Melanoselinum decipiens

Germination

Sow directly in autumn. Sow indoors at any time. Directly, sow into prepared soil which has been raked to a fine tilth. Allow natural winter cold to offer ideal conditions for germination to occur in the spring as the weather warms. Indoors, Mix seed with damp vermiculite, please in a zip-lock type freezer bag. Place somewhere warm for 3 weeks then cold stratify, 4°C, for 8 weeks, a fridge is ideal, remove to warmth. Sow onto moist, well-drained seed compost, ideal temp 15-20°C. Germination takes from 2 weeks. Transplant seedlings when large enough to handle to individual pots and grow on. Acclimatise and plant out after danger of frost has passed.

Growing

Prefers any moist but well-drained soil in full or partial sun. Prefers a sheltered situation. Almost hardy, if the weather is very cold offer a dry mulch. Dislikes winter wet.

Cultivation

Will self-seed freely. This is a wonderful foliage plant which can take 2-15 years to flower. One it has flowered allow to go to seed if you wish to harvest seed for future sowings or simply pull and compost.