Growing and Managing Parsley

Growing and Managing Parsley



Parsley (Petroselinum sativum/crispum) is a biennial plant grown for its leaves and stems. A native of Europe, it can be cultivated for long use when proper care is applied for a continuous supply of vegetables in your kitchen.



Parsley is a common herbs that is very popular in many dishes, either it’s fresh or cooked. Growing parsley is easy, and you can plant them anywhere in the garden or any vacant area inside or outside your house as long as there is available sunlight at least 5-6 hours a day. It is advice that you always eat the fresh condition of parsley to get the most vitamins (A and C) you desired.



It is a near relative of celery and parsnips and is a universal favorite for garnishes, use for flavoring salads, soups, and stews.



It produces long stalk during the first year with plenty of leaves, enough to supply for home use. The stalk and leaves are green in color and very attractive to look at and adds the fresh atmosphere in your home as an ornamental especially when placed along the pathways.



It bears small and greenish blue flowers after the first year, and attains a height from 60 to 80 centimeters. While the seeds are three-sided and gray in color.



The stalks and leaves has many uses for food preparation. It can be eaten raw like lettuce, the leaves are cooked and garnishing with meat and fish, or cooked in soups.



A few plants in the garden will yield a harvest sufficient for a family, providing leaves are cut often and the plants not allowed to bear seeds.



Preparing seeds for planting



Since the seedlings are delicate and grow slowly, they should be grown in seed boxes or germinating trays.



Sow the seeds in drills early in spring, using one-fourth of an ounce to 100 feet of row.



Soak the seeds in water overnight before sowing to induce quicker germination. You should water them frequently to hasten fast seed germination.



They should be germinated similar to other small seedlings such as; pechay, mustard, and other ornamental flowers.



Extra care should be observed that they should be attended in order to produce vigorous and healthy seedlings. The young plants are small and quite delicate and require protection and frequent watering to prevent loss from drying. When established, the plants are more resistant to cold than to heat.



Because of their tender nature while young, the plants are frequently I cold frames or hotbeds. However, Parsley responses well under favorable conditions in the open.



For best result, you should plant Parsley in a rich, fine, moisture-retentive soil.



To get a well-established plants, you have to set about 6 inches apart each way, keep free of weeds, and the entire top clipped off to thicken the crown of leaves.



There are 3 cultivars of Parsley:



1. Champion Moss Curled – A very fine curled, bright green and very ornamental variety.



2. Hamburg or Turnip-Rooted – A plain –leaf variety, forming a long, thick, and edible root.



3. Double Curled – A curled variety, very hardy and easy to grow. Deep, rich green, and preferred by many to the extremely curled varieties.



Steps in Growing Parsley…



Step 1 (Curley type). Being a biennial plant, parsley should be planted yearly to get a new sets of fresh leaves. This way, your parsley will last longer period.



Step 2 (Italian type). Growing of Italian type parsley is the same with the curley type, since they are used for their leaves.



Step 3 (Root type). The root type parsley can be planted by seeds. Care should be strictly observed not to destroy the roots since the plant will not do well when they’re disturbed.



Step 4 (Indoor Planting). To grow parsley indoors, you need to provide a deep pot to give way for its long roots to penetrate deeply. Put a good soil mix into the pot, but not too fertile soil. Parsley prefers to grow in less fertile soil to have a lean stem structures. Place your potted plant in areas where there is an available sunlight at least 5-6 hours a day.



Step 5 (Parsley in patio or balcony). Like indoor planting, parsley can be grown in patio or balcony as long as there's an available supply of sunlight.



Step 6. (Outdoor planting). Parsley can be planted outside your house which is the ideal one. Provide a convenient place in your garden where you can plant them near to your kitchen for easy harvest.



Step 7 (Companion cropping). Parsley can also be planted with other flowering plants as companion crop for a lush green color of the whole population.



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Crisologo Ramasasa is a freelance writer who writes articles on Home Gardening and Internet marketing tips. Subscribe his Free gardening and Internet marketing tips. Visit his site at: www.crisramasasa.com. Get a Free copy of his latest ebook "Discover How To Get Started in Flower Gardening" and "Vegetable Gardening Made Easy". There are lots of information you can get with this materials.