Herb Garden Essentials: Boost Your Parsley

Parsley is making its way from your deserted garnish to a necessary part of an herb garden. Not only have hamburgers found that the yummy flat-leaf Italian parsley and intriguing varieties of the curly-leaf French kinds, but gardeners have found that the plant is a decorative annual for filling in areas in pots or edging a garden bed.

Though parsley is a biennial, treat it like an annual. It is a good summer crop in colder winter climates and a year-round favored in warm-winter zones, however too much heat may do it in. Various varieties are becoming much more easily available, and you can grow them from seeds or crops.

Missouri Botanical Garden

Light requirement: Sun to partial shade

Water requirement: Frequent

Prime growing period: Spring through autumn; year-round in warm-winter climates

When to plant: Fall or early spring in warm-winter climates; following the last frost date in spring from colder climates

Favorites: Dark Green, Gigante d’Italia (Giant Italian), Single Italian, Titan (flat leaf); Extra Curled, Favorit, Forest Green, Moss Curled, Triple Cured (curly leaf)

Glenna Partridge Garden Design

Planting and maintenance: pick a site with loose, well-amended soil in full sun to partial shade. If summers are hot, you might have to give afternoon shade.

If you are planting seeds, soak them for 24 hours. Plant them 1/4 inch deep and 1/2 inch apart, then thin to 6 inches apart for curly types and up to 18 inches apart for flat-leaf kinds.

Parsley can be quite slow to germinate, so you might want to begin with seedlings (this way you’ll be able to taste test before buying too). Set plants out around 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 to curled parsley and 10 to 12 inches deep to flat-leaf varieties.

Feed in spring with a complete fertilizer and midseason with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer, particularly if the plants are yellowing. Water regularly therefore the soil is evenly moist.

Sow successively for a more crop.

Harvest: when the plant reaches approximately 6 to 8 inches tall, snip or clip the external sprigs to crop. Parsley adheres well but does not take to drying.

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