A Guide to Growing Parsley for Beginner Gardeners

Leaf parsley, smooth-leaved and curly, is a very common green in our latitudes. It is suitable for growing in open ground, greenhouses and on the balcony.

Root parsley is less popular, but also deserves attention due to its excellent taste and ease of care. The technology for cultivating the crop is not labor-intensive, and its resistance to cold and the possibility of winter sowing make it possible to grow it everywhere.

Variety selection

The choice of variety depends on the desired speed of obtaining fresh greens, type (leaf or root), appearance of leaves (smooth or curly), period landings.

Popular varieties of early leaf parsley (ripening period - 60-65 days):

• Aster;
• Gloria;
• Natalka;
• Beads;
• Russian feast;
• A ditty.

Mid-ripening varieties (ripening period - 70-80 days):

• Italian giant;
• Breeze;
• Sandwich.

Mid-season root varieties:

• Doctor;
• Eastern;
• Konica;
• Eagle;
• Sugar;
• Harvest;
• Lyubasha;
• The final;
• Bordwick.

Late-ripening root varieties:

• Alba;
• The final;
• Carnival.

The late-ripening leaf variety Bogatyr is suitable for pre-winter planting. For spring sowing - leaf varieties: Ordinary, Astra, Breeze, Astra, Festival.

The root variety Urozhayny is popular for planting in spring with a ripening period of 130 days.

Popular varieties of leafy curly parsley:

• Mazina;
• Triplex;
• Esmeralda.

The photo shows leaf and curly parsley.

Landing dates

When to sow parsley? The timing of sowing depends on the type of crop:

1. Root parsley is sown in late April, after the air has warmed up to +1...+2°C, and the soil - at least 2 cm deep.
2. Leaf parsley is planted in late April - early May. Conveyor planting is possible every 2 weeks in July - August.
3. To harvest an early harvest of the leaf variety, winter sowing is done in October - November.

Crop rotation rules

The best crop predecessors are cabbage, onions, zucchini, tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and potatoes. Parsley feels good next to plantings of dill, beans, peas, cilantro, and carrots.

It is not recommended to sow the plant after celery, fennel, coriander, and dill.

Seed preparation

Parsley seeds contain essential oils that hinder their germination. Stratification will help increase the germination of the material. About two weeks before sowing, the seeds are soaked in warm water for two days. The water is changed 2 times a day.

The swollen seeds are washed with clean water, wrapped in a damp thin cotton cloth and left at room temperature for 4-6 days until sprouts appear. Then the bundle is placed on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator for 10-12 days, after which it is dried until it flows.

Reference. Seed stratification is performed before spring planting. In autumn, untreated seeds are planted in the ground.

Soil preparation

The area chosen for planting parsley is prepared in the fall: it is dug to the depth of a bayonet shovel, cleared of plant debris and fertilized with humus (5 g per 1 m²) and wood ash (200-250 g per 1 m²). Culture responds well to organic matter.

In the spring, the soil is loosened, mineral fertilizers are applied (25 g of double superphosphate, 30 g of potassium salt, 25 g of Nitrophoska per 1 m²) and leveled.

Sowing rules

Seeds of parsley leaves are planted to a depth of 1-1.5 cm at intervals of 8-10 cm, keeping a gap of 20-30 cm between furrows. Sprinkle the top with soil and mulch the beds with hay or straw.

Root parsley is planted to a depth of 2 cm at intervals of 20 cm according to a 30×30 cm pattern. A centimeter layer of earth is poured on top. Then the soil is watered with warm, clean water and covered with film for 2-3 days. This is a classic technology for planting root varieties in regions with warm and temperate climates.

In Siberia and the Urals, it is rational to carry out winter sowing to a depth of 2-2.5 cm. The beds are not watered and must be mulched with sawdust, straw or peat. Seeds germinate 12-14 days after the snow melts.

How to grow parsley

The frequency of watering depends on the type of parsley grown: leaf parsley is watered regularly every other day to feed the green mass, root intensively moisturize at the end of August, during the period of active growth of root crops.

It is important to avoid overwatering. Warm water is used for irrigation, since cold water slows down the development of the plant. In rainy weather, watering is temporarily canceled. During drought, it is permissible to moisten the beds daily.

Weeding is carried out as the weeds grow. At the beginning of the growing season, parsley is too sensitive to them and slows down growth. Weeds are removed not only from the beds, but also between the rows. The easiest way to do this is after rain, then the plants can be pulled out along with the roots.

Loosening the earthen crust after rain and watering provides an additional flow of oxygen to the root system.

Thinning is carried out as the parsley grows to provide sunlight access to young shoots and improve saturation with minerals and moisture. Without thinning, it is impossible to obtain large root parsley.The first procedure is performed after emergence, leaving 2-3 cm between sprouts. Thin out again after 14 days, leaving a gap of 5-7 cm.

Leaf parsley feed nitrogen fertilizers 2 times per season in the amount of 5 g per 1 m². The first portion is applied 5 days after germination, the second - 7 days after the first. The dosage should not be exceeded due to the accumulation of nitrates in the stems and leaves with excess nitrogen. A month before the first harvest of greenery, the plantings are fed with a mixture of 40 g of superphosphate and 20 g of potassium salt or 150-200 g of wood ash per 1 m².

The first feeding of root parsley is carried out after the appearance of 3-4 true leaves - 15 g of ammonium nitrate is added per 1 m². The second portion of fertilizers is applied 3 weeks after the first - 5 g of ammonium nitrate and potassium salt, 10 g of superphosphate per 1 m².

Disease and pest control

Parsley most often gets sick:

• downy mildew - white spots on the foliage;
• white rot - the roots rot and soften;
• white spotting - whitish spots appear on the foliage, the tissues soften and rot;
• black rot - darkening and rotting of the root collar;
• rust - red-orange spots not green.

These diseases arise as a result of violations of agricultural technology. To prevent infection, it is recommended:

• observe crop rotation;
• maintain optimal soil moisture;
• remove weeds;
• treat plantings with Fitosporin, Energen;
• warm up the seeds before sowing to +45…+50°C.

Treating the area with copper sulfate, copper oxychloride, Fitosporin, Fundazim, Quadris, Skor, Bayleton will help prevent the spread of fungal infections.

Effective folk remedies:

• 1 liter of sour milk per 10 liters of water;
• 1/3 soda ash and 25 ml of liquid soap per 1 liter of water;
• 1 liter of wood ash per 5 liters of hot water;
• Boil 1 kg of fresh horsetail in 10 liters of water and leave for 24 hours;
• 1/2 bucket of marigold inflorescences and 25 ml of liquid soap per 10 liters of water.

Treatment is performed once every 7 days. Plants can be sprayed with fermented milk solution daily.

Plantings of leaf and root parsley are often attacked by carrot psyllids, aphids, and stem nematodes.

To repel planting pests:

• dusted with a 1:1 mixture of tobacco dust and wood ash, covered with lutrasil with a density of 17 g/m²;
• sprayed with Fitoverm or Iskra Bio 2-3 times every 10 days.

Safe folk remedies for insects:

• Infuse 200 g of onion peels in 5 liters of warm water for 3 hours, add 50 g of soap;
• Infuse 200 g of tobacco dust in 5 liters of water for 2 days;
• Infuse 150 g of chamomile in 1 liter of water for 12 hours, add 5 liters of water and add 25 ml of liquid soap;
• 4 tbsp. l. vinegar 9% per 5 liters of water;
• 1 tbsp. l. ammonia per 1 liter of water;
• 5 tbsp. l. soda per 5 liters of water;
• 200 ml of milk and 30 drops of iodine per 2 liters of water.

Features of growing in open ground

Growing parsley in open ground does not cause difficulties even for novice gardeners. To get a rich harvest of greenery, it is important to follow the rules of sowing and caring for plantings:

1. It is not advisable to plant seeds too deeply - this makes their germination difficult due to limited access to oxygen, heat and water. To wake up, the seeds consume a large amount of nutrients, which may not be enough for the further development of the plants, and the seedlings will die in the soil.
2. It is not recommended to sow seeds too shallowly due to the high risk of drying out and being blown away by the wind.The optimal planting depth is 1.5 cm for leaf parsley and 2 cm for root parsley.
3. It is better to compact the bottom of the furrows to facilitate the access of water from the lower layers of the soil.
4. To make it easier to control weeds, it is recommended to mix parsley and lettuce seeds. This plant germinates earlier than parsley, marking rows, so weeding can be done carefully without damaging future shoots.
5. The main condition for caring for parsley is regular loosening. Experienced gardeners claim that loosening the soil twice can replace one watering. It is better to carry out the procedure after watering, when the soil dries out a little. During drought, it is recommended to loosen the beds to a depth of 3-5 cm, breaking up the earthen crust.

In the greenhouse

Parsley can also be grown in greenhouse conditions, following the same care rules as in open ground. This method is more suitable for growing greens for sale or when planting together with other crops.

Sow 2 g of stratified seeds per 1 m². Shoots appear after 8-10 days at a temperature of +2°C.

The optimal air temperature for plant development is +10…+15°C. At elevated temperatures, the leaves turn yellow and fall off; at low temperatures, the measles system freezes.

On the balcony

Leaf parsley is one of the most picky crops suitable for growing on the balcony. The plant does not require special conditions or labor costs.

Seeds are sown in ready-made substrate from a gardening store. Long boxes are disinfected with a solution of potassium permanganate, drainage is placed at the bottom and filled with damp soil mixture. The prepared seeds are sown in furrows 5 mm deep, sprinkled with earth and covered with film. After the emergence of seedlings, the shelter is removed.

The seedlings are watered every other day.When the seedlings become stronger, they are transferred to a sunny windowsill and thinned out, leaving a gap of 3-4 cm. The first greenery is cut 5-6 weeks after germination.

Reproduction

Parsley propagates by seeds, which are collected in the second year of the growing season. The plants are cut and stacked in rows to dry. After 4-6 days, the seeds are threshed, dried and excess husks are removed.

Planting material is placed in paper or fabric bags and stored in a dark place, away from foreign odors.

Harvest and storage

Root parsley is harvested in late September - early October. To do this, choose sunny and dry weather. The greens are cut, the roots are pulled out, the soil is shaken off and left to dry in the garden bed.

Then the crop is sorted, rotten and damaged roots are thrown away, healthy ones are put in boxes with their heads up and covered with sand. The optimal storage temperature is 0…+15°C.

The root can be stored in the refrigerator. The tops and tails are cut off, and the root vegetables are placed in perforated bags.

Leaf parsley is harvested throughout the growing season:

• the tops are cut off, the inner foliage is left so as not to retard further growth;
• For cutting, select stems on which all three leaves have matured.

You can have parsley store in the freezer, pickle in jars and dry.

Fresh greens are stored for 12-15 days in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0...+5°C.

The nuances of growing in different regions

The time for sowing parsley in open ground depends on the growing region:

• in the south, spring sowing is carried out already in early March, as soon as the snow melts;
• in the Far East - at the end of March;
• in the Urals, Siberia and the north of the European part of Russia - at the end of April.

The further south the region, the later winter sowing is carried out. In the southern regions, parsley is sown in late November, in the northern regions - no later than the end of October.

In regions with cold climates, the seedling method of growing root parsley is practiced:

• sowing work is carried out in the second half of March;
• soil from the garden is disinfected with Fitosporin, potassium permanganate or copper sulfate, the substrate from the store is heated in an oven or double boiler;
• seedlings are grown at a temperature of +23…+25°C;
• soil moisture is maintained at a constant level;
• after the first true leaves appear, the temperature is reduced to +18°C;
• The seedlings are transferred to a permanent place in mid-May.

Otherwise, the agricultural technology of the crop is the same for all regions.

Conclusion

Parsley is not demanding on climatic conditions; it only needs to adhere to the watering regime, thinning, applying fertilizers and regular loosening of the beds along with weeding.

The cold resistance of the plant allows sow seeds before winter to obtain an early harvest of greens. The conveyor sowing method (every 2 weeks) is convenient for those who grow parsley for sale and allows for a consistently fresh harvest.