Tips for Growing Parsley
If you are considering growing parsley, there are a few things you should know. It is not difficult to grow your own herbs; in fact it’s quite simple as long as you understand the needs of the plant. The effort it takes to do a bit of research and actually get your herbs started pales in comparison to the convenience of having fresh herbs! We are going to cover the basics that every beginner should know about growing parsley. Let’s start by discussing the most common uses for parsley as well as a bit of background about the herb itself.
Parsley is by far one of the most popular herbs to be home grown in English and North American herb gardens. It is not only one of the tastiest and most versatile herbs, but it also happens to be one of the most nutritious! Including parsley in your diet is a great way to boost your Vitamin A and C intake, especially if you use fresh parsley as opposed to the dried store-bought kind. Most varieties of parsley are made up of three clusters of leaves on the end of short stalks that connect to longer, bare stalks. The leaves of this herb are used for cooking and garnish. Parsley really is a versatile herb that can be used on any type of meat, in soups and stews, and even included in a nice leafy salad.
The first thing to consider when growing parsley is the area that you are going to plant it. Parsley can be grown either indoors or outdoors, although it does need to have access to full sunlight. A windowsill or a greenhouse makes an excellent spot for growing your parsley in a pot indoors. If you want to grow your parsley outdoors, you will need to find a nice sunny area that can provide good water drainage.
Before you begin the planting process, you must first help your parsley seeds get a boost on the germination process. To do this, get a small cup of warm water and allow the seeds to soak (fully submerged) in this for at least eight hours or overnight. Once the seeds have had a chance to soak, you should endeavor to plant them right away. If you are using a pot—which comes in handy even if you plant outdoors as you can bring the plant inside during frosty weather—then it is recommended that you choose a deep pot to allow the roots plenty of room to grow.
You can also germinate your seeds indoors and then transplant them outdoors when they are strong enough to withstand the elements outside. Either way, the soil that you use should be rich in organic matter. A good potting soil from a garden supply store or supplementing your soil with high quality compost will do just fine. Parsley does need soil that will retain moisture well, but it must also have good drainage so that water does not pool around the seed or roots, which results in rot.
If you are planting your seeds outdoors, be sure to work the soil well to both loosen it and to add your compost. When you pack the soil back into the area, make sure that it is not too firm or too loose as either could prevent the roots from spreading or cause them to die off. Plant the seeds about an inch into the soil and water the area well. Take care not to overly water the soil. If you are using a pot, be sure that the drainage holes in the bottom are not blocked.
Routine maintenance includes keeping an eye on the soil to ensure that it does not dry out. Press down onto the soil with your fingertips. If it feels dry to the touch, then it could probably use watering. Harvest your parsley as you need it. This should be done by choosing the pieces from the outer edge of the cluster first, as the newer less ripened parsley leaves grow in the center. To store your parsley you can either allow it to dry and then chop it into fine pieces to be stored in an herb/spice jar, or you can freeze it in its fresh form using an air-tight container.
As you can see, there really is no secret technique to growing parsley. As long as your plant has good soil, is well watered, and placed in a sunny spot, you can look forward to a good herb crop!