Can You Regrow Parsnips from Tops?
Do parsnips regrow when you plant their tops? Sort of. That is to say, they will keep growing, but not in the way you might hope for. If planted, the tops will not grow a new whole parsnip root. They will, however, keep growing new leaves. Unfortunately, this isn’t particularly good news for eating. Depending upon whom you ask, parsnip greens range from poisonous to just not good tasting. Either way, there’s no reason to go the extra mile just to have more greens around. That being said, you can grow them for their flowers. Parsnips are biennials, which means they flower in their second year. If you’re harvesting your parsnips for the roots, you won’t get to see the flowers. Replant the tops, however, and they ought to eventually bolt and put out attractive yellow blooms that look a lot like dill flowers.
Replanting Parsnip Greens
Planting parsnip tops is very easy. When you’re cooking, just make sure to leave the top half inch (1.5 cm.) or so of the root attached to the leaves. Place the tops root down in a glass of water. After a few days, some small roots should start to grow, and new green shoots should come out of the top. In about a week or two, you can transplant the parsnip tops to a pot of growing medium, or outside to the garden.
