How to plant and grow parsley

When to plant parsley

The seeds of this spicy crop begin to germinate when the soil warms up to 5 degrees. She is not afraid of spring return frosts, so you can start sowing as early as April. And to harvest all summer, plant parsley at intervals of 12-14 days until the end of July.

How to prepare a bed for parsley

Just like dill, parsley needs plenty of sun to thrive. Therefore, choose a well-lit place. If you sow it next to other plants, make sure that the "neighbors" do not create a shadow.

Prepare in 2-3 weeks soil for sowing. For each square meter of beds, add 3–4 kg of rotted manure or compost, 100–200 g of wood ash, 1 tablespoon of nitroammophoska and dig the soil onto a shovel bayonet. Level the surface with a rake, breaking up earthen clods, and pour plenty of water over the soil.

How to prepare parsley seeds for sowing

They need to be pre-soaked to speed up germination. Pour the seeds with water at a temperature of about 40 degrees and leave for 1.5 hours. For soaking, a growth stimulator solution is also suitable - "Epin" or "Energen". For 100 ml of water at room temperature, take 1-2 drops of the product. True, the process will take longer - 18 hours.

In both cases, after the procedure, drain the liquid, spread the seeds on paper and dry well so that they become free-flowing again.

How to plant parsley

If the soil is dry, moisten it with plenty of water and start sowing.

Make furrows

Their depth should be 1-1.5 cm. If you sow parsley in several rows, keep a distance of 20–30 cm between them. Grooves can be made with a chopper, a small spatula, or use a long bar - this way the layout of the beds will turn out to be even.

Sow parsley

Spread the seeds at the bottom of the grooves. Try to space them at least 1 cm apart so you don't have to thin out the seedlings. Fill the rows with soil, lightly compacting the surface with the palm of your hand. Moisten the bed moderately with water from a watering can with a diffuser attachment so as not to wash out the soil.

Wait for shoots

Seeds germinate for quite a long time - from 2 to 4 weeks. If the parsley has sprouted thickly, pull out the weaker shoots, leaving a distance of about 1 cm.

How to care for parsley

Greens will grow strong even without top dressing.

Water the parsley

Do this often, but in moderation, without turning the garden into a swamp. In rainy weather, of course, you do not need to water, but in dry weather, it is enough to moisten the beds every other day. Pour water between rows early in the morning or in the evening at sunset, without falling on the leaves, otherwise the parsley can get sunburned.

Loosen and weed the beds

Over time, from irrigation, the surface of the soil hardens and turns into a crust, which makes it difficult for oxygen to reach the roots of plants. Therefore, try to loosen the soil around the bushes at least once a week with a chopper with small teeth or an ordinary fork. Also remove weeds regularly, especially when the parsley is very young. These harmful plants take nutrition and moisture from the soil, which slows down the development of noble greenery.

When and how to harvest parsley

Depending on the variety, it is completely ready for harvest in 70–90 days from the moment of germination. It is necessary to cut off the entire bush as a whole, and leave the root in the ground - it will then release young shoots.

In general, young greens can be harvested throughout the growing season. The main thing is to cut the side shoots, and do not touch the middle of the plant so as not to injure the growing point.