The Care of Parsley Plants

Growing Parsley

• Growing parsley plants requires patience, as they have a long germination period, generally three to four weeks. To help speed up the process, soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting. Then plant the seeds where they will receive ample sun, at least six hours a day, and make sure they are watered regularly. Plant them in early spring. As they start to show, you may need to thin the plants.

  In summer, parsley may require watering daily to withstand the dry heat. Adding mulch to the soil will help with water retention. You can add fertilizer approximately every four weeks to sustain its growth, if necessary. And parsley can be transplanted from the ground and into pots to bring it inside to extend its growing period. If you do this, plant the herb in a deep pot, as it grows a long taproot. And be sure to put the pot on a windowsill where the parsley can continue to receive many hours of sunlight a day.

Harvesting Parsley

• The stalks and the leaves are edible. Once harvested, you can use the parsley fresh for its fullest flavor, or you can freeze or dry it for later use. When cutting parsley stalks, cut from just above the ground level to encourage new and more vigorous growth. Trimming off just the tops may result in spindly plants without much regrowth. Likewise, to keep the plant growing, trim off any flowers as soon as they appear, as you would with any herb.

  Parsley makes a wonderful flavoring for meats and salads and is often used as a garnish. While the curly variety is most popular for garnishes, the Hamburg parsley can be cooked up like parsnips.