by Alice Shoaf

Created on: May 08, 2009

No vegetable or herb garden is complete without parsley, and no accomplished cook will work without it. In the garden or the kitchen, parsley is attractive, useful, and beneficial. It is also one of the easiest and least picky herbs to grow yourself.

There are three main types. Curly parsley is flavorful and aromatic. It is best used fresh and is pretty as a garnish.

Flat leafed parsley has a slightly stronger flavor, and is excellent for cooking. Hamburg parsley, sometimes known as root parsley or soup parsley, is a root vegetable with a pungent flavor somewhat between parsley and celery.

Seeds and Seedlings

All three types of parsley are easy to grow and quite adaptable to soil and weather conditions. They are slow to start, however, with a germination time of two to five weeks. It is best to start them indoors and transplant to the garden later.

Soak the seeds in warm water for about 24 hours. Plant in seed boxes or containers, and mark the containers so you remember where the seeds are. Soil should be 6.5 to 7.5 PH and well drained. Keep the soil moist during germination. New shoots will look like thin grass with two opposite leaves.

Potted Herbs

Leaf parsley does pretty well in containers as a house or patio plant. Make sure it is in a pot with good drainage, and fertilize often as the soil will lose nutrients more quickly. Also be careful you do not crowd the containers. The disadvantage to pots is that your plants may be somewhat spindly, as they are sun lovers. The advantage is you can easily move them indoors if the weather turns too hot or cold. If they are going to the garden, the plants can be transplanted when they are about 4 inches high.

In The Garden

Plant leaf parsley about 8 inches apart. Root parsley you will want about 15 inches apart, as the roots grow to a size similar to a parsnip. Parsley will grow anywhere there is a lot of sun. As a companion plant around tomatoes it is particularly beneficial, as it attracts tomato horn-worms and keeps them away from the tomatoes. Parsley also attracts beneficial wasps and flies, which then feed on predatory insects and thus protect your garden. Many folks plant parsley as a low growing hedge around the perimeter for this reason. It is also pretty in a rock garden.

After transplanting, keep soil moist for the first week or so, then slow down on the water. Parsley does not like to dry out, but benefits from deep soaking without being flooded. Mulching will help preserve moisture and prevent

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