Learn how to plant, grow, and harvest parsley in your very own garden.
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Planting, Growing, and Harvesting Parsley
Planting
Pick a spot that gets full sun (6+ hours of sunlight) and has well-draining soil that’s rich in organic matter. This herb needs more fertile soil than most herbs. Soil pH should ideally be around 6.0—slightly acidic.
Try to also choose an area that is weed-free; it’ll be easier to see the parsley sprouting.
When to Plant Parsley
Parsley seeds can be started indoors or sown directly in the garden. However, the taproot of parsley plants is delicate, so take extra care if transplanting!
- For a head start, plant seeds in individual pots indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last spring frost date.
- Sow seeds outdoors 3 to 4 weeks before the last spring frost, as parsley is a slow starter.
- For the best germination, soil should be around 70ºF (21°C), though parsley seeds will germinate in temperatures as low as 50ºF (10ºC).
How to Plant Parsley
- The germination rate of parsley seeds tends to be low, so consider soaking the seeds overnight before sowing to improve your chance of success.
- Sow parsley seeds 1/4 inch deep.
- Sow seeds about 6 to 8 inches apart. For larger plants, sow about 8 to 10 inches apart.
- Be sure to keep soil moist while seeds germinate.
- It can take 2 to 4 weeks for seedlings to appear.
- Tip: Plant radish seeds in the gaps between parsley seeds. The radishes will sprout and grow before the parsley appears, and the radishes will mark the row.
- Indoors, you can use a grow light to help seedlings grow. Make sure it remains at least two inches above the leaves at all times.
Catherine Boeckmann
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Can I restart in water to root.
What do you do when parsley flowers?
Pinch off the flowers when they appear in order to prolong the growth of the leafy bits!
My Italian parsley leaves have mutated! Instead of looking like regular parsley leaves the leaves look long and thin. They taste ok. What's wrong?
Definitely cut tops off…if long and leggy this should stimulate growth or side shoots. This happens with cilantro too. Just cut tops off and it will also delay bolting.
Heat and dry soil can cause parsley to become long and thin, but so can leaving it alone (not harvesting it). Trim/harvest it and water generously. Then continue to trim it from time to time. This will cause it to sprout more leaves and maintain vigor.
Generally how many days does it take for the parsley to be ready to harvest?
Parsley is ready to cut or harvest in about 70 to 90 days after planting. You seed packet should list days to maturity for the respective variety.
I’m a person who never understood the appeal of parsley. Fresh parsley has essentially NO flavor to me whatsoever! It’s odd, but I find dried parsley both fragrant and tasty....
I love tabouli and need a lot for getting a nice amount to make it. A friend brought me a nice supply of home grown one but it doesn't look or taste like the parsley from the fruit market. how can I send a picture to take a look?
