How to Grow Parsley: A Practical Guide from Seed to Harvest

Parsley is one of those herbs that's always useful to have growing somewhere. It works just as well in a pot near the kitchen door as it does in the vegetable garden, and once the plants get established you can keep picking leaves for months.

The only slightly frustrating part is getting it started. Parsley has a reputation for taking its time to germinate, and sometimes you'll be staring at a pot of compost wondering whether anything is happening underneath. Give it time — it usually gets there eventually.

You can choose between curly parsley, with its tightly curled leaves, and flat-leaved parsley, which has broader leaves and a stronger flavour. They're grown in much the same way.

I like to sow a few plants at different times rather than relying on one batch. Parsley is biennial, so plants normally produce plenty of leaves in their first year before flowering and setting seed in their second.

Give it reasonable soil, regular water and sun or partial shade and you'll have a useful herb that doesn't need much fuss once it's growing.

When to Sow

Parsley can be sown from February or March through to July, although I wouldn't be in too much of a hurry with the earliest outdoor sowings.

For an early crop, sow in pots under cover from February or March. Somewhere reasonably warm will help get germination underway.

From around April, you can sow directly outside as the soil begins to warm.

I like making another sowing in early or midsummer. Those younger plants can give you plenty of fresh leaves later in the year and may carry on surprisingly well into winter, particularly somewhere sheltered.

Parsley is fairly hardy once established, so it has a much longer useful season than many annual herbs.

If you grow it regularly, don't feel you have to sow an entire packet in spring. A few plants can produce plenty of leaves, and another small sowing later gives you younger plants to take over.

How to Sow

Parsley seed is easy enough to handle. The difficult bit is having the patience to wait for it.

Fill pots or modules with seed or multipurpose compost and sow the seeds about 0.5–1cm deep. Cover lightly, water and keep the compost moist while you wait for germination.

You can sow a few seeds in each module or small pot and thin them later if necessary.

Parsley can take two to four weeks to germinate, and occasionally longer when conditions aren't ideal. Don't assume the seed has failed after a week or two, I have put the pots aside before now only for them to germinate a little later.

For direct sowing, make a shallow drill around 1cm deep, sow the seeds fairly thinly and cover with soil. Water the row if conditions are dry and try to keep it reasonably moist while the seeds germinate.

You'll sometimes see advice to soak parsley seed before sowing. You can, but I generally find warmth, moisture and patience are the things that matter most.

Once the seedlings appear, give them plenty of light.

Thinning and Growing On

Once seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them if they're badly crowded.

For plants you're growing to full size, aim for roughly 15–20cm between plants. You can grow them a little closer if you're mainly picking young leaves.

Don't waste useful thinnings. If they're large enough, they can go straight into the kitchen.

Plants started in modules or pots can be planted outside once they're established. Try not to badly disturb the roots when moving them.

Parsley will grow in full sun or partial shade. In fact, during hot summer weather, a little shade can help keep the plants from drying out too quickly.

It also grows very well in containers. You don't need an enormous pot, but give the plants enough depth for their roots and make sure there are drainage holes.

Keep young plants weed-free while they're establishing. Once parsley forms a decent clump of foliage, there's very little else you need to do.

Watering and Feeding

Parsley produces the nicest leafy growth when it has reasonably consistent moisture.

Water young plants while they're establishing and give established plants a proper drink during dry weather. Repeatedly allowing them to wilt and then soaking them isn't ideal.

Container-grown parsley needs checking more regularly because pots can dry out quickly during warm weather.

At the same time, don't keep the roots sitting permanently wet. Parsley likes moisture but still needs reasonable drainage.

In decent garden soil, I don't find it needs much feeding.

Container plants that are being picked regularly may benefit from an occasional general-purpose liquid feed, particularly if they've been growing in the same compost for several months.

The aim is steady leafy growth rather than trying to produce enormous plants.

A little compost around established plants can also help hold moisture and give them a gentle supply of nutrients.

Harvesting

You can start harvesting parsley once the plants are established and have enough leaves to spare.

Pick the outer stems first, cutting them close to the base of the plant. Leave the younger growth in the centre to continue developing.

I prefer doing this rather than just snipping the tops from lots of stems. Taking whole outer stems encourages fresh growth from the centre and keeps the plant looking much tidier.

Don't strip a small plant completely bare. Take a little from several plants if you can and give them time to replace what you've harvested.

Regular picking encourages plenty of fresh leaves.

Parsley can continue producing well into autumn and winter. Plants growing somewhere sheltered can be surprisingly useful when many other fresh herbs have finished for the year.

Eventually, usually during its second year, the plant will start sending up tall flowering stems. At that point the leaves become less useful and I normally let the plant flower or replace it with a younger one.

Growing Parsley Through Winter

One of the things I like about parsley is that you can often keep picking it much later than you expect.

Established plants are reasonably hardy and can survive cold weather, although growth slows considerably during winter.

A sheltered position helps. Plants in a greenhouse, cold frame or protected container can continue producing useful leaves for quite a long time.

If you've made a summer sowing, those younger plants are particularly useful going into autumn.

Don't expect masses of new growth during the darkest part of winter. Pick sensibly and leave enough foliage on the plant to keep it healthy.

Once spring arrives, older plants may begin preparing to flower. That's normal — parsley is a biennial and has simply reached the next stage of its life.

This is another reason I like having younger plants coming along behind the older ones.

Common Problems

Slow or Poor Germination

This is the one most people encounter.

Parsley can take several weeks to germinate, particularly when conditions are cool. Keep the compost moist, give it reasonable warmth and don't give up too quickly.

If nothing has appeared after a good few weeks, you can always sow another pot alongside it rather than digging around looking for the seeds.

Slugs and Snails

Young parsley seedlings can be damaged by slugs and snails, particularly during damp weather.

Keep an eye on newly planted seedlings until they've developed into stronger plants. An established clump can cope with a little nibbling far better than a tiny seedling.

Aphids

Aphids can occasionally gather around tender new growth.

Small colonies can usually be washed or rubbed away. Check around the centre of the plant where the youngest leaves are developing.

Yellowing Leaves

A few older yellow leaves aren't usually anything to worry about.

If lots of foliage is turning yellow, check whether the soil is waterlogged, the plant has repeatedly dried out or a container has been exhausted after months of growth.

Remove old yellow leaves to keep the plant tidy.

Plants Wilting

Parsley can wilt quite dramatically when it's short of water, particularly in containers.

Give the plant a thorough drink and check pots more frequently during warm weather. A little afternoon shade can also help during very hot spells.

Parsley Suddenly Flowering

If an older parsley plant suddenly starts growing upwards and producing flower stems, it probably hasn't done anything wrong. It's a biennial and is simply entering its second-year flowering stage.

You can still use some leaves, but the quality will gradually decline. I usually let the flowers develop for insects and rely on a younger sowing for the kitchen.

Parsley takes a little patience at the beginning, but after that it's a very easy herb to live with. Keep it watered, pick the outside stems regularly and make another sowing before the old plants have finished. Most of the time, that's all it needs.