How to Germinate Parsley

Dig up a small patch of ground with a shovel; 2 to 3 square feet is large enough to start the seeds from a single parsley seed packet. Remove any grass, weeds, roots and debris from the area. Break up any large clumps of dirt and turn the dirt over again until the seed bed soil is fine and crumbly.

Soak the parsley seeds overnight in a small bowl of water. Pour the water through a sieve to strain out the seeds. Dump the seeds onto a paper towel, tapping the sieve several times to ensure all seeds are removed. Fold the towel lightly over the seeds to absorb excess water and making them easier to pick up individually.

Mark short rows in the prepared seed bed by placing small garden stakes on either end of the row. Set the parsley seeds in a line on the marked rows, spacing the seeds 1/2-inch apart.

Mix 2 cups of fine, clump-free garden dirt with 1 cup of peat moss in a bucket. Sprinkle the mixture over the seeds evenly until the seeds are covered with no more than 1/4 inch.

Water the seed bed lightly with a watering can or a spray nozzle set to the misting position. Leave the soil damp, without puddling. Keep the soil moist for the next two weeks as the seeds germinate, watering lightly each day if necessary.