Variety field guide
What to expect from Hollow Crown Parsnip
Hollow Crown is a biennial parsnip selection grown for winter roots, roasting, soups, storage, and seed saving.
Read the complete product descriptionTraits, flavor, garden use, variety notes, and the full catalog record
Discover the robust charm of Hollow Crown parsnips, a classic variety cherished for its exceptional flavor and reliability. Renowned for their sweet, nutty flavor, Hollow Crown parsnips add a delightful depth to soups, stews, and roasts. This heirloom variety is celebrated for its consistent yield and ability to store well, allowing you to enjoy its delightful taste long after the harvest season has ended.
About Hollow Crown
Hollow Crown is a biennial selection of parsnip, with a rosette habit and an expected height or spread of 19–24 in. It is best suited to winter roots, roasting, soups, storage, and seed saving. Notable traits include harvest mature roots after full sizing; cool conditions often improve eating quality; sweet, earthy, and aromatic after cool weather.
Choose Hollow Crown when the garden plan calls for winter roots, roasting, soups, storage, and seed saving and the listed rosette habit fits the available space.
History and provenance
This crop belongs to the carrot family, a group with a long history in Eurasian and Mediterranean foodways. The family includes leaf, root, stem, spice, and seed crops, but their culinary traditions do not prove a specific commercial seed lot or breeder lineage. Hollow Crown Parsnip, the storied root vegetable, emerges from the fertile soils of Europe, particularly thriving in the temperate climates of England and France. The name \"Hollow Crown\" is steeped in agricultural tradition, referring to the distinctive depression at the top of the root, which resembles a regal crown. Medieval cooks would roast or boil the roots, incorporating them into hearty stews and soups, particularly during the cold winter months when other fresh produce was scarce. In rural communities, parsnips were valued for their versatility: they could be mashed, baked, or even fermented into a type of beer. This heirloom variety is celebrated for its consistent yield and ability to store well, allowing you to enjoy its delightful taste long after the harvest season has ended. With Hollow Crown parsnips, you're cultivating a piece of history that promises both flavor and reliability in every bite.
Growing facts
| Scientific name | Pastinaca sativa L. |
|---|---|
| Life cycle | Biennial |
| Maturity | 110-119 Days |
| Germination | 14-28 Days at 50–65 °F |
| Seed depth | 1/2 in |
| Plant height / spread | 19–24 in |
| Growth habit | Rosette |
| Spacing | 4 in between plants; 18 in between rows |
| Sunlight | Full sun |
| Soil | Sandy loam; pH 6.0–6.5 |
| Water | Moderate |
| Support | No-Support |
Starting Hollow Crown from seed
Sow 1/2 in deep and keep the seed zone evenly moist. Expect emergence in 14-28 Days when the seed-zone temperature is near 50–65 °F. Germination preparation: Direct sow into a prepared, weed-free seedbed; avoid disturbing developing roots or dense stands. Light requirement: Cover evenly to 1/2 in. Soaking: Optional short soak; do not leave seed waterlogged. Stratification: None required. Scarification: None required.
Planting and care
Plant during spring/Fall and provide full sun. Space plants 4 in apart with 18 in between rows. Use sandy loam with a pH near 6.0–6.5, and follow a moderate watering plan. Support requirement: No-Support. Frost response: Hardy. Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding
Harvest and use
Approximately 110-119 Days, from direct sowing to market-size roots. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date. Harvest: Harvest mature roots after full sizing; cool conditions often improve eating quality. Uses: Winter roots, roasting, soups, storage, and seed saving. Flavor: sweet, earthy, and aromatic after cool weather. Seed saving: Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Best uses include winter roots, roasting, soups, storage, and seed saving. Flavor and eating quality: sweet, earthy, and aromatic after cool weather.
Saving seed
Select several healthy, true-to-type Hollow Crown plants that match the expected rosette habit and overall plant form. Avoid saving seed only from the earliest or largest individual unless that is your deliberate selection goal. Pollination system: Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Compatible plants of the same species can cross through insect activity; wild relatives matter for carrot and parsnip. Separate compatible varieties that may flower together, or use cages, barriers, hand pollination, or another documented control appropriate to the crop. Hollow Crown is a biennial. Seed production may require overwintering, vernalization, or more than one growing season, depending on climate and crop biology. Clean the seed carefully, dry it thoroughly away from direct heat, label the lot with variety and year, and store it cool, dark, and dry. Test germination before an important planting or distribution season.
Common problems
Common concerns: Carrot rust fly or root maggot where present, aphids, caterpillars, leaf spots, damping-off, and uneven emergence from crusted soil. Management: Use clean seedbeds, rotation, careful watering, prompt thinning, airflow, and locally appropriate exclusion methods. Diagnosis note: Similar symptoms can have different causes. Compare plants of the same age, record weather and irrigation, and use local Extension or diagnostic support before applying a control.
Frequently asked questions
Frequently Asked Questions - Hollow Crown
When is Hollow Crown ready? Use 110-119 Days. Approximately 110-119 Days, from direct sowing to market-size roots. Weather, soil temperature, and planting method can shift the actual harvest date.
How long does germination take? Expect 14-28 Days at about 50–65 °F. Cooler, hotter, crusted, saturated, or dry seedbeds can slow emergence.
How large does it grow? Expect about 19–24 in with a rosette habit. Space plants 4 in apart and rows 18 in apart. Support: No-Support.
Can it grow in a container? Medium to large container or in-ground bed; avoid crowding Use a container with drainage and enough volume to maintain the listed spacing and steady moisture.
Can I save seed? Insect-pollinated umbel crop. Keep compatible varieties isolated and allow selected plants to reach full seed maturity.
