deeply alongside the root with a fork before lifting. Never pull directly. Parsnip roots snap easily. Trim foliage to 2cm. Use immediately or store.
Preserving: pressure canning
1 tested pressure-canning recipe for Parsnip: 1 where it is the crop being canned. Each one comes from published home canning guidelines. The conversion to Australian units is ours, with psi beside every kPa. Always follow your pressure canner's manual.
Worth growing?
A 2.4 m × 1.2 m bed fits 46 plants, about $110 worth at today’s Coles prices, checked on 5 October.
That is roughly 9 kg at $12.00 a kilo.
Draw your parsnip bed → No account needed.
Where to next
Supermarket Price
Current average retail: $12.00/kg (12-month range: $12.00–$14.30)
Grow your own and save on grocery bills.
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Open the planting dashboard Join GardenBuddy.auCommon Questions About Parsnip
When do you plant parsnip in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): not recommended
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Mar to Jun
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Feb to May, Aug to Sep
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Sep to Nov
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Sep to Dec
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to May
- Mediterranean (Perth): all year
Does parsnip grow all year round in Alice Springs?
No. In the Arid / Semi-Arid zone the planting months are Mar to May. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box under the heading and the page tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Arid / Semi-Arid zone, Alice Springs is its reference city.