Parsley, although one of the most popular culinary herbs in use today, is also one of the trickiest herbs to grow from seed. This is rather unfortunate as growing parsley from seed is the only way in which it can be propagated. In fact there is an old English saying ‘… parsley only grows when a woman rules the house…’ and although I am not sure of the exact reasoning behind this statement, it must surely have something to do with the difficulties in germinating the seed.
If you do manage to successfully germinate parsley seed, there is another problem just waiting around the corner because parsley does not cope well with being transplanted. However by sowing either straight into plug trays or directly outdoors, at least one of these obstacles can be avoided.
If you decide to sow directly outside you need a suitably prepared seed bed. This can be started in the autumn (for a spring sowing) by adding plenty of well rotted manure and digging it deeply into the soil. This is important not only because parsley needs to be able to develop long tap roots, but it also has high nutritional requirements.
If you wish to crop parsley all year round you will need to prepare two different sites. The first (for harvesting during the summer) will need to be sited on a partially shaded - west or east facing – bed. Whereas for winter harvesting you will need to be growing parsley on a sheltered, south facing bed. For both sites the soil will need to be free-draining, yet also able to retain its moisture – a difficult combination to achieve but difficult soils can be improved by adding plenty of organic matter such as leaf mould or composted bark.
Germination is always very slow and during this period - anywhere between 3 and 8 weeks - the soil must be kept moist at all times otherwise the seed will not germinate. However try this tip for successful germination, soak the seeds overnight in warm water before sowing into shallow drills or alternatively, pour freshly boiled water along the seed drills just before planting. Whichever way you decide to use, once the seed is in place cover it very lightly with soil.
Depending on how early you start your crop you may wish to give it some protection such as a cloche to help maintain soil temperatures.
Once the seedlings begin to emerge, water regularly and give it a good quality liquid feed - such as a seaweed extract - once a week. Without sufficient water parsley can flower within its first season reducing its foliage growth and effecting its flavour. Cutting out the emerging flowering stalks will help with this, but it is not ideal solution.
When harvesting the leaves, take them from the outside of the plants as new growth occurs at the centre. Parsley is not a good herb for drying as it will quickly lose its flavour so either use it fresh, or keep in a plastic bag for storing in the freezer.
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1 comment:
Thanks Simon!
The article is great! I also run a blog about gardening and garden seeds. You are welcome to visit it if you have a spare time. :)
Good luck in your garden. :)
Anthony
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