Here in zone 8, put in triple curled parsley plants last year. I had
always considered them to be cool-season annuals, but they grow
surprisingly well here. Kept some going through the winter (they even
seem to be tolerant of mild frost), and planted more this spring. The
difference between the old and new plants is noticeable, though. Old
ones are deeper green but with somewhat more flattened leaves. Taste
is the same, as far as I can tell.

Is there any disadvantage to keeping such plants going through the
winter? That is, does the quality of the leaf continue to change?

In article
,
DougL wrote:

Here in zone 8, put in triple curled parsley plants last year. I had
always considered them to be cool-season annuals, but they grow
surprisingly well here. Kept some going through the winter (they even
seem to be tolerant of mild frost), and planted more this spring. The
difference between the old and new plants is noticeable, though. Old
ones are deeper green but with somewhat more flattened leaves. Taste
is the same, as far as I can tell.

Is there any disadvantage to keeping such plants going through the
winter? That is, does the quality of the leaf continue to change?

If nothing else, you will make your local Swallowtail butterflies happy.
:-) Watch for the larvae. They love parsley so it's nice that you
planted extra for them!
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

"DougL" wrote in message
...
Here in zone 8, put in triple curled parsley plants last year. I had
always considered them to be cool-season annuals, but they grow
surprisingly well here. Kept some going through the winter (they even
seem to be tolerant of mild frost), and planted more this spring. The
difference between the old and new plants is noticeable, though. Old
ones are deeper green but with somewhat more flattened leaves. Taste
is the same, as far as I can tell.

Is there any disadvantage to keeping such plants going through the
winter? That is, does the quality of the leaf continue to change?

In the second year the leaves will go thin and feathery, then they will go to
seed and then they will die, there is no way to stop them. If you leave a few
for the seed heads to mature they will self-sow quite well.

David

"DougL" wrote in message

Here in zone 8, put in triple curled parsley plants last year. I had
always considered them to be cool-season annuals, but they grow
surprisingly well here. Kept some going through the winter (they even
seem to be tolerant of mild frost),

I've found the two varieties of parsley whihc I grow to be tolerant of heavy
frosts. I let them go to seed in the second year and then harvest some of
the seedheads and throw the seeds around the garden and let the remainder of
the heads left on the plant just drop where they are and grow again in the
same spot. I always have lots of parsley and like it as it's tough,
attractive and it's food as well.

Here in zone 8, put in triple curled parsley plants last year.

If nothing else, you will make your local Swallowtail butterflies happy.
:-) Watch for the larvae. They love parsley so it's nice that you
planted extra for them!


What do those larvae look like?

Really, the performance of these plants is AMAZING. Can't believe I
used to spend real money in stores on fresh parsley ...

In article
,
DougL wrote:

Here in zone 8, put in triple curled parsley plants last year.

If nothing else, you will make your local Swallowtail butterflies happy.
:-) Watch for the larvae. They love parsley so it's nice that you
planted extra for them!


What do those larvae look like?

Quite colorful. They start out looking like bird poop, then become these:

http://little-homeschool-on-the-prai...06/black-swall
owtail-caterpillars.html


Really, the performance of these plants is AMAZING. Can't believe I
used to spend real money in stores on fresh parsley ...

I ought to put more in. I like to feed it as greens to my cockatoo.
--
--

Peace! Om

"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a Son of a Bitch."
-- Jack Nicholson

I like that bit about strewing parsley seeds. I have dill that volunteers
all over the place, and the same it seems with a bit of fennel. Reminds me
of a gardening book I have about a Japanese gardener whose philosphy was to
let plants grow wherever they sprang up. He felt that we tend to fool around
too much trying to amend soils instead of letting the plants themselves
choose where to grow. . . or NOT! Seems to me it's a very serindipidous way
to garden, finding an edible plant here and there, but sure takes the
challenge out of dieting.