Parsnip: Diseases and Remedies (Save your Plant Now!)

NOTE: The terms Parsnip and Pastinaca sativa are identical in this text; in reality, Pastinaca sativa is Parsnip’s biological word.

Parsnips look like carrots, but they have their own complex, sweet and spicy flavor. They grow as an annual but are technically a biennial because of their life cycle in two growing seasons. The plant has a rosette of green foliage above the ground. They can be planted in the fall in certain areas. The parsnip plant’s sap can be harmful to people.

Why does my Pastinaca sativa roots have rot?

Root rot on your Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) can be fatal if not treated with care. For this reason, we strongly recommend that you follow our guide to keep your plant alive if the symptoms occur: Root soft and blackened.
Parsnip

Why does my Parsnip have gray mold spots?

Gray mold spots are a specific fungus that regularly harms flowers and spreads swiftly. If you notice any brown (or gray) spots, this fungus is probably to cause. You risk your plant dying if you ignore these warning indications.

Our Solution

The solution is quite logical when you know the cause of the problem. Most of the time, it is due to overwater of the Pastinaca sativa. We advise you to remove the infected parts of the plant, cut off the infected roots and leaves, then repot your plant using sterile potting soil and a clean pot.

Why does my Parsnip have leaf spots?

Leaf This type of disease is one of the most frustrating for Parsnip owners, we give you all the leads to spot and save your plants that present symptoms such as leaves that suddenly change color, or wilt/droop.

Why are my Parsnip leaves turning yellow?

This is probably the most common problem in the gardening world, yellowing leaves. There are 2 main reasons for this phenomenon, overwatering, or a lack of nutrients.

Whether you think your plants are getting too much water, cut back on how often you water them, and take the following measures to see if they might be nutritionally deficient:

Each deficiency produces a different yellowing on the Pastinaca sativa in question, here’s how to spot them:

  • Yellow patches between leaf veins on elder leaves are the first sign of magnesium shortage. Veins continue to be green while the leaf’s core turns yellow. The leaf’s edges yellow last.
  • Iron deficiency also shows as yellowing between leaf veins, but it hits young leaves on plant tops and branch tips first.
  • Sulfur deficiency starts with the newest leaves, turning them yellow throughout.
  • Leaf edges turning bright yellow but inside leaf remaining green are signs of potassium insufficiency. The symptoms first appear on older leaves, and the leaf edges quickly become dark.
  • A lack of nitrogen is indicated by a widespread yellowing. Older, inner leaves are the first to yellow. As the yellowing progresses, it eventually touches young leaves as well.

Our Solution

According to the symptoms mentioned above, you just have to act accordingly. You can reduce your watering frequency, or fix a deficiency in Potassium, or Nitrogen, for that, you just have to buy a special soil for your deficiency, a consultant in a gardening store will know perfectly well how to inform you.

Is my Parsnip sunburned?

You can easily tell if your Parsnip (your Pastinaca sativa) has a sunburn. In this case, your plant will change color, starting to turn yellow or white, much like it does on us.

Sunburned

As we saw above, if your Parsnip receives too much water or not enough light, the leaves may also change color.

To find out if the yellow leaves have been sunburned, look at the part of the bottom that is tinted closer to the base. The yellow leaf is probably burnt and not something else if this portion stays greener.

Why are my Parsnip leaves turning brown?

Most of the time, leaves of a Parsnip that turn brown is a sign that your plant has been sunburned, it has probably been exposed to too much direct sunlight. Don’t panic, your plant probably won’t die from this, but its growth will take a hit.

Should I leave my Pastinaca sativa in direct sunlight?

No! If your Pastinaca sativa (or Parsnip) has the symptoms described above, don’t leave it in direct sunlight, that’s the reason why your Parsnip is in such a state!

Our Solution

As stated in the paragraph above, the cure is straightforward: simply position your plant’s Parsnip so that it is out of direct sunlight. With proper watering and this method, your plant should quickly come back to life.

Why are my Pastinaca sativa leaves drooping or wilting ?

In most cases, this happens when your Pastinaca sativa lacks water. This is especially the case for large plants, naturally they need more water than others.

Drooping

You may quickly determine if your Pastinaca sativa plant needs water by under-weighing its pot; if it seems light, the soil and roots are probably fairly dry and require water.

Our Solution

If the soil in your plant’s pot is completely dry, you will need to start by moistening it so that the roots will also benefit from the water. A common mistake is to drown the Parsnip right after a dry period thinking that it needs a lot of water.

This is the case, but giving too much water at once is the best way to finish it off, you should actually water the soil normally, resuming a quiet watering rhythm.

Caring Tips for Pastinaca sativa

Water Occasionally

Your plant needs water to survive, but it’s crucial to balance the amount and timing of watering. As we previously mentioned, overwatering could be catastrophic for your Pastinaca sativa.

You can tell if your plant needs water by touching the soil; if it still feels damp, it’s usually preferable to wait a few more days.

Always keep temperatures stable

Maintaining a consistent temperature for your Pastinaca sativa is also a good idea, especially if it is kept indoors. At GreenShack, we typically advise reserving a temperature between 65 and 85 degrees F. Of course, avoid positioning your Pastinaca sativa close to air conditioners, radiators, or other sources of hot or cold air.

Keep your Parsnip Dust-Free

This one relates to indoor plants. Just like your furniture, dust collects on the leaves of your indoor plants. The issue is that this can block the photosynthesis process from starting, which would cause the plants to gradually lose their color.

This would also make the pests happy, a real descent into hell for your Parsnip.

To remove the dust from the leaves of your plant, take a microfiber cloth and gently rub the leaves. You can wet the cloth to make it easier to remove the dust, but never use corrosive products (such as rubbing alcohol!)

Keep drainage in mind

If you tend to overwater, you need to pay attention to your drainage, and we advise choosing a saucer and a pot with drainage holes if they are not already there.

In the meantime, if you don’t have holes in your pots, you can add volcanic rocks (or any rocks with holes) at the bottom of your pot, this way it will create a channel so that the water doesn’t stay in your skin too much (to avoid that roots start to rot!)