Growing Parsley, also curly leaf parsley or flat leaf (Italian) parsley

Petroselinum crispum : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
    S                  
      T                
      P P P            

(Best months for growing Parsley in USA - Zone 5a regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 86°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 8 - 12 inches apart
  • Harvest in 9-19 weeks. Cut stalks from outer part of plant.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Carrots, Chives, Tomatoes, Asparagus
  • Avoid growing close to: Potatoes
  • A parsley seedling
  • Flat leaf  Italian parsley

Takes a long time to germinate, about 3 - 5 weeks before the seedlings appear. Grows to about 20 - 30 cm (8 - 10 in) until it flowers when the stems will shoot up to about 1 m (3 ft).

The useful leaves disappear when parsley flowers so it is best to have some more seedlings ready to plant.

Will self seed and produce plenty of new plants every year. Can survive snow and light frosts

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Parsley

Use the leaves and stems to add flavour and colour.
Can be cooked in dishes such as ratatouille.
Traditionally used in white sauce.

Your comments and tips

01 Apr 09, Lynne (Australia - temperate climate)
My parsley seeds refuse to germinate - to speed up germination, I have been told to try soaking the parsley seeds in hot water before sowing?
01 May 09, Glenn (Australia - temperate climate)
Lynne - three things are possible: either you've bought cheap & nasty seeds, you sow the very small seeds too deeply or the soil is poor. I recommend sowing your parsley in seed punnets (several seeds) filled with seed raising mix. Once they shoot, remove all but the best one, then transfer to a larger punnet, then plant in good soil. Parsley loves moisture.
10 May 09, Greig (Australia - temperate climate)
My parsley (grown in plastic planters on my bacony) has started going yellow. What am I doing wrong ?
12 Jun 09, Lindsay Sutherland (Australia - cool/mountain climate)
I would like some advice on how to produce parsley and mint with large leaves and vigorous growth. Mine are both a bit tentative looking! I do feed them with cow manure but possibly not often enough? I would appreciate help on this many thanks Lindsay
08 Nov 11, Dee (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi Lindsay This reply might be a bit late for you but I had great success with parsley this year - the plant is huge! I didnt kill it with kindness (for once :)) and fed it with a weak solution of worm waste and water every now and again and just kept the water up to it. Mine is in full sun and loving it. I hope that helps.
02 Jul 09, Trevor Heywood (Australia - temperate climate)
The first year can be difficult, but Italian Parsley grows quickly. Sow one year in April or May and keep seedlings indoors in sunny window. Take great care of them. Protect throughout summer after transplanting, then the next Winter you have an enormous crop - enough to give away. Allow one to go to seed, and you'll never look back. For good health eat some daily, nibble when gardening. (See my mustard greens comment same date) Lindsay, mint will attract fat green caterpillars. Parsley seems immune from grubs.
04 Oct 09, al (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi all. I had Choho in my vege patch, my first, and it started getting all these white scaly spots. This then spread to another plant and now my parsley which is growing like crazy has got it. They are all next to each other. Perhaps a little close. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
04 Mar 10, doug (Australia - temperate climate)
In our region we are having trouble growing parsley over the past couple yrs. Many gardeners say they used to have large plants and self sown used to come up all over the place. Not any more.. Plants are soi small even if they do start to grow. This is most gardens. Would it be the hot summer [44degrees atr times] We sow in Spring but very little success. What is wrong.
15 Mar 10, Barb (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Hi Doug, Everyone I know has had all their flat parsley go straight to seed this summer with the heat. Some has finally self-seeded just in the last 2 weeks (now the weather is starting to cool).
10 Jun 10, Bill44 (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Parsley are supposed to be a Bi annual but they have a mind of their own. To overcome this I raise seedlings and plant (2) every six months. Her inside would chuck a hissy fit if we ran out of flat leaf parsley.
Showing 1 - 10 of 79 comments

Parsley seed can be sown any time between September and May. Curly and Italian (flat leaved) parsley are variations of the same plant. Seeds are slow to germinate and can take 3-5 weeks. Refer to the Gardenate Planting Guide for more details. Parsley is a biennial which means it has a two year life cycle. In the second year it will flower and seed. let one plant go to seed and drop its seed. you will end up with many seedlings as replacements. Trust this helps.

- John

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