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  • From: Bill Shoemaker <wshoemak AT illinois.edu>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Introduction and Parsley question
  • Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 10:44:57 -0600 (CST)

You're right Ben. Parsley is a bienniel. It usually needs a Winter to know
it's time to flower. The process is called vernalization. It's essentially
temperature conditioning. The plant needs to experience so many hours of
temps below a ceiling, often about 45 degrees F. This year was so unusual and
cool in the upper Midwest, your plants may have actually met those
conditions. We had parsley out in the field west of Chicago about 45 miles.
It didn't bolt. But it was certainly a lot cooler than normal this season.
You may never see that happen again. Then again, with climate changing, who
knows?

Bill

---- Original message ----
>Date: Sun, 20 Dec 2009 07:36:52 -0600
>From: grizzdover AT gmail.com
>Subject: [Market-farming] Introduction and Parsley question
>To: Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>
>Hello to the list! Long time reader, first time poster. My name is
>Ben Saunders and I am the farm manager of a certified organic fruit
>and veggie farm (Turtle Farm) located in Central Iowa. (zone 5a). The
>farm is 20 acres total but only 7 or 8 acres is in production at any
>one time. The farm is supported mainly through a CSA program (160+
>members) but we also do some on and off farm sales to individuals and
>to restaurants.
>We usually grow a bed of herbs to give out to the CSA each week. This
>year, the parsley bolted. Did anyone else have this experience or
>know why it happened? My understanding is that parsley is a biannual
>and should not flower from seed. In our case, not really a production
>altering question but just one of those I can't get off my mind.
>Thanks in advance for the answer and to everyone that participates in this
>list.
>_______________________________________________
>Market-farming mailing list
>Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
>http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
William H Shoemaker, UI-Crop Sciences
Sr Research Specialist, Food Crops
St Charles Horticulture Research Center
535 Randall Road St Charles, IL 60174
630-584-7254; FAX-584-4610




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