<p>80 days. The very productive, upright growth habit helps to keep the crop clean, even in wet, windy weather. The plants are a very uniform, highly curled dark green moss type with mild sweet parsley flavour.</p><p>CULTURE: Prepare the parsley bed as though growing early spring mustards. Soaking the seeds overnight can hasten germination. During March or April, sow the seeds outside 1cm (1/2 in.) deep; 2 seeds/cm (1/2 in.); rows 30cm (12 in.) apart. Somewhat slow to sprout, so be patient, keep them moist and protect from frost. Thin to at least 15cm (6 in.) apart in the row. Starting inside also works well but handle the seedling’s long root very carefully when transplanting. If the bed isn’t producing enough, side dress with a high nitrogen fertlizer every 4 weeks. Parsley is quite cold-hardy, often surviving below -12 deg. C (10 deg. F). Even if the tops die back, the roots resprout in spring, allowing a heavy harvest until flowering. The flowers are much loved by beneficial insects. Self-sows when allowed to go to seed. <br>HARVEST: Cut individual sprigs as needed. For drying large quantities, cut all but the centre growth. A food dehydrator works best. <br>SEEDSPEC: Minimum germination standard: 55%. Days to emergence: 12-28. Optimum soil temperature range for germination: 18-24 deg. C (64-75 deg. F). Days to maturity: from date of direct seeding; subtract 20-25 days if using transplants. One gram contains approximately 400-600 seeds. Usual seed life: 2 years.</p><p>Parsley is not known as a real wild plant, although it is now commonly found almost everywhere, having escaped from cultivation.. It is thought to have originated in southern Europe. Parsley was known as a herb by the Greeks and two varieties are mentioned by Theophrastus writing in 320BC. It was cultivated in southern Europe frome then onwards, and reached England, apparently from Sardinia, in 1548. Hamburg parsley, with its white roots, is a more recent introduction, the seeds being brought from Holland by Philip Miller about 1727 - it was previously grown in Poland and Russia where it is a favourite ingredient in soups and stews.</p>
