How To Grow Parsley In Pots

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Wondering how to grow parsley in pots. This gardening article lets you learn more about parsley growing tips for beginners.

Grow Parsley in Pots

Parsley belongs on the window sill of every kitchen. This robust little biennial plant is more valuable in vitamin C content than oranges and beats spinach twice over when it comes to iron content. Due to its high chlorophyll concentration, people use it as a breath freshener. But mostly, parsley is known as a garnish, flavoring, and as medicinal herb.

This article will help a beginner to grow their very own parsley, and understand its care requirements and its life cycle.

What You Will Need For This Biennial Herb

The great thing about growing parsley in a garden container is that, during the summer season, the plants can be relocated as necessary to keep them in the cool shade, away from sunlight. If you grow parsley on a kitchen windowsill, you can raise or lower the shades or blinds as necessary.

You will need parsley seeds or a parsley start, potting soil, and a pot with drainage holes.

Recommended depth for parsley seeds

The recommended depth for planting parsley seed is only ¼" in small "drills", or holes poked into the soil's surface. After sowing your parsley seeds they should be covered with a light layer of compost. You can purchase parsley seeds from your local garden shop, or online. A nice assortment of 12 culinary herb seeds for your herb garden, including parsley, is available from Amazon.com.

Location For The Best Results

The most important thing about growing parsley is that it flourishes in the open, well-drained in full sun and moderate shade. The soil should be kept moderately moist, so it needs a regular supply of water to keep producing new leaves. Water deeply at least once a week to insure the roots are receiving enough moisture during the growing season.

RELATED: Tips to Start Seeds in Spring

The Container For Fresh Plants

To grow parsley in a container, you need to keep these two requirements in mind. It must be deep enough to accommodate the roots. Look for a container at least 15cm deep. The pot must have good drainage holes. Avoid terra cotta because it tends to draw out moisture and dry parsley faster.

Parsley is an excellent plant for growing in all sorts of garden containers. To start your container garden, you should find some 3" deep garden pots that are made especially for growing parsley from seed. An example of a starter set just for growing parsley is the Herb Garden Gift Set with Soil, available from Amazon.com.

Parsley grows quite well in a container by itself or with other herbs as long as it receives plenty of sun. Once the parsley seedlings have taken root, you can transplant them to a deeper, 10-inch planting pot. A deep garden container is needed for the plant to have plenty of room for its roots when you grow parsley in pots.

Soil And Fertilizer For Optimal Growth

The best soil for growing parsley in a garden container is fertile, well-drained rich loam with a high nitrogen content. You can choose to make your rich garden soil by composting kitchen scraps in a suitable container.

Be sure to check the pH level of your soil before planting. You will need a soil testing kit to test the pH level, or acidity of the soil. If you prefer to purchase bags of garden soil, buy garden soil that is nutritionally blended and balanced for growing flavorful herbs like parsley.

Parsley requires some attention when it comes to potting medium. It thrives in moist soil rich in organic matter like compost. Normal potting rich soil is acceptable if the plant is going to be kept indoors. Loamy garden soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0 and a high level of nitrogen is also good. Soil-less options include perlite, vermiculite, rockwood, coco peat moss, and oasis foam. Whatever you decide on, don't let the soggy soil dry out.

Planting The Seeds For New Growth

Parsley seeds are notorious for their slow germination rate. To help the process along, soak the seeds in warm water overnight, and after planting makes certain that the soil retains a warm temperature.

Mark the rows where you sow your flat leaf parsley seeds, and cover them with a thin layer of well-draining soil and mist. Depending on how fresh the sow seeds are, germination occurs in about 21-28 days. They will almost resemble grass blades and when they are about 3 inches high, choose the strongest thin seedlings and thin out the rest. The seedlings you decide to keep should have spacing between them of 10-12 inches in the larger container.

Caring For The Seedlings

Parsley will grow anywhere as long as there are about six hours of light and the pot's fertile soil drainage is good. Too little light will make parsley thin with long stalks and small leaves.

Water once a week. Then, once a month, give some fish emulsion fertilizer. Water the younger plants a little more until they are more settled. Once they are big enough place mulch lightly around the plants to keep moisture in and retard weed growth.

RELATED: How to Make Compost Fertilizer

When To Harvest The Mature Plants For A Stronger Flavor

Only the outer leaves of the parsley plant are harvested, leaving the plant stem to continue to grow and produce more leaves. If parsley leaves are not harvested, the plant eventually ceases to produce them in abundance and grows a thicker central stalk with small flowers instead. Like other herbs, to keep the plant growing, trim off any flowers as soon as they appear.

Parsley has a biennial life cycle but since the quality drops in year two, it is best to start afresh with a new plant every year. After the second year also, the host plant sets to seed and loses its purpose as far as using the leaves is concerned. If the seed is what you are after let the plants over winter and in the spring you will have your seeds.

When the growing season is coming to an end, you can pick the herb's true leaves, dry them in the shade, and store them in tightly sealed mason jars when completely dry. Store the dried leaves ground or whole away from any heat sources and bright light. Remember to replace your old parsley plants with new ones every couple of years.

Back to first-year parsley. Both the stalks and leaves can be eaten but there is a certain form to watch for before harvesting the leaves. The time is right when the leaf stems grow into three segments. Pinch off the stalks growing on the sides of the plant, not the top. This will encourage more growth and also strengthen the plant. Harvest the entire stalk cutting it off near the ground. At the end of the year cut the entire plant as a harvest. You can grow parsley in pots from seed again next year.

Storage Of This Easy Herb To Grow

Fresh parsley is best but can be stored. If you put it fresh into a plastic bag, it can keep for up to two weeks in the fridge. Parsley dries very well and can be dried on a rack, in bunches hung upside-down, or microwaved for a few minutes at 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Store the result in an airtight container devoid of heat and light. One can also freeze parsley in portions ready for use.

Parsley Pests

You need to watch for whiteflies, spider mites, aphids, cabbage caterpillars, and swallowtail larvae when you grow parsley in pots.

Growing this versatile herb in garden containers is easy and fun and it has many health benefits. If you have the space and the resources (containers, seeds, and garden soil) you can grow almost any fresh herbs, including lemongrass and even mint in this manner. When next spring rolls around, why not give it a try? You'll be pleased with the results of many a healthy meal finished or seasoned with nutritious parsley from your very own container garden.