Growing Parsley

Sunny bright spaces are the best place for growing parsley. The ideal windowsill garden or spot in the herb patch for herbs to grow faces south. Parsley grows very well in containers if you lack the room for a large gardening area.

Growing Parsley from seed

According to plant folklore, parsley must go to the devil and back seven times before it will come up. No matter what technique is used, germination for parsley seed on average takes two weeks.

Some gardeners soak seeds overnight before planting to speed up the process. After soaking, plant in a potting mix and keep soil moist. Cover the seeds with newspaper or plastic to seal in moisture. Keep the potted seeds in a warm place to foster growth.

Seed germination takes from 12 days to two weeks. Feed seedlings weekly with a half strength solution of 20-20-20.

Plant seedlings in the garden when they reach around 4 inches tall. Spacing between rows should be 12-20 inches. Leave a space of 8 to 12 inches between plants. Plant at a depth of ¼ inch. Plants per person to have plenty on hand are 2-3.

Parsley Growing Conditions

Parsley is a cool weather plant and heat and rain can take a toll on its growth. The secret to growing parsley year round is to move it to a filtered sun location during hot weather and shelter it in the rainy season. Too much rain through the summer months causes the root system to rot and the plant to decline. It may still lose leaves after moving it but the parsley will survive.

* Plant fall-spring.

* Plant in a permanent location; plants will often grow for several seasons.

* Makes a good plant for hanging baskets or pots.

* Parsley is tolerant of light freezes and frosts.

* Full sun is best but 4-6 hours of sunshine will yield a great harvest.

* Turn plants ever so often for all sides to receive equal amounts of sunlight.

Soil condition

* Herbs grown in ground need a well-prepared garden bed. Fertilize the herb garden with a 6-6-6 just before planting.

* Check pH level. Most herbs like a pH range of 6.0to 7.0.

* Keep soil moist; mulch to stretch the time between watering and to keep soil off the leaves.

Tips on Growing Parsley

* For windowsill gardening, move declining plants outdoors to rejuvenate.

* Several kinds of caterpillars find parsley a tasty snack. A good pest control measure if only a few caterpillars are present is to remove the pests by hand. If the insect population is a big problem, Pyrethrin is a natural insecticide.

* Frequently cut sprigs and leaves to encourage growth to continue.

Fertilization

* Feed indoor plants sparingly every three to four weeks.

* Use a 20-20-20 fertilizer every week when growing parsley outdoors.

Water condition

* Check daily for moisture.

* Water when soil begins to dry.

* Container grown parsley may need to be watered everyday during summer.

Harvesting Parsley

It is generally 70-90 days from seed too harvest. Parsley is ready for harvesting as soon as leaves reach a usable size. Pick individual leaves as needed.

Many gardeners consider parsley a vegetable rather than an herb. Whichever you call it, growing parsley successfully is a sign you are about to turn garden pro because it takes moderate gardening experience to grow.