Edible Gardens
Herb Garden Essentials: Grow Your Own Parsley
Mere garnish no more, parsley comes in flavorful and interesting varieties to decorate the garden and jazz up your cooking
Parsley is making its way from the forgotten garnish to a necessary part of an herb garden. Not only have cooks discovered the flavorful flat-leaf Italian parsley and interesting varieties of the curly-leaf French types, but gardeners have found that the plant is a decorative annual for filling in spaces in pots or edging a garden bed.
Though parsley is technically a biennial, treat it as an annual. It’s a good summer crop in colder winter climates and a year-round favorite in warm-winter zones, though too much heat may do it in. Different varieties are becoming much more readily available, and you can grow them from seeds or plants.
Though parsley is technically a biennial, treat it as an annual. It’s a good summer crop in colder winter climates and a year-round favorite in warm-winter zones, though too much heat may do it in. Different varieties are becoming much more readily available, and you can grow them from seeds or plants.
Planting and care: Choose a site with loose, well-amended soil in full sun to partial shade. If summers are hot, you may need to provide afternoon shade.
If you're planting seeds, soak them for 24 hours. Plant them ¼ inch deep and ½ inch apart, then thin to 6 inches apart for curly varieties and up to 18 inches apart for flat-leaf types.
Parsley can be very slow to germinate, so you might want to start with seedlings (this way you can taste test before buying as well). Set out plants about 6 to18 inches apart, depending on variety.
You can also grow parsley in containers indoors or out. Containers can even be small enough to fit on a windowsill. Chose a container at least 6 to 8 inches deep for curly parsley and 10 to 12 inches deep for flat-leaf varieties.
Feed in spring with a complete fertilizer and midseason with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, especially if the plants are yellowing. Water regularly so the soil is evenly moist.
Sow successively for a longer harvest.
Harvest: Once the plant reaches about 6 to 8 inches tall, snip or clip the outside sprigs to harvest. Parsley freezes well but doesn’t take to drying.
If you're planting seeds, soak them for 24 hours. Plant them ¼ inch deep and ½ inch apart, then thin to 6 inches apart for curly varieties and up to 18 inches apart for flat-leaf types.
Parsley can be very slow to germinate, so you might want to start with seedlings (this way you can taste test before buying as well). Set out plants about 6 to18 inches apart, depending on variety.
You can also grow parsley in containers indoors or out. Containers can even be small enough to fit on a windowsill. Chose a container at least 6 to 8 inches deep for curly parsley and 10 to 12 inches deep for flat-leaf varieties.
Feed in spring with a complete fertilizer and midseason with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, especially if the plants are yellowing. Water regularly so the soil is evenly moist.
Sow successively for a longer harvest.
Harvest: Once the plant reaches about 6 to 8 inches tall, snip or clip the outside sprigs to harvest. Parsley freezes well but doesn’t take to drying.
Water requirement: Regular
Prime growing season: Spring through fall; year-round in warm-winter climates
When to plant: Fall or early spring in warm-winter climates; after the last frost date in spring in colder climates
Favorites: Dark Green Italian, Gigante d’Italia (Giant Italian), Single Italian, Titan (flat leaf); Extra Curled, Favorit, Forest Green, Moss Curled, Triple Cured (curly leaf)