Features of growing parsley in a greenhouse for sale

Growing parsley in a greenhouse can be a profitable endeavor. Greens are in demand in the market all year round. In spring, autumn and winter, prices soar 2-3 times.

Parsley ranks second in popularity among greens, giving first place to onions. It is loved for its pleasant spicy aroma, taste and aesthetic appearance. Parsley is not only a set of essential vitamins, micro- and macroelements, but also a decoration for any dish on the table.

Features of growing parsley in a greenhouse in winter

Forcing parsley in a greenhouse in winter is not an easy task. There is difficulty not only in the growing process, but also in organizing sales. cut greens. But such a business also has many advantages.

Advantages

Greens are good for health, and consuming them in winter allows a person not to get sick and maintains a vitamin boost. Parsley is in demand all year round, therefore, the main advantage of growing this crop in a greenhouse is the ability to harvest crops all year round, not only for personal use, but also for sale.

Other advantages:

• low incidence and resistance to pests;
• greens are easy to care for;
• the germination period is short, profit can be made quickly;
• the cost of fresh greens in winter is much higher than the funds spent on purchasing seeds and care;
• in the southern regions, greens are grown even in an unheated greenhouse.

Flaws

Where troubles might lie:

1. Cut parsley begins to lose vitamins after 2 hours, and after 3-4 hours it withers outdoors or indoors. You need to store greens in a bag or container in the refrigerator or urgently look for a place to sell.
2. If the greenhouse is located in an area with a harsh climate, it will have to be heated in order to harvest crops from autumn to spring. The price of heating appliances and electricity charges will be very significant.
3. The business of selling greens is developed throughout the country. Store shelves are filled with different varieties of parsley all year round. In some regions it is difficult to enter the product market with this production; you need to look for regular customers.

Which varieties are suitable for growing in a greenhouse in winter?

Root and leaf varieties of parsley are grown in the greenhouse. Root, with thick and strong roots similar to carrots, is used for pickling, in soups and sauces.

Its greens are also eaten, but they feel a bit rough. For leafy varieties, only the leaves are consumed, the roots are not eaten.

When choosing a parsley variety, consider:

• Is the variety suitable for your climate?
• is it suitable for greenhouse cultivation;
• whether the variety is resistant to diseases that develop in greenhouse conditions;
• yield per unit area.

Leaf varieties

They can be curly or smooth, the height reaches 60 cm.

Leaf varieties that grow well in a greenhouse in winter:

• Moskrauch is early ripening, consumed fresh and dried, the variety has an aesthetic appearance;
• Breeze is mid-season, after cutting it remains fresh for up to four hours, greens are consumed 2.5 months after sowing;
• Bravo - mid-season, productive, has a strong pleasant smell, the leaves are arranged vertically, after cutting it does not wither or lose its presentation for up to four hours;
• Esmeralda (photo on the right) - mid-season, the average weight of one bush is 50 g, 30 leaves per rosette, after cutting new greenery quickly grows;
• Bogatyr is an early ripening plant, the rosette is semi-spreading, the greens have a spicy aroma and an aesthetic presentation, after cutting the greens quickly grow back.

Root parsley

The most famous varieties of root parsley:

• Bordovikskaya is a productive late variety, root weight is up to 150 g, can be stored in the cellar for a long time;
• Urozhaynaya - an early ripening variety, a white root crop, got its name for its high yield - 3-6.5 kg per m²;
• Root Berlinskaya - an early ripening variety, light yellow root, aromatic and pleasant to the taste;
• Piquant - a mid-season variety, the greens have a pleasant taste and aroma, the weight of the root crop is up to 110 g, the yield is up to 2.8 kg per m², it is stored well;
• Final is a mid-season variety, root weight is up to 190 g, yield is up to 2.5 kg per m², shelf life is average, so it needs to be sold quickly.

Features of planting and growing

Parsley in the greenhouse has a rich color, natural aroma, and is stored well during transportation, if comprehensive and consistent care is provided for it.

Interesting facts about parsley:

How to distinguish cilantro from parsley

Review of the parsley variety “Italian Giant”

Seed preparation

First the seeds are sorted: soak for 3 hours in water, empty specimens that float up are thrown away. Then they are germinated: placed in a damp cloth folded in several layers, left for 4-5 days at room temperature - for example, on a saucer. As soon as the fabric dries, it is moistened - and so on until sprouts appear.

The last stage is hardening. Sprouted seeds are placed in the refrigerator for 10 days. The temperature in the refrigerator should be 1-2°C.

Plant not only seeds, but also root crops. To do this, they are kept in sand at a temperature of 2°C for 24 hours. The greenery is cut off from them within a month, when its height is 25 cm.

Reference. Parsley contains a lot of essential oils, which give it a strong aroma. But they also prevent the seeds from germinating quickly in the ground, so the germination stage at home is mandatory.

Soil preparation

Parsley is unpretentious to the composition of the soil, but prefers moderately fertilized soils, soddy-podzolic or light loamy type. Before planting, mix garden soil with peat, then spill it with a solution of copper sulfate, which destroys pest larvae and pathogens in the soil. Then complex mineral compounds and wood ash are added. After this, the ground is loosened.

Important! Parsley does not grow well in heavy soil, such as loamy soil. The root crop always has gnarled, ugly shapes, and the greens are thin and stunted.

Planting scheme and technology

Cut grooves at a distance of 15-20 cm from each other with a depth of 2-3 cm. Seeds are placed in them at a distance of 3-5 cm from each other, sprinkled with soil, compacted and watered abundantly with settled water. If there are more seeds than expected, they are sown more densely and thinned out after germination.

Root crops are planted in furrows at an angle of 45° at a distance of 10 cm from each other, sprinkle with soil so that the neck is visible above the surface, compact and shed generously.

Important! To prevent diseases and pests from damaging parsley in the greenhouse in winter, do not plant it in place of legumes, cabbage, onions or tomatoes.

Features of care and feeding

The main factor in the germination of greenery and its presentation – temperature, which should not fall below 10°C.

The soil is moistened with a watering can. It’s easy to understand that it’s time to water the crop: take the top layer of soil in your fist; if the soil crumbles or becomes dusty, it’s time to water. While the soil is moist, remove weeds.

Attention! Jet watering is not used for parsley so as not to wash the seeds out of the soil.

If organic fertilizers were used in preparation for planting, then complex minerals are used when growing. Leaf varieties are fed with saltpeter twice during the growing season: 50-60 g of fertilizer per m². Phosphorus-potassium fertilizers are applied to root varieties.

For full growth and development, parsley requires a constant flow of sunlight.. In winter it is not enough, so artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps is organized in the greenhouse.

How to grow a rich harvest

How to grow parsley in a greenhouse in winter and get large volumes? The secret is which greenhouse to use.

For parsley you need a greenhouse made of metal or wood, covered with polycarbonate. Such greenhouses do not require frequent repairs; they retain heat well and diffuse sunlight. Polycarbonate is lighter and stronger than glass.

In areas with cold climates, double glazing is used. It creates the effect of a thermos and retains heat twice as much as a single cover. The greenhouse must have windows for ventilation.

Beginning gardeners grow greens in the ground. After promoting the business, when the demand for the product increases, they move on to growing parsley on shelves. On the upper tier of the rack, plants are planted in boxes with nutrient soil or a hydroponics system is used.

Reference. Hydroponics is a method of growing greenery in artificial environments, without soil.Plants get all the nutrients they need from the nutrient solution that surrounds their roots.

Special no container required for hydroponics, parsley is planted in plastic glasses. This technology saves the area of ​​use of the greenhouse.

Greens grow faster in good light. During the winter months, the greenhouse is illuminated with fluorescent lamps.

Harvest dates

Parsley seeds germinate in 15-20 days, and the time for the first harvest of greens is 60-85 days. To collect it regularly, it is recommended to plant varieties of different ripeness every 15-20 days.

Greens are cut with a sharp knife or garden shears. Lay out in one layer on a flat surface so that it dries and excess moisture evaporates. Turn over if necessary. The dried greens are placed in wooden boxes and wrapped in film so that the parsley does not dry out. Within 24 hours, the greens are sent for sale, frozen or dried.

Read also:

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The best product for facial skin: parsley masks

The nuances of growing for sale

Growing parsley for sale in winter is a profitable business. The main requirements: you need to grow greens in large quantities, and choose varieties that have an attractive presentation.

Seed germination, even if all preparation and planting conditions are met – 70%, so they plant thicker, and then thin out the weak shoots. Parsley is not picky about the soil; it is planted in soil prepared with organic matter and then fertilized with mineral compounds.

Transport parsley carefully so as not to crush it, otherwise it will lose its presentation.. If delivery to a store or market takes less than four hours, the parsley is cut off.If it is transported longer, it is watered abundantly and after 3-4 hours it is pulled out by the roots (leaf varieties). Then they are placed in a plastic container in a special solution: one aspirin tablet is diluted in 1 liter of water. The container is placed tightly, for example, in a box, and hermetically sealed.

Features of the parsley growing business

The demand for goods is spring and autumn: it is during this period that large volumes need to be provided. To create a business growing greens, a business plan is drawn up. The first point is counting funds.

What expenses need to be calculated:

• soil and greenhouse;
• heaters and phytolamps;
• hydroponics racks;
• thermometer and rain watering system;
• seedlings and seeds;
• repair costs;
• advertising;
• payment for freight transportation.

Parsley sprouts and grows up to 80 days, and it must be sold within 3-4 hours after cuttingso that it retains its beneficial properties and does not lose its presentation.

There are 3 sales strategies:

1. Retail. Independent sale of products on the market. It takes a lot of effort and time. Profits are low due to low volume.
2. Sale to resellerswho distribute products. Minus - resellers buy greens at the minimum price, the profit will again be low.
3. Sales of products to stores, supermarkets, catering outlets. The most cost-effective way: they hand over all the grown products and immediately make a profit. Difficulty: need to find clients.4

How to calculate approximate profit

If the greenhouse will be 300-400 m² in size, the harvest will be from 1.7 kg per m², ripening within two months, then 1200 kg of greenery will be harvested in two months. At a cost of 150 rubles. per kg monthly income will be 90,000 rubles. (for 2 months – 180,000 rubles). Costs will be up to 35% of this amount, net profit will be about 60,000 rubles. (or 120,000 rub.in 2 months).

Reference. In winter, prices for parsley double, which means your income will double.

Conclusion

Growing parsley in a greenhouse is a highly profitable business. For it to be successful, the main work processes, the main one of which is sales, are organized correctly. After all, parsley on the counter should have a beautiful, aesthetic appearance.

To achieve large scale, they draw up a business plan, buy a greenhouse, prepare seeds and take comprehensive care of the plantings. Have a profitable business!