Plant and sow parsley properly > – Guide – Garden

Status: 03/22/2023 1:42 p.m

Parsley is one of the most popular kitchen herbs. In order to grow them, it is advisable to change the location regularly. It can be grown from seed or purchased as a young plant.

Parsley goes with almost every dish and is one of the most popular kitchen herbs. If you want to grow them from seeds yourself, you need a little patience, because it takes three to four weeks for the small plants to appear. Parsley can be preferred on the windowsill from February/March. It is best to soak the seeds in warm water for a few hours beforehand.

Sow parsley or buy it as a young plant

From about April to August you can also sow the seeds directly outdoors. Always keep the soil moist during germination. It’s quicker to buy young plants in the garden center and plant them in the ground. Potted parsley from the supermarket, on the other hand, often withers when transplanted into the garden. These plants are relatively delicate as they were not bred for outdoor conditions. Tip: Harden off the plant first, i.e. put it outside in the shade for a good week, then plant it out.

Ideal location in semi-shade

Location is very important when growing parsley. The herb prefers bright, semi-shady locations and likes well-drained soil. Parsley does not tolerate waterlogging. The plant is biennial and survives even light frost in the bed. It can also overwinter in a pot on the window sill. In the second year, the parsley begins to bloom – after that the herb is no longer edible and dies.

Change location for parsley annually

Afterwards, parsley should not grow again in the same location. Because then it can happen that the green herb turns yellow and dies before it is harvested. The cause is a so-called self-incompatibility, which occurs when parsley always grows in the same place in the garden. For a good harvest, therefore, plant the parsley in a different location every year. After four years at the earliest, it may grow again in the same place.

Observe the crop rotation in the bed

Also avoid growing parsley next to carrots, parsnips, lovage or dill. Like parsley, these plants belong to the umbelliferae family. However, if possible, types of vegetables from a family should not stand next to each other in the bed or grow in the same location in consecutive years. This prevents the soil from leaching and makes the plants less susceptible to disease or pests. A garden plan can help to distribute the plants in the garden correctly and to keep an eye on the crop rotation.

Harvest parsley properly

Parsley can be harvested all year round. So that it continues to grow vigorously, always cut off the outer leaves at the very bottom of the stem and be careful not to damage the heart – these are the inner, thicker plant stems.