How to Grow Parsley

History of Parsley

Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of Southern Europe. While it has been cultivated for more than 2,000 years, parsley was used medicinally prior to being consumed as food. The ancient Greeks held parsley to be sacred, using it to not only adorn victors of athletic contests, but also for decorating the tombs of the deceased. The practice of using parsley as a garnish actually has a long history that can be traced back to the civilization of the ancient Romans.

Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a hardy herb grown for its flavor, which is added to many dishes, as well as its use as a decorative garnish. Parsley is one of the most popular herbs used in cooking. Parsley is a plant with bright green, during the first year, it forms a rosette of tri-pinnate leaves 10-25 cm long with numerous 1-3 cm leaflets, and a taproot used as a food store over the winter.  In the second year it grows a flowering stem to 75 cm tall with sparser leaves and flat-topped 3-10 cm diameter umbels with numerous 2 mm diameter yellow to yellowish-green flowers.  The herb is considered a biennial but is treated as an annual in cold climates.

This herb can be grown in containers or out in the garden and is generally established through seeds.

Biennial: means that the plant only comes back after two gardening seasons, just enough time to produce leaves, go to seed, and develop a substantial taproot.
The parsley plant offers delicious leaves its first year, and goes to seed its second year. The herb is closely related to dill, carrots, and celery. The resemblance is pretty clear.

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 There are two main kinds of parsley that you'll encounter:

1: Flat-Leaf Parsley (Neapolitanum), also known as “Italian Parsley” is distinguishable by its flat leaves, and is known for having a robust flavor. This variety is ideal for flavoring. Italian parsley is sometimes mistaken for cilantro, and they look similar. But Italian parsley has darker, shinier leaves than cilantro, which also known as (coriander), cilantro leaves are more delicate and fragrant.

2: Curled parsley (Petroselinum crispum), is aptly named for the clean, fresh, crispy taste of the tightly bunched, bright green leaves. Curled parsley is less heat tolerant than flat Italian parsley. It’s not unusual for curled parsley plants to experience slow growth in the heat of summer.

Curly leaf and flatleaf parsley. Both can be used for the same purposes, although flatleaf parsley has a stronger flavour and tends to be favoured in Mediterranean cooking. Both types of parsley contain the same flavoring ingredients. One is a compound called {menthatriene}, which gives parsley its unique flavor. The others are {phellandrene}, these are found in many other herbs as well, lending fresh and woody notes to their flavors.

 
Parsley can be used in soups, sauces, and salads. Not only is it the perfect garnish, but also it is healthy, this herb is rich in iron and vitamins A and C.

Everything You Need to Know About Growing Parsley

Parsley grows well in any garden or pot, as it doesn’t have strict growing conditions under which it thrives. Just choose an area that gets at least partial sunlight, either in its own plot or between other garden plants, it is very easy.
Parsley is an easy plant to start from seed, germination can be a slower process than other herbs. Parsley can take a few weeks to germinate, this is because it needs quite high temperatures. This aromatic herb tolerates poor soil and drainage, it’s always preferable to situate plants in organic rich, well drained soil when growing parsley. This easy-care herb requires little maintenance, other than occasional watering or weeding, once established.

How to Sow Parsley Seeds

• Prepare the soil in your garden by digging it over and incorporating plenty of rich, organic matter such as chicken manure or homemade compost. The use of organic fertilizers has the advantage of being cheap, improving soil structure, texture and aeration, increasing the soils' water retention abilities and healthy root development. I always use my own Organic Chicken manure.

Watch My Video "Chicken Manure Benefits to The Garden Soil"

• Sow seeds directly into garden soil, three to four weeks before the last frost. To speed the germination, soak parsley seeds overnight before sowing them. 

• Parsley germination is so slow. It can take a full month or two before some seeds sprout.
• You can thin the seedlings when they are 2–3 inches tall, spaced 10–12 inches apart.

• Water your parsley deeply at least once a week to encourage the development of a long taproot.

Watch How to Sow Parsley Seeds Video

Growing Parsley in Containers

• Fill 8 cm / 3in wide pots nearly to the top with standard multipurpose potting compost and place the pots in a shallow container of water. Allow the compost to absorb the water until the top of the compost is damp. This can take up to an hour or so, depending on how dry the compost is.

• Choose a warm place in the house, somewhere between 70 °F / 21 °C to 80 °F / 27 °C during the day, a bit cooler during the night is OK, and place the pots there for 24 hours to warm the compost in the pots.

• Sow seeds on the surface of the compost and then cover them with a thin layer of compost, just enough to keep the light out, and surround them with moist compost. Parsley seeds need a constant supply of moisture.

• To conserve moisture, cover the top of the pots with a plastic bag or loose cling film. Place them in a warm position and wait for the seeds to germinate. This can take between five days and up to three weeks.

IMPORTANT

When seeds germinate and shoots appear on the surface of the compost remove the plastic bag after that place the pots in a light and airy position out of direct sunlight.

Watch Growing Organic Parsley In Containers Video

Parsley Plants Care

• Ensure the soil does not dry out and water more frequently in summer.
• Add a mulch to the soil to reduce soil moisture loss and reduce competing weeds.
• An organic fertilizer can be applied to the soil around every 4 weeks, and this should sustain parsley growth through the growing season.

Fertilizing Parsley Plants

Parsley plants like to be fed on a regular basis throughout the growing season. I mix my organic  fertilizer into the soil around the plants a few times during the summer. I also feed my parsley plants with my organic chicken liquid fertilizer during the summer. Chicken manure is the highest in nitrogen, and while we do need nitrogen in the garden, this type of animal waste is so {hot} that it will burn your younger plants or seedlings if used fresh. Compost it for at least six months before using, making sure to turn the pile on a regular basis. Or make chicken manure {tea}, by adding some dry, aged chicken manure to a bucket of water and let it sit for a day or two, stirring occasionally. Strain out the droppings, then pour the tea around the bases of your plants. This is particularly good fertilizer for leafy greens, which need extra nitrogen to help them grow a steady supply of new leaves to replace all the harvested ones.

Harvesting Parsley 

The harvesting cycle for parsley is a little different, since it is a biennial. The first year, when the parsley sprouts out with sets of three leaves that are fully developed, it is time to be picked. Harvest the parsley slowly throughout the season by cutting the outer stalks of the plants just above ground level to encourage additional growth. Remember that harvesting the leaves from the top of the plant will reduce your yield. The second year, the leaves will be sparse and may be less flavor-intense. You can use them, but you may also let the parsley bloom. Collect the seeds to sow the following spring.

Health Benefits of Parsley

The impressive health benefits of parsley come via its active ingredients, which include phenolic compounds, antioxidant flavonoids, essential oils like myristicin and apiol, and various nutrients like vitamins K, C and A. Parsley includes a volatile oil called eugenol that’s been proven in studies to have antiarthritic properties and powerful anti-inflammatory benefits.  Parsley has minerals galore, including a good supply of iron. It’s high in folic acid, which helps relive stress by strengthening the nervous system.

Watch In The Garden -My Organic Parsley-Video

Eat More Parsley For Better Health!

There are so many parsley health benefits, it’s surely worth eating it. Better still, grow it in your garden or on your windowsill and use this wonderful aromatic and unique green herb whenever you can in your meals. People who consume too much parsley may experience anemia or kidney problems. If you have diabetes, fluid retention, high blood pressure, or kidney disease you should talk to your doctor to see if consuming parsley is safe for you as it may cause side effects that can worsen your condition! 

Get started today and enjoy the benefits of growing this wonderful herb, and if you have any tips for growing organic parsley, we'd love to hear them - please share them in the comments section below.

Want to Read More:

➡️ Harvesting Parsley Seeds

Watch Video:

 ➡️ Growing Organic Parsley In Container

Happy organic gardening!

🛒 Parsley Seeds for Planting  🛒

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