Growing Parsley:
Planting, Care, and Harvest

Growing parsley is easy, and it is one of the most useful herbs in the kitchen. It goes into the garden early, keeps producing all season, and with a little mulch it keeps going into winter. Parsley is a member of the carrot family, grown for its fresh leaves for cooking and garnish.

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Parsley in the vegetable garden.

Parsley at a glance
Type	Biennial, grown as an annual; it flowers and goes to seed in its second spring
Sun	Full sun to light shade; afternoon shade in hot climates
Soil	Fertile, moist, well-drained; pH 6.0 to 7.0
Plant	Sow outdoors 2 to 4 weeks before your last frost, or set out transplants
Germination	Slow: 2 to 4 weeks
Spacing	6 to 8 inches apart
Harvest	About 70 to 90 days from seed; pick the outer stems as needed

Parsley in My Garden

I sometimes grow parsley right in the vegetable garden, where it is handy to snip a few sprigs on the way back to the kitchen.

Charlotte

Growing Parsley from Seeds

Parsley growing with onions and flowers in a vegetable garden — Parsley growing with onions and flowers.

Be patient. Parsley seeds are slow to sprout, often 2 to 4 weeks. Keep the soil evenly moist the whole time.
Soak first. Soaking the seeds overnight in warm water helps them sprout a little faster.
When to sow: directly in the garden 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost. Parsley handles cool weather well.
How deep: plant the seeds about 1/4 inch deep, then thin the seedlings to 6 to 8 inches apart.
Soil: fertile, moist, well-drained soil with compost worked in.

Find your sowing dates with our free personalized planting calendar.

Growing Parsley from Transplants

Start indoors 6 to 8 weeks before you plan to set the plants out.
Set them out anytime from 4 weeks before to 4 weeks after your last frost.
Or buy plants: small parsley plants are easy to find at garden centers in spring.
Handle gently. Parsley has a long taproot and doesn't like to be disturbed, so move young plants carefully, with their soil.
Close spacing: in intensive beds, you can space plants 4 to 6 inches apart.

Growing Parsley in Containers

Parsley growing in a container garden — Parsley in a container.

Container herb garden with several herbs in pots — A container herb garden.

Use a deep pot. Parsley has a deep taproot, so choose a pot at least 8 inches deep.
Mix or match. Grow parsley alone in a small pot, or mix it with other herbs or vegetables in a large container.
Sun or light shade: in very hot climates, give potted parsley some afternoon shade.
Bring it in. Potted parsley can spend the summer outdoors and move indoors to a sunny window for winter picking.

See growing herbs in pots for more container tips.

Harvesting Parsley

Pick from the outside. Parsley grows from the center outward. Cut the outer stems near the base, a few at a time, and leave the center to keep growing.
Keep picking. Cutting as you need it keeps the plant producing all season, and keeps it bushy instead of tall and lanky.
Extend the season. Mulch several inches around the base of the plants in fall, or cover them with a cold frame, tunnel, or cloche, and you can keep picking into winter.
Go easy in winter. Pick only a few leaves at a time while the plant is resting.
Second spring: parsley sends up a flower stalk and goes to seed in its second year. Pull it then and plant fresh parsley.

Parsley Varieties

Flat-leaf (Italian): big yields and strong flavor, the favorite of many cooks.
Curly: the classic garnish, with frilly leaves. Afro and Triple Curled are reliable, and curly types hold up well in cold weather.
Hamburg (root parsley): grown for its white, parsnip-like root, which tastes like a mix of celery root and parsley. The leaves can be used too.

Growing Hamburg parsley

Long season: the roots take about 90 days or more to size up. Sow in early spring and harvest in fall.
Cool weather: like all parsley, it grows best between 50 and 70°F, and slows down in hot weather. It is very cold-hardy, and the roots taste sweeter after a frost.
Soil: loose, moist soil free of rocks and clods, so the roots grow straight; pH 6.0 to 7.0.
Care: keep it watered and mulched. Few pests bother it.
Cook it like parsnips: roasted, in soups and stews, or mashed.

Pests and Companions

Raised herb bed with parsley and other herbs — Herbs in a raised bed.

Parsleyworms: these striped green caterpillars turn into black swallowtail butterflies. Many gardeners plant a little extra parsley to share with them, or move them to wild carrot or dill.
Aphids: spray them off with a strong stream of water.
Carrot rust fly: its larvae tunnel into the roots of parsley and other carrot-family crops. Row covers keep the flies away.

Companions: parsley is low-growing and shade-tolerant, so tuck it between taller crops, or along the edge of a bed with celery, spinach, or tomatoes. Its flowers in the second year attract helpful insects.

More Herb Growing Guides

Kitchen herb garden plan example with parsley and other herbs — A kitchen herb garden example.

Free interactive vegetable garden planner tool — Plan your herb and vegetable garden with our free planner.

Growing parsley is just the start. This page is part of our Growing Herbs in the Garden hub. For a step-by-step guide to starting a kitchen herb garden, see The Old Farmer's Almanac's How to Start an Herb Garden.

Growing Herbs in the Garden Growing Herbs in Pots How to Grow Rosemary Growing Basil How to Grow Cilantro Free Garden Planner

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