How Much Sun for Parsley?

Indoors

• Indoors, parsley should be placed on a bright windowsill, preferably near a window with a southern or western exposure. Without adequate sunlight, indoor-grown parsley becomes long and spindly as it reaches for the sun. If this happens, prune the plant to about half its height, then move the pot to a sunnier location.

Outdoors

• Parsley requires a garden spot where the plant is exposed to a minimum of six to eight hours of sunlight every day. A sunny nook near your kitchen door is an ideal spot. Place potted parsley in a bright location on your balcony, patio or your front step.

Drainage

• For healthy parsley plants, well-drained soil is nearly as important as sunlight. Although parsley is adaptable to many growing conditions, soggy soil or a moist, shady location often causes the death of parsley. In muddy, poorly drained soil, the roots lack air circulation and may eventually smother. Potted parsley located either indoors or outdoors thrives in a pot filled with a commercial potting mixture or a combination of half potting mixture and half sand.

Irrigation

• Because parsley thrives in bright sunlight, regular irrigation is necessary to keep the soil from becoming too dry. Although parsley doesn't tolerate soggy soil, it also does poorly in extremely dry soil. Water outdoor parsley to a depth of at least 6 inches when the top 1 inch of soil feels dry. Check potted parsley placed in a sunny outdoor spot every day, and water whenever the potting soil feels slightly dry. To water indoor parsley, water generously while holding the pot over a sink. Let excess water drain thoroughly out the drainage hole before you return the plant to the drainage saucer.