Parsley

Petroselinum crispum Curled Parsley

Petroselinum neapolitanum Italian Parsley

This is a leafy biennial plant often used to add flavour and decoration to food. Native to the Mediterranean area.  Parsley is a biennial because it needs two years to complete its life cycle.  The first year will produce a good amount of leaves and the second year the plant will produce some leaves and then go to seed. To get at least some leaves from second year plants you can try pinching back the flowers as soon as they appear. The best strategy is to plant annually for the leaf production and use the second year to collect the seeds.

Health Benefits

Vitamins A, B, C. Organic source of iron and potassium.

Favourite Growing Conditions

Parsley grows best in moist, well drained soil sunny position. Only grows well if its roots are cool so it should be shaded for part of the day.

How to Prepare the Soil

The soil should be a rich fertile loam.

Planting

Sow seeds in spring, summer and early autumn. Cover with 6mm(1/4 inch) of soil to help retain moisture as the seeds will not germinate if let to dry out.

Plant Care

Keep plants well watered in dry weather.

Harvesting

Continually take the green leaves as the plant grows and snip off the flowers to keep the leaves lush.  The leaves will not taste good once the flowers appear.

Propagation

Curled Parsely is slow to germinate and can take 14-28 days. Can be helped by soaking in warm water overnight. Italian parsley germinates in 3-4 days.

Companion Plants

Tomatoes, chives and asparagus.