Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
Italian Flat Leaf Parsley is a biennial heirloom herb that produces dense plants with flat, dark green leaves that are deeply incised. Italian Flat Leaf Parsley is cold tolerant and can withstand a light frost. You can grow parsley in large pots for patio or container gardening. Expect to harvest early into the spring or late into the fall. Minimal pest and disease issues are known to this variety, in fact it is often use for companion planting to ward off pesky insects. Italian Flat Leaf Parsley has been a staple crop for thousands of years and is a must have for herb gardens alongside Genovese Basil and Bouquet Dill. It works well to add a deep, rich, earthy flavor to soups and for seasoning meats and pastas. Parsley also makes a great garnish to brighten dishes.
The leaves may be harvested individually for smaller applications. For larger harvests, use a sharp knife to cut the entire bunch at the stalk. Italian flat leaf parsley plants will bolt and begin producing seed when temperatures significantly warm in mid-summer, so shaded planting is recommended or frequent reseeding. These seeds can also be used for growing microgreens.
NAME: Parsley (Petroselinum crispum)
VARIETY: Italian Flat Leaf
DAYS TO MATURITY: 70 – 80
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: biennial
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 4 – 9
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun or Partial Shade
SOIL: Rich, loose fertile soil with a pH between 6.0 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 9 – 16 inches
SPACING: 6 – 12 inches
TEMP: 35 – 80 °F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
Sow 1 to 3 seeds, 1/4 inch deep in each cell tray plug filled with seed starting soil mix, 6 weeks before your last local frost.
Be sure the cells are deep enough; parsley has a long taproot that needs room to grow downward.
Keep the soil moist at 70°F and seedlings will emerge in 17 to 30 days.
As soon as seedlings emerge, provide plenty of light on a sunny windowsill or 3 to 4 inches beneath fluorescent/LED grow lights turned on 15 hours, off for 9 hours.
You can leave all the seedlings or thin to 1 seedling per cell.
Before transplanting outdoors, harden off seedlings for several days. Do this by taking them outside during the day and bringing them in at night (Outside temps should be above 50°F when you start this process).
Transplant into garden bed or large pots when they are 5 inches tall.
Space them 6 inches apart for bunched seedlings or 2 inches apart for single seedlings, in holes that are deep enough to accommodate the long taproot.
Directly sow seeds outdoors when all danger of frost has passed in spring.
Sprinkle seeds in a thin row and cover with 1/4 inch of fine soil.
Press down soil and keep moist, seedlings will emerge in 15 to 25 days.
Thin to 6 inches apart when seedlings are 2 inches high, and again thin to 10 inches apart once the plants get to be 5 inches high.
Parsley plants will bolt and begin producing seed when temperatures significantly warm in mid-summer.
Parsley is a biennial and comes back on its own for one successive year before reseeding is needed.
Use parsley fresh as a garnish or in sauces, dips, pastas and salads.
Dry parsley and grind to use as an herb in cooking.
Leaves may be harvested individually for smaller applications or for larger harvests, use a sharp knife to cut the entire bunch at the stalk.
Snip off the outer leaves with clean scissors or pruners, leaving the inner leaves to continue growing.
For larger harvests, cut the entire plant back by one-third to one-half its height, leaving some foliage intact for regrowth.
Harvested leaves can be used fresh or dried for later use in cooking or garnishing.
