How to grow parsley

Petroselinum crispum · Apiaceae · Herb

Parsley is a cool-season herb in the Apiaceae family, grown either from a direct sowing or from transplants. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 70–90 days. It handles frost well and a light freeze often improves the flavour.

Grower’s note: Slow, erratic germination - soak seed overnight and be patient for 3-4 weeks. A biennial: it bolts its second spring, so most gardeners resow yearly. Often overwinters with mulch.

Sowing

Sow about 0.5″ deep, into soil between 50–85°F — germination is quickest near 70°F. It is slow and often erratic to germinate (14–28 days). For an early crop, start seed indoors about 9 weeks before your last spring frost and grow it under bright light.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 8″ along the row with roughly 12″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 4 per square foot. Allow at least 10″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 10″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

As a cool-season crop, parsley does its best growing in the mild weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. A second sowing in late summer, timed to mature as the weather cools, is usually the better crop of the year — and light frost only sweetens it.

Quick facts

When to plant parsley

Companions

Common problems

Pests: black swallowtail caterpillar, aphids, spider mite.

Diseases & disorders: septoria leaf spot, crown rot, damping off.

Same family (Apiaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.