"Pat Kiewicz" wrote in message
...
JoeSpareBedroom said:


It's always been my understanding that parsley flowered in its second
year,
but mine are (theoretically) first year plants, purchased from a garden
center, and they're flowering. Why?

Your parsley plants were vernalized. That is, exposed to sufficiently
cold
temperatures at some point such that they were 'tricked' into blooming.

Vernalization is a legitimate technique to get artichokes to flower the
first
year, or when growing artichokes as annuals in climates that are too cold
for them to winter over.

It's a pain in the ass when it happens to your leeks, beets, parsley, etc.

Typically triggered (when unwanted) by a very late frost or cold snap.

Happened to my leeks last year. We'd had an unusually heavy frost in
very late May.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI


You're describing a typical early June in Rochester NY. 3:00 in the
afternoon - 85 degrees. Midnight - 36 degrees. Drives the peach growers
crazy.