You’ve no doubt had a need for parsley and don’t have it on hand. In such cases, you have surely thought about how useful it could be to have a lush parsley plant at home.
Fortunately, growing parsley is less difficult than you might think, and having a plant that is always lush and full of leaves is possible by following the care and tricks we suggest in this article.
Native to the Mediterranean area, parsley is an aromatic plant that is used both as a seasoning in cooking and in traditional medicine.
Cultivation of parsley
The cultivation of parsley is very simple and perfectly suited to be done at home. It takes about 3 to 4 weeks to germinate, and from planting to the first harvest can take about 3 months. A good option to skip this step is to buy an already formed seedling.
Parsley needs a well-fertilized potting soil. The ideal mix is ¼ coconut fiber, ¼ earthworm humus and the other half universal potting soil.
You can put the parsley plant in full sun or half-shade, but always ensure it gets plenty of light and at least 15°C (59°F).
If you decide to start from seeds, you need to soak them the night before to encourage their germination. You can plant the seeds directly into the final pots.
Water well and keep the potting soil moist at all times until the seedling reaches 5-6 centimeters in height. At this point we will leave only the seedlings that are at a distance of 5 centimeters between them if they are to be transplanted, 15-20 centimeters if they are already in the final pot.
It is important to put a layer of draining gravel under the potting soil: good drainage is important to avoid the risk of plant disease.
Plant development
The development of the parsley plant is slow and you can start harvesting the leaves when they reach a height of about 25 centimeters. Although the plant lasts alive for up to two years, we can only use its leaves during the first year because they are more abundant, tender and have a thinner stem.
Now that you know how to grow a parsley plant at home, start now to have a supply on hand at all times.