Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Herbs Vol. 003

Parsley

in Zone 9, this week

Parsley is a hardy herb in the carrot family, grown for its tasty, healthy leaves. It is easygoing once it gets started, and very different from both basil and cilantro: it handles frost and cool weather, but it also takes summer heat without flooding into flower the way cilantro does, so one planting gives you leaves from spring all the way through fall. The one tricky part is the beginning: parsley seed is slow, often taking 2 to 5 weeks to sprout, so soak it in warm water first and be patient. You harvest it by cutting the outer stems near the base, and the middle keeps growing new leaves for months. There are two main kinds, flat-leaf (Italian), which has the best flavor for cooking, and curly, the frilly kind used for garnish. One thing to know: parsley lives two years, and in its second spring it sends up a flower stalk and the leaves turn bitter, so plant fresh parsley each year for the best leaves. It has few pests, mainly the big green-and-black parsleyworm caterpillar, which turns into a black swallowtail butterfly and is usually welcome. Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a hardy biennial herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae), grown for its flavorful, vitamin-rich leaves. Its biology is the mirror image of warm-season herbs like basil and the opposite of fast cool-season herbs like cilantro. Parsley is COOL-TOLERANT and FROST-HARDY, taking light freezes and overwintering in mild zones, yet it is also genuinely HEAT-TOLERANT: because it is a biennial that does not flower until its second year, it does NOT bolt from first-year summer heat the way cilantro does, so a single planting yields leaves spring through fall, and only the most extreme desert and subtropical summers slow it. That long, flexible season is the headline. The signature challenge is at the start: parsley seed germinates slowly and erratically, often 2 to 5 weeks, so growers soak it and wait. It is harvested cut-and-come-again from the OUTER stems, leaving the center to regrow for months. It comes in flat-leaf (Italian) types, with the stronger, sweeter flavor cooks prefer, and curly (French) types grown for garnish, plus Hamburg root parsley grown for an edible root. The one catch is the biennial cycle: an overwintered plant bolts in its second spring and the leaves turn bitter, so parsley is sown fresh each year for the best leaves. Pests are few, chiefly the parsleyworm (the handsome black swallowtail caterpillar, often left for the butterflies) and aphids, and disease is minimal.

Parsley mature plant
Fig. 01 · Parsley, mature Zone 9
Mature in
70-90d
from transplant
Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade
6-8 hrs daily
Water
Regular
1 inch / week
Spacing
6 to 12 in
between plants
Soil pH
6-7
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Germination

Off-season for parsley in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The season at a glance

Planting calendar

In Zone 9, parsley can be planted February through June, then again September, skipping the summer heat. Harvest runs January through December.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
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Dec
plant
too early
plant
plant
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too hot
too hot
plant
too late
too late
too early
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
harvest
indoors
plant out
harvest
Seasoned
Stagger your sowings

Succession planting

Unlike cilantro, parsley does not need re-sowing every couple of weeks: one planting lasts all season. For the freshest leaves, just add a second sowing in midsummer or early fall, and in hot areas plant in the cool months instead of the hottest part of summer.Parsley does not need the aggressive succession sowing fast herbs do; one planting yields all season because you cut from the same plants. Still, a spring sowing plus a midsummer or early-fall sowing keeps the freshest, most tender leaves coming and sets up an overwintering crop in mild zones. In the hottest regions, sow through the long cool window (fall into spring) and skip the peak of summer.

Every 4 weeks · sow a short new rowUp to 9 sowings a seasonToo hot to sow midsummer
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
sow
harvest
keep sowing
too hot
continuous harvest
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

You can plant parsley straight in the garden or start it indoors. The seeds are slow, often taking 2 to 5 weeks, so soak them in warm water for up to a day before planting and keep the soil moist the whole time. Sow about a quarter inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, since parsley handles frost. For an earlier start, sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and move the young plants outside after hardening them off, while they are still small.Parsley can be direct-sown or started indoors. Its seed germinates slowly and erratically, often 2 to 5 weeks, and germinates poorly in cold soil, so soaking the dry seed in warm water for up to 24 hours before sowing speeds and evens emergence. Direct-sow about 0.25 inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, since parsley tolerates frost. To get a head start, sow indoors 6 to 8 weeks before the last frost and transplant out after hardening off; parsley moves better when young, before the taproot is long, so transplant on the early side. Keep the seedbed evenly moist through the long germination.

  1. 01
    Sow outside
    Feb - Mar, Sep
  2. 02
    First harvest
    From Jan 1
    70-90 days from sowing
Start method
Both
Soil temp
50-75°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Germination
01
Germination
Days 14-35 · current stage
The first thin little leaves poking up. Parsley is slow, often taking 2 to 5 weeks, so be patient and keep the soil moist.The first pair of narrow seed leaves pushing up. Parsley is famously slow and erratic to germinate, often 2 to 5 weeks, and emergence is uneven even under good conditions.
Soak the seeds before planting and keep the soil damp but not soggy until the seedlings appear, which can take several weeks. Do not give up, parsley is just slow.Soak the seed before sowing and keep the surface evenly moist but never waterlogged through the long germination window. Cold, wet soil prolongs it and invites damping-off; do not give up too early.
FROM PLANT · Parsley seeds are slow, often 2 to 5 weeks. Soak them in warm water for up to a day before planting, sow them shallowly, and keep the soil moist the whole time. Do not give up too soon.Parsley germinates slowly and erratically, often 2 to 5 weeks, and worse in cold, wet soil. Soak the dry seed in warm water for up to 24 hours before sowing to speed and even out emergence, sow shallowly, and keep the surface from drying or crusting through the long wait.
02
Seedling
Days 30-55
The first true leaves, the lacy parsley leaves. Now you can thin the seedlings.The first true leaves, the broad, divided lower parsley leaves. Now you can tell seedlings from weeds and start thinning.
Thin the seedlings to a hand's width or so apart, eat the little ones you pull, and keep the water steady.Thin to about 6 to 12 inches as the plants crowd, eating the thinnings, and keep moisture steady while the taproot establishes.
FROM PLANT · Thin parsley seedlings to a hand's width apart and eat the ones you pull. Keep the water steady. If you grew seedlings indoors, plant them out while they are still small.Thin parsley to about 6 to 12 inches as it crowds, eating the thinnings, and keep moisture steady while the taproot goes down. Parsley transplants best young, so if you started indoors, set plants out before the root gets long.
03
Established
Days 55-80
Leafy plants several inches tall and full enough to start picking the outer stems.Full, leafy plants 6 inches or more tall with several stems, ready to start cutting from the outside. This begins the long harvest.
Start picking the outer stems at the base now. Picking often keeps new leaves coming from the middle. A light feeding helps.Begin cutting outer stems at the base once plants are full; regular picking from the outside keeps tender new growth rising from the center. A light feeding here supports the long season.
FROM PLANT · Pick parsley by cutting the outer stems near the ground, not the top. New leaves grow from the middle, so this keeps it producing for a long time. Take no more than a third at once.Harvest parsley by cutting the outer stems at the base, not by shearing the top: the plant grows from the center, so taking the outer stalks keeps tender new growth rising for months. Take no more than about a third at a time.
04
Harvest (cut-and-come-again)
Days 70-240
Full plants you can keep cutting from. Take the outer stems and the middle keeps growing new ones for a long time.Full plants you cut from continuously: take the outer stems near the base and the center keeps producing for months, right through summer and into fall, unlike fast-bolting herbs.
Cut the outer stems near the ground, no more than a third at a time, and it grows back. Pick in the cool morning. Parsley keeps going through summer heat that stops a lot of other herbs.Cut outer stems at the base, never more than about a third at a time, and the plant regrows all season. Pick in the cool morning for the best flavor; parsley keeps producing through heat that would bolt cilantro or lettuce.
FROM PLANT · Parsley keeps producing all season, even in summer heat that stops other herbs, so one planting feeds you a long time. Pick in the cool morning and chill it; it keeps 1 to 2 weeks. Plant new parsley each year because old plants turn bitter and flower.Parsley is a long-season cut-and-come-again crop: one planting keeps yielding right through summer heat that bolts cilantro and lettuce, and into fall. Pick in the cool morning and refrigerate at once; cut parsley keeps 1 to 2 weeks. Plant fresh each year, since a second-year plant turns bitter and bolts.
05
Second-year bolting
Days 300-420
On a plant that lived through winter, a tall flower stalk shooting up in spring and the leaves turning bitter. This is parsley finishing its two-year life, which is normal.On a plant that has overwintered, a tall central flower stalk rising in spring, with the leaves narrowing and turning bitter. This is the biennial bloom, the natural end of the plant, not a heat failure.
Pick a few early leaves before it flowers, then let it bloom for the bees and butterflies or pull it. Plant new parsley for this year's leaves.Take a last early-spring cutting before the stalk rises, then either pull the plant or let the umbels flower to feed pollinators and host swallowtails; let one set seed if you want volunteers. Sow fresh plants for the season's leaf crop.
FROM PLANT · An overwintered parsley plant will flower in its second spring and the leaves turn bitter, and you cannot stop it. Pick a few early leaves, then let it bloom for the bees and butterflies or pull it. Grow new parsley each year for good leaves.Parsley is biennial, so a plant carried through winter bolts in its second spring and the leaves coarsen and turn bitter, no matter what you do. Take a last early cutting, then let the umbels flower (they feed beneficial insects and host black swallowtails) or pull the plant, and rely on fresh-sown parsley for the year's leaves.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Parsley likes loose, fertile soil with plenty of compost worked in, kept evenly moist but never soggy. It is forgiving, but rich, steady soil keeps the leaves tender and green and feeds a plant you cut from all season. It has a deeper root than most salad greens, so loosen the bed well; hard, compacted, or waterlogged ground holds it back and invites root rot.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade · 6-8 hrs/day
Water
Regular
Spacing
6 to 12 inches
Soil
loam, sandy loam
Days to maturity
70-90 days from transplant
Soil pH
6 to 7
Container OK?
Yes · 1+ gal pot
Germination temp
50-75°F
In a pot

Yes, 1 gallon and up

Parsley is an easy, long-lasting container herb. Use a pot at least 10 inches deep to fit its root, keep it watered, and snip the outer stems so it keeps regrowing. It does well on a sunny windowsill or step and handles cool weather, so a pot can carry on long after summer crops are done.Parsley grows well in a container at least 10 inches deep to fit its taproot, harvested cut-and-come-again from the outer stems. Keep moisture even, since pots dry fast, and feed lightly through the long season. A pot is the easiest way to keep parsley by the kitchen door and to move a frost-hardy plant into shelter as the weather turns, extending the leaf supply into late fall and, in mild zones, winter.

Pot size
1 gallon and up; 2 gallons is comfortable
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Empty the saucer after watering so the taproot never sits in water, which invites crown and root rot.
Watering
Pots dry out faster than the ground, so check every day or two in warm weather and keep the mix evenly moist.Containers dry faster than beds; check moisture every day or two in warmth and water deeply before the mix dries out.
Depth and shape
At least 10 inches deep. Parsley has a slender taproot, so give it depth: a container at least 10 inches deep suits it better than a shallow tray, while width adds room for several plants to cut from.
Self-watering pot
Yes. A self-watering container suits parsley well, since it smooths out the steady moisture that keeps the leaves tender and green over a long harvest.
Mix
A light, well-drained potting mix high in organic matter, deep enough for parsley's taproot. Blend in compost and a little balanced starter fertilizer; parsley is a moderate feeder over a long season.
Feeding
Container parsley needs a light but regular feed, a dilute liquid fertilizer every 3 to 4 weeks, because frequent watering leaches nutrients from the limited mix.
Plants per pot
Illinois Extension: 1 plant in a 0.5 gallon pot.
One to try

Italian Flat LeafThe standard flat-leaf (Italian) parsley: flat, deeply cut, dark green leaves with a stronger, sweeter flavor than curly types, and taller, more open plants that many cooks prefer. Tends to take heat and overwinter a touch better than curly parsley.

3 more compact types

Giant of ItalyA large, vigorous flat-leaf type with big, flavorful leaves on tall stems, up to 2 to 3 feet; high-yielding for cutting all season and a favorite for cooking.

Forest GreenA productive curly (French) parsley with tightly curled, dark green leaves on compact plants; classic garnish parsley, holds well, and a dependable cut-and-come-again type.

Moss Curled

Winter

Parsley is hardy and a pot of it can keep going well into fall and through a mild winter in a sheltered, sunny spot, since it takes frost. In cold areas, move the pot against the house or into a cold frame, or cover it during hard freezes. Remember parsley is a biennial: a plant carried through winter will send up a flower stalk and turn bitter in spring, so start fresh plants each year for the best leaves.Parsley is a frost-hardy biennial, so a container can hold through fall and overwinter in mild zones in a sheltered spot, giving fresh leaves late and early. The limited root volume freezes harder than open ground, so in cold zones sink the pot, move it to a cold frame or unheated structure, or cover it during hard freezes. Note that an overwintered plant bolts in its second spring as the leaves coarsen, so treat it as a short early-spring bonus and sow fresh plants for the main crop.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for parsley

Preferred
6 to 7
Tolerated
5.5 to 7.5

Parsley grows best in slightly acidic to neutral soil, about 6.0 to 7.0. Most garden soil is fine, and a simple soil test tells you where you stand.Aim for a soil pH of about 6.0 to 7.0, slightly acidic to neutral, the range the University of Minnesota lists as best for parsley; it still does fine across roughly 5.5 to 7.5. Parsley is not a pH-sensitive plant, so in most gardens no adjustment is needed beyond a soil-test baseline.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Water deeply about once a week so the soil stays evenly moist, roughly 1 inch a week.About 1 inch of water per week, kept even; parsley has a taproot and takes moderate dry spells better than shallow greens, but steady moisture keeps the leaves tender and green over the long season.
Amount
Aim for about 1 inch of water a week, a bit more when it is hot and dry.Roughly 1 inch per week, more in hot, dry spells; the University of Minnesota advises watering deeply at least once a week. Mulch helps hold even moisture for a crop you cut from for months.
Method
Water at the base of the plants rather than over the leaves, which helps prevent leaf diseases.Water at the soil line with drip or a soaker hose; keeping the lacy foliage dry checks Septoria leaf spot and other leaf diseases on a crop eaten fresh.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
Lower leaves yellow, seedlings rot at the base, and plants get mushy at the crown in soggy soil.Yellowing lower leaves, damping-off in seedlings, and crown or root rot in constantly wet, poorly drained ground, especially over winter.
Too little water
Wilting leaves that taste tougher and sharper, and slowed growth when the soil dries out.Wilting, slowed growth, and tougher, sharper-tasting leaves; sustained drought stress also coarsens the foliage, though parsley recovers from short dry spells better than salad greens.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
once or twice per season
Type
Balanced vegetable fertilizer
When to start
compost worked in before sowing, then a light feeding once or twice through the long harvest season

Parsley does not need much feeding. Mix some compost or a little balanced fertilizer into the soil before planting, then give it a light feeding once or twice over the season, since you cut from the same plants for a long time. If you grow it in a pot, feed lightly with a diluted liquid fertilizer every few weeks because watering washes nutrients out.Parsley is a light to moderate feeder grown for steady leafy growth over a long season. The University of Minnesota suggests a 5-10-5 fertilizer at about 3 ounces per 10 feet of row, once or twice during the season, on top of compost worked in before planting. Because you cut from the same plants for months, a light midseason side-dress of nitrogen keeps fresh green leaves coming; in containers a dilute liquid feed every 3 to 4 weeks replaces what frequent watering leaches out. Avoid heavy nitrogen, which draws aphids and softens the flavor.

N · P · K = 5-10-5

Use a balanced fertilizer such as 5-10-5 worked into the soil before planting, then feed lightly once or twice during the season.Moderate, balanced feeding for steady leaf growth: a 5-10-5 or balanced vegetable fertilizer worked in before sowing, then a light side-dress once or twice through the season. Go easy on nitrogen, which softens flavor and draws aphids on a crop eaten fresh.

Try 5-10-5 or a balanced vegetable fertilizer, or fish emulsion for a quick boost
Who grows well together

Companion planting

Parsley is small, leafy, and easygoing, and its biggest garden gift comes in its second year: if you let it flower, the blooms pull in hoverflies, ladybugs, and tiny parasitic wasps that hunt aphids on nearby crops, and they feed black swallowtail butterflies. It interplants well with tomatoes and peppers, with asparagus, and with brassicas and onions. Keep it away from other carrot-family plants like carrots and celery, which share its pests, and from fennel, a poor herb neighbor. Much of parsley's companion value is real but indirect: a second-year plant allowed to flower is a strong insectary umbel, recruiting hoverflies, ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps that suppress aphids on neighboring crops, and it hosts the black swallowtail. Practically it interplants with tomatoes and peppers (which gain from those beneficials), with asparagus (a long-standing traditional pairing), and with brassicas and alliums that share its cool-tolerant culture. The well-grounded cautions are its own family, the Apiaceae (carrot, celery, dill, parsnip), which share parsley's pests and diseases and should be rotated apart, and fennel, a broad allelopath and poor herb neighbor.

Other
Tomatoes and peppers
Let a second-year parsley plant flower near tomatoes and peppers and its blooms bring in helpful insects that eat aphids and other pests. Parsley tucks neatly around the base of taller plants.A beneficial-insect and space pairing: parsley allowed to flower recruits hoverflies and parasitoid wasps that attack aphids on tomatoes and peppers, and the low parsley fills the ground around the taller crops. Sound by mechanism and traditional practice, not a measured parsley-tomato effect. Well-grounded
Asparagus
Parsley and asparagus are a classic old-time pairing: parsley grows happily in the same long-lived bed and is said to help asparagus, and the asparagus ferns give parsley a little light shade.A traditional perennial-bed pairing: parsley is long associated with asparagus in companion lore, and practically the two share a permanent bed where parsley uses the ground between asparagus crowns and gets light shade from the ferns. Widely taught tradition, not a measured effect. Traditional
Brassicas and onions
Cabbage-family plants and onions grow in the same cool weather as parsley and share a bed well, and parsley's flowers (in year two) help bring in insects that eat cabbage pests.A cool-season interplant on shared culture: brassicas and alliums share parsley's cool-tolerant season and bed, and a flowering parsley adds beneficial-insect pressure against aphids and caterpillars. Traditional and structural rather than a documented pairwise effect. Traditional
Keep apart from
Carrots, celery, and other carrot-family plants Keep parsley away from carrots, celery, dill, and parsnips. They are all in the same family and share the same pests and diseases, like the carrot rust fly and leaf spots, so growing them together builds up trouble.A same-family caution on shared pests and diseases: parsley, carrot, celery, dill, and parsnip share the carrot rust fly, carrot weevil, aster yellows, and Septoria leaf spot, so clustering or following one with another concentrates that pressure. Separate them in space and rotation. Extension-supported, not folklore. Research-backed
Fennel Keep parsley away from fennel. Fennel is a poor neighbor for most herbs and vegetables, said to release substances that hold back nearby plants, and it can cross-pollinate carrot-family plants if both flower.Fennel is a broad allelopath and the classic bad herb neighbor, releasing compounds that suppress many plants, and as a fellow Apiaceae it can cross-pollinate parsley where both flower. Give fennel its own corner. A traditional rule with a real mechanism, not a measured parsley-fennel trial. Traditional
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

Start picking parsley when the plants are full and about 6 inches tall, a couple of months after sowing. Cut the OUTER stems near the base, no more than a third at a time, and the middle keeps growing new leaves for months, even through summer heat. Pick in the cool morning for the best flavor and put it in the fridge, where it keeps 1 to 2 weeks. In mild areas a mulched plant can live through winter and give you a few early leaves, but it will flower and turn bitter that second spring, so plant new parsley each year for the best leaves.Begin cutting parsley once plants are full and about 6 inches tall, roughly 70 to 90 days from sowing. Harvest by cutting the OUTER stems at the base, taking no more than about a third at a time, and the plant keeps producing fresh leaves from the center for months, right through summer heat that would bolt cilantro or lettuce, and into fall. Pick in the cool morning for the best flavor and refrigerate at once; cut parsley keeps 1 to 2 weeks. In mild zones a mulched plant overwinters for an early-spring cutting, but take that as a bonus: an overwintered plant bolts in its second spring and the leaves turn bitter, so sow fresh plants each year for the main leaf crop.

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Yield

What to expect

One parsley plant keeps giving leaves for months if you cut from the outside, so a few plants are plenty for a kitchen. Flat-leaf types are bigger and give more; curly types are smaller and frillier.A single parsley plant forms a full rosette of stems and, cut from the outside, yields fresh leaves for months across one long season, far longer than a fast herb like cilantro. A few plants supply a kitchen; flat-leaf types are taller and higher-yielding, curly types denser and lower.

Parsley keeps producing steadily all season, even in summer heat, and in mild areas it carries into fall and even winter. The next spring it flowers and is done.Leaf production builds through the season and holds steady right through summer, since parsley does not bolt from heat in its first year. In mild zones plants carry into late fall and overwinter for an early-spring bonus before the second-year bolt ends them. Parsley is easy once it sprouts, but the seed is slow, so soak it and wait a few weeks without giving up. After that, one planting gives you leaves for months. Just cut from the outside, not the top, and plant new parsley each year for the best flavor.Parsley is a rewarding first-season crop once you get past its slow germination: soak the seed, be patient through the 2-to-5-week sprouting, and a single sowing then produces leaves for months with little fuss. The main beginner mistakes are giving up on the slow seed and harvesting from the top instead of the outer stems. Plant fresh each year, since the second-year plant bolts and turns bitter.

What changes yield
Patience at germination: soaked seed in evenly moist soil is the single biggest factor in getting a stand, since slow, erratic sprouting is parsley's defining quirk.Harvest method: cutting the outer stems at the base (not shearing the top) keeps the plant producing from the center all season.Even moisture and a deep, loose bed: the taproot wants room and steady water for tender leaves over a long season.Type: flat-leaf (Italian) yields more and tastes stronger; curly is denser and milder.Annual replanting: parsley bolts and turns bitter in its second year, so fresh sowings give the best leaves.
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

Pick the type for how you cook. Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley like Italian Flat Leaf or Giant of Italy has the most flavor and is best for cooking. Curly parsley like Forest Green or Moss Curled is the frilly kind used for garnish and looks nice in pots. There is also Hamburg or root parsley, grown for an edible root. They all grow the same way, so just keep the soil moist and plant fresh each year.Choose by use. Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, including Italian Flat Leaf and Giant of Italy, has the strongest, sweetest flavor, taller open plants, and slightly better heat and overwintering tolerance, and is the cook's choice. Curly (French) parsley, such as Forest Green and the Moss Curled and Triple Curled strains, gives the dense, frilly leaves used for garnish and edging, with a milder flavor. Hamburg or root parsley is a distinct type grown for an edible parsnip-like root as well as leaves and wants deep, loose soil. All are grown the same way; variety matters less than steady moisture and fresh annual sowing, since any parsley bolts in its second year.

Italian Flat Leaf
The standard flat-leaf (Italian) parsley: flat, deeply cut, dark green leaves with a stronger, sweeter flavor than curly types, and taller, more open plants that many cooks prefer. Tends to take heat and overwinter a touch better than curly parsley.
Giant of Italy
A large, vigorous flat-leaf type with big, flavorful leaves on tall stems, up to 2 to 3 feet; high-yielding for cutting all season and a favorite for cooking.
Forest Green
A productive curly (French) parsley with tightly curled, dark green leaves on compact plants; classic garnish parsley, holds well, and a dependable cut-and-come-again type.
Moss Curled / Triple Curled
Densely curled, frilly dark green parsley grown for garnish and edging; mild flavor, attractive in beds and pots. Curly types are slightly hardier-looking but flat-leaf has more flavor.
Hamburg (root parsley)
An unusual type grown for its thick, parsnip-like white root as well as its flat leaves; the root is used like a vegetable in soups and stews. Needs the deepest, loosest soil and the longest season.
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
Do not leave cut parsley out on the counter, where it wilts; either chill it or stand the stems in a glass of water like a little bouquet.Fresh parsley wilts within a day at room temperature, so refrigerate promptly after cutting; standing the cut stems in a glass of water on the counter holds them a few days, like cut flowers.
Fridge
Store fresh parsley unwashed in a loose bag in the fridge, where it keeps 1 to 2 weeks. Wash it only when you are ready to use it.Refrigerate fresh parsley unwashed in a loose or perforated bag, or stems standing in a little water under a loose bag, in the crisper; it holds 1 to 2 weeks, longer than most cut herbs. Wash only at use, since trapped moisture speeds breakdown.
Freezer
Parsley does not freeze well for salads, but you can chop it into an ice-cube tray with a little water or oil and freeze that for cooking. Drying works but loses a lot of flavor, so freezing is usually better.Parsley loses crispness frozen for raw use but freezes well chopped into ice-cube trays with water or oil, or blended into sauces, holding its flavor for cooking. Drying is the weakest option: dried parsley loses much of its flavor, so freezing is preferred for preserving.
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From the garden to the kitchen

Recipes to try

BBQ & Grill

Chimichurri Steak with Garden Herbs

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arriving with the harvest
When something goes wrong

Common problems

01 of 04
What happened Your parsley came up thin, very late, or not at all. Parsley seed is slow by nature, often 2 to 5 weeks, and germinates poorly in cold, wet soil or when the surface dries out. Next time, soak the seed in warm water for up to a day, keep the surface moist, use fresh seed, and simply wait longer before giving up.Stand was thin, very delayed, or failed. Parsley germination is intrinsically slow and erratic (2 to 5 weeks) and is inhibited by cold, wet soil and by surface drying or crusting during the long emergence window. Next time soak the dry seed up to 24 hours, sow into moist, well-drained soil, keep the seedbed from crusting, use fresh viable seed, and allow the full germination window before reseeding. Next season Soak the seed before sowing, keep the surface moist, use fresh seed, and be patient.Soak the seed, sow into moist well-drained soil, keep the surface from drying, use fresh seed, and wait the full window.
02 of 04
What happened Your parsley shot up a tall flower stalk and the leaves turned bitter, in its second spring. That is not a mistake or a heat problem: parsley is a biennial that naturally flowers in its second year after going through winter. Next time, plant fresh parsley each year for the best leaves, take just a few early leaves from an overwintered plant, then let it bloom for pollinators or pull it.The overwintered plant elongated into a seedstalk and leaf quality collapsed in its second spring. This is the biennial life cycle (vernalization-triggered second-year flowering), NOT first-year heat bolting, which parsley does not do. Next time sow fresh each year for the leaf crop, harvest overwintered plants only for an early-spring cutting, and let or pull the bloom. Next season Plant fresh parsley each year, and treat second-year plants as a short early-spring bonus before they bolt.Sow fresh annually for leaves; use overwintered plants for an early cutting, then let them flower for pollinators or remove them.
03 of 04
What happened Your parsley leaves got small tan-to-brown spots that spread in wet weather. That is Septoria leaf spot, which travels on wet leaves and splashing water and can come in on the seed. Next time, use clean seed, water at the soil line, space plants for airflow, and rotate the bed away from carrot-family plants.Small tan lesions with dark centers spreading on the foliage indicate Septoria leaf spot (Septoria petroselini), favored by cool, wet, splashy conditions and frequently seed-borne. Next time use clean or treated seed, switch to drip, widen spacing, rotate away from the Apiaceae, and clear infected debris. Next season Use clean seed, water at the base, space for airflow, and rotate away from the carrot family.Use clean seed, irrigate at the soil line, widen spacing, rotate away from Apiaceae, and remove infected debris.
04 of 04
What happened Your parsley wilted and the crown or roots turned brown and mushy. That is crown and root rot, caused by soil staying waterlogged, often over a wet winter. Next time, plant in well-drained or raised beds, loosen the soil for the taproot, and do not overwater.Wilting with a browned, decayed crown and root points to soilborne crown and root rot (Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia), favored by waterlogged, poorly drained soil and overwatering, often on plants held over a wet winter. Next time site in well-drained or raised, loosened beds, moderate winter watering, and rotate out of beds with a rot history. Next season Plant in well-drained soil, do not overwater, and remove any plant whose crown has gone soft.Site in well-drained, loosened soil, avoid overwatering (especially overwinter), and rotate away from rot-prone beds.
The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Parsleyworm (black swallowtail caterpillar)
P · 01
Symptoms Plump green caterpillars banded with black and dotted yellow-orange, chewing the leaves and stems, sometimes stripping a stalk. They are the larvae of the black swallowtail butterfly, and many gardeners leave them be.Larvae of the black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) feeding on the foliage, banded green and black with yellow spots; on parsley they are seldom numerous enough to do real damage, and parsley is one of their host plants, so most growers tolerate or relocate them rather than spray. Cause Big green-and-black striped caterpillars that eat the leaves. They turn into beautiful black swallowtail butterflies, so they are usually welcome guests rather than a real problem.The caterpillar stage of the black swallowtail butterfly, which lays eggs on parsley and other carrot-family plants; populations on a home planting are normally small. Organic treatment If you want every leaf, just pick the caterpillars off by hand and move them to a spare plant. They are easy to see and there are rarely many. Planting a little extra parsley lets you share with the butterflies.Hand-pick where leaf loss matters and relocate the larvae to a sacrificial plant; Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) controls them if needed, but on parsley they rarely warrant it. Many gardeners deliberately grow extra parsley as a swallowtail host. Prevention Pick them off by hand, grow a few extra plants to share, and enjoy the butterflies they become.Scout occasionally and hand-pick if leaf loss matters; tolerate the small numbers a home planting usually sees, and plant extra parsley as a host plant for the butterflies.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Handpicking

    These caterpillars are big, easy to spot against the leaves, and there are rarely many, so if you want every leaf you can lift them off by hand as you walk past. Many gardeners simply leave them alone and enjoy the black swallowtail butterflies they become, and only pick when leaf loss is actually costing them something.Occasional scouting and hand removal is the whole control on most home plantings, and it is realistic because the larvae are large, conspicuous, and present in small numbers. Tolerating what a home planting normally carries is the usual call; picking is for the case where the defoliation is taking the cutting you wanted.

  2. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)

    Bt, short for Bacillus thuringiensis, is a bacterial spray for caterpillars, and it is rarely worth reaching for here. It acts on caterpillars as a group and does not tell a pest apart from a butterfly caterpillar, and on parsley these seldom do enough damage to justify it. Keep it off any parsley you are growing for the swallowtails, and treat it as a last option rather than the step that follows hand-picking.Seldom warranted on this crop: the material acts on caterpillars as a group, desirable species included, and parsley is a black swallowtail host that many growers keep deliberately. It will control them where control is genuinely needed, but the numbers a home planting sees rarely reach that point, so confine any application to a planting with a real problem instead of treating it as the routine next rung.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Aphids
P · 02
Symptoms Clusters of tiny soft green or gray insects on new growth and the undersides of leaves, sometimes with curled, sticky foliage.Colonies of aphids on growing tips and leaf undersides, the most common parsley pest; honeydew and the lodged insects contaminate a crop eaten fresh, and aphids can vector viruses. Parsley's lacy foliage hides them, so scout closely. Cause Aphids are small sap-sucking insects that breed fast, especially on soft growth from too much fertilizer. They can spread plant viruses.Several aphid species feed on parsley; they reproduce rapidly and favor the soft growth that excess nitrogen produces. Organic treatment Blast them off with a strong spray of water, or use insecticidal soap or neem oil on the leaf undersides, repeating every few days. Rinse picked leaves well before use.Dislodge colonies with a strong water jet or spray insecticidal soap or neem, covering leaf undersides; repeat every few days and conserve ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps, which the parsley umbels attract when allowed to flower. Prevention Welcome helpful insects like ladybugs and lacewings, go easy on nitrogen, and check new growth often.Scout growing tips early, avoid overfeeding nitrogen, and conserve natural enemies; letting a second-year plant flower draws in aphid predators.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Go easy on nitrogen, the nutrient in fertilizer that drives fast leafy growth. Aphids build up quickest on soft new shoots, so parsley that has not been overfed usually gives them less to work with.The several aphid species that feed on parsley all favor the succulent growth surplus nitrogen produces, so moderate feeding is a setting chosen ahead of an outbreak rather than a response to one.

  2. Water spray

    A strong stream of water knocks the clusters loose, so work the hose up under the leaves where they sit. Repeat every few days, because the ones you miss regroup, and look closely at the new growth: parsley's lacy foliage hides them well. Do it early enough in the day that the foliage dries.A directed jet dislodges colonies mechanically with nothing applied to a crop eaten fresh; run it again every few days so survivors do not rebuild. Scout the growing tips deliberately rather than glancing across the canopy, since the finely cut foliage conceals a colony until it is well along, and keep the pass early enough that the foliage dries.

  3. Beneficial predators

    Ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps, the tiny wasps that lay their eggs inside aphids, will hunt aphids for you. Letting a second-year plant flower helps, because parsley's flower heads draw those helpers in.Conserving resident ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps is the living control here, and parsley supports it directly: allowed to flower in its second year, the umbels pull in aphid predators, so leaving a bolting plant standing costs little and keeps natural enemies resident.

  4. Insecticidal soap

    Insecticidal soap, a soap-based spray sold for garden use, kills the aphids it actually touches, so coat the undersides of the leaves where the clusters sit and go back every few days. Rinse what you pick well before it goes in the kitchen.Soap acts on contact alone, so undersides coverage of the colony decides the result, and a few days between passes is the working interval. Washing the cutting matters on this crop regardless of what you spray, since honeydew and the lodged insects themselves contaminate foliage eaten fresh.

  5. Neem oil

    Neem oil, a plant oil pressed from neem tree seeds, is the other spray named for aphids on parsley. Same approach: wet the leaf undersides where the aphids actually are rather than misting the whole plant, and repeat every few days.Neem is the alternate contact material where soap has not held a colony; place it on infested growth with thorough undersides coverage instead of broadcasting it across the planting, and keep the same few-day repeat interval.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Carrot rust fly and carrot weevil
P · 03
Symptoms Tunnels and rusty-brown trails in the roots and lower stems, stunted or off-color plants, and grubs at the crown. These carrot-family root pests hit parsley too.Larvae of the carrot rust fly (Psila rosae) and the carrot weevil mining the taproot and crown of parsley, a carrot-family host; damage shows as rust-colored tunneling, stunting, and secondary rot, worst where Apiaceae are grown in the same ground year after year. Cause Small root maggots from carrot-family pests that tunnel into the parsley root and crown, leaving rusty trails and weak plants.The carrot rust fly and carrot weevil lay eggs near carrot-family plants; their larvae bore into the roots and crowns. They build up where carrots, parsley, and their relatives repeat in the same bed. Organic treatment Cover the bed with floating row cover to keep the flies off, rotate parsley away from where carrots or parsley grew, and clean up crop debris in fall.Exclude the adults with floating row cover from emergence, rotate out of Apiaceae ground on a multi-year cycle, delay sowing past the first fly generation where it is severe, and remove crop residue that harbors overwintering stages. Prevention Use a row cover, move parsley to a fresh spot each year, and clear away old plants in fall.Manage by exclusion (row cover) and rotation: keep parsley out of recent carrot-family ground, time sowings around the fly's generations, and sanitize residue.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Crop rotation

    Move parsley to a fresh spot each year, and keep it off ground that recently grew carrots, parsley, or their carrot-family relatives. These root pests build up where the same family repeats in one bed.Give Apiaceae ground several seasons off before parsley goes back onto it. Damage runs worst where carrots, parsley, and their relatives return to the same ground season after season, so rotation sets how much pressure the remaining steps have to absorb.

  2. Timing the planting

    Where these flies are a serious local problem, holding the sowing until the first round of flies has passed can miss the worst of the egg-laying. When that happens shifts with the region and the season, so check local guidance rather than working from a fixed date.Delaying sowing past the first fly generation is worth doing where pressure is severe. Generation timing is regional and moves with the season, so treat any published window as a starting point and confirm it locally rather than carrying a date across regions.

  3. Garden sanitation

    Clear old parsley and crop debris out of the bed in fall. What you leave standing gives these pests somewhere to spend the winter, which is how the problem carries into next year.Remove crop residue at the end of the season, since it harbors overwintering stages. It is the between-season half of the job rotation does, and it costs nothing on a bed you are clearing anyway.

  4. Floating row cover

    A light fabric row cover laid over the bed keeps the adult flies from reaching the plants to lay eggs, so it needs to go on before they appear rather than after you see tunneling. Use it over ground that did not carry carrots or parsley last year, or you can seal soil pests in under the cover along with the crop.Exclusion from emergence onward is the main physical lever: a cover sealed at the edges and in place ahead of the flight is what keeps eggs off the crown. Pair it with rotation rather than substituting for it, since laying cover over recently cropped Apiaceae ground risks trapping emerging soil stages in with the planting.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Diseases
Septoria leaf spot
D · 01
Symptoms Small tan to brown spots with darker edges scattered across the leaves, sometimes with tiny dark specks in the centers, worst in wet weather. Heavily spotted leaves are not good to eat.Numerous small circular tan-to-brown leaf lesions, often with dark pycnidia in the centers, the most commonly reported parsley disease; it spreads in cool, wet, splashy conditions and can arrive on infected seed, and on a leaf crop even moderate spotting ruins the cutting. Cause A fungal leaf-spot disease, the most common one on parsley, that spreads through wet leaves and splashing water and can come in on the seed.Septoria petroselini, a seed-borne and splash-spread fungus favored by cool, wet weather and overhead watering. Organic treatment Remove and destroy spotted leaves, avoid wetting the foliage, improve airflow, and start with clean seed. Pick and use the clean leaves promptly.Use clean or treated seed, water at the soil line, space for airflow, rotate away from parsley and its relatives, and remove infected debris; the home garden has no reliable spray cure once it is established. Prevention Use clean seed, water at the soil line rather than over the leaves, space plants for airflow, and clear infected debris.Plant clean seed, switch to drip or soil-line watering, widen spacing, rotate, and remove crop debris that carries the fungus over.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Start with clean seed. This fungus can arrive on the seed itself, so the packet you buy is the first place to shut it out, before anything is in the ground.Septoria petroselini is seed borne, so a clean or treated lot is a decision set at purchase; nothing later in the season undoes having sown an infected one.

  2. Crop rotation

    Sow the next parsley somewhere else rather than in the same bed, and give its close relatives a rest from that ground too. The fungus carries over in what gets left behind.Rotate away from parsley and its relatives so a new sowing does not go back onto ground still holding the fungus in last season's debris.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants so air moves between them and the leaves dry faster. This spot does its worst in cool, wet weather, so a planting that dries quickly is a harder place for it.Widen spacing to shorten how long the canopy holds moisture. Cool, wet, splashy conditions are what drive the lesions, and canopy drying time is the part of that a gardener sets.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil line, with drip tubing or a wand held low, instead of sprinkling over the tops of the plants. The disease spreads on splashing water, so foliage that stays dry takes away how it travels.Switch to drip or soil-line delivery: overhead watering both wets the foliage and splashes spores through the stand, and it is the dispersal route you can remove outright.

  5. Prompt harvest

    Pick the clean leaves and use them promptly. Heavily spotted leaves are not good to eat, so taking the good foliage while it is still good is worth doing once a planting has started to spot.Even a moderately spotted leaf crop is no longer worth cutting, so pulling the clean foliage promptly salvages what the planting still has. Timing here does not act on the fungus; it decides how much of the crop comes off ahead of the lesions.

  6. Garden sanitation

    Pick off the spotted leaves and carry them out of the garden, then clear the old plants when the crop is finished. There is no reliable home-garden spray once this is established, so removing infected material and heading off the next round is where the effort goes.Remove spotted foliage as it shows and clear infected debris at the end of the season, since the debris is what carries the fungus over. Once the disease is established there is no dependable spray to fall back on at home-garden scale, which puts the weight on this rung and the ones above rather than on a rescue.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Crown and root rot
D · 02
Symptoms Wilting, yellowing plants whose crown or roots have turned brown, soft, and mushy, usually in wet, poorly drained soil. Affected plants collapse and do not recover.Soilborne crown and root rots (Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia, and related fungi) attacking parsley's taproot and crown in saturated, poorly drained ground; symptoms are wilting, stunting, and a browned, decayed crown, often on plants held over a wet winter. Cause Soil fungi rot the parsley root and crown when the soil stays too wet, especially over a soggy winter.Soilborne water-mold and fungal rots (Pythium, Phytophthora, Rhizoctonia) favored by waterlogged, poorly drained soil and overwatering. Organic treatment There is no cure for a rotting plant, so remove it. Improve drainage, plant in raised or loosened beds, and do not overwater, especially in winter.Remove affected plants; manage by prevention: well-drained or raised beds, loosened soil for the taproot, moderate winter watering, and rotation out of ground where Apiaceae rotted before. Prevention Plant in well-drained soil, do not overwater, and pull any plant whose crown has gone soft and brown.Site in well-drained, loosened soil, avoid waterlogging (especially overwinter), and rotate away from beds with a rot history.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Improve drainage

    Plant in well-drained soil, raised or loosened enough to give the long root somewhere to go, and then water moderately, especially through winter. These rots take hold where the soil stays soggy, and a plant carried over a wet winter is the usual casualty.Site on well-drained ground and loosen it for the taproot. Waterlogging is the condition the soilborne water molds and fungi need, so drainage plus restrained winter watering removes the setting rather than the organism; plants held through a wet winter are where this most often shows up.

  2. Crop rotation

    Do not put parsley back into a bed where a carrot-family plant has already rotted. Whatever took that plant is still in the ground.Rotate away from beds with a rot history in the carrot family, since these pathogens sit in the soil and ground that has taken a crop once is the last place to site a susceptible replacement.

  3. Garden sanitation

    A plant whose crown has gone soft and brown is not going to come back, so pull it and get it out of the bed rather than waiting to see.Remove affected plants; there is no rescue once the crown has decayed, so this is cleanup and the outcome was decided by the siting and watering above.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Damping-off and seedling rot
D · 03
Symptoms Seeds that never come up, or seedlings that flop over at the soil line with a pinched, rotted stem and then die. It strikes in cold, wet soil.Poor stands from seed and pre- or post-emergence collapse of seedlings with water-soaked, pinched stems at the soil line, worst in cold, wet, poorly drained soil where parsley's slow germination leaves seed sitting for weeks. Cause Soil fungi attack the seeds and tiny seedlings, especially when the soil is cold and soggy and the slow-sprouting parsley seed sits a long time before emerging.Soilborne Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium fungi attack germinating seed and seedlings; cold, saturated soil that prolongs parsley's already slow germination favors them. Organic treatment There is no cure for an affected seedling, so focus on prevention: pull and discard collapsed seedlings.No rescue once seedlings collapse; manage by prevention and remove affected plants. Prevention Do not sow into cold, soggy soil, plant shallowly in well-drained ground, do not overwater, and soak the seed first so it comes up faster.Sow shallowly into well-drained soil under conditions that favor reasonably quick emergence, avoid overwatering, and soak the dry seed to shorten the vulnerable slow-germination window.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Sound sowing practice

    Wait until the soil is neither cold nor soggy before you sow, set the seed shallow, and go easy on the watering afterward. Parsley is slow to sprout, so the seed sits in the ground a long time before it comes up, and soaking it first shortens that wait.This is set at sowing: shallow placement, ground drained and warm enough for reasonably quick emergence, and restrained watering after. Parsley's slow germination leaves seed sitting for weeks, which is why sowing conditions carry most of the outcome, and presoaking the dry seed is the move that shortens the exposed window.

  2. Improve drainage

    Choose a bed that drains freely before you sow. Cold, soggy soil is what these soil fungi need, and a bed that stays waterlogged after watering will keep taking seedlings.Cold, saturated, poorly drained soil favors the Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium that attack germinating seed, and it also draws out an already slow germination, so drainage work belongs before sowing rather than after a stand has failed.

  3. Garden sanitation

    A seedling that has flopped over at the soil line is not going to recover, so pull the collapsed ones and discard them. The rest of this list is about protecting the next sowing.There is no rescue once seedlings collapse, so removal is housekeeping rather than control; the management sits entirely in the sowing and drainage decisions above.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 3 sources View
Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Try not to grow parsley or other carrot-family plants (carrots, parsley, dill, fennel, celery) in the same spot more than about once every 3 years, since they share pests and diseases. Plant parsley after peas, beans, cabbage, onions, or tomatoes instead. Parsley left to flower in its second year can drop seed, so pull up stray seedlings where you do not want them.Rotate parsley and its carrot-family relatives so they do not return to the same ground for about 3 years. The Apiaceae share the carrot rust fly and carrot weevil, aster yellows, Septoria leaf spot, and soilborne crown and root rots, which build up where the family repeats. Follow parsley with legumes, brassicas, alliums, or nightshades. Because parsley is biennial and self-sows from second-year plants left to flower, volunteers can blur a rotation, so pull seedlings that come up out of place.

Family
Carrot / parsley family (Apiaceae)
Years between
3 years
in the same bed
Avoid following
Other carrot-family plants like carrots, parsley, dill, fennel, and celery, because they share the same pests and diseases.Other Apiaceae: carrot, parsley itself, dill, fennel, celery, parsnip, and cilantro. They share carrot-family pests and diseases (the carrot rust fly and carrot weevil, leafhopper-vectored aster yellows, Septoria, and soilborne crown rots), so following one with another concentrates that pressure.
Plant after
Legumes (peas, beans), brassicas (cabbage family), alliums (onion, garlic), or nightshades such as tomatoes.
Verified · 2 sources View
In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your parsley season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
Time to thin your parsley Thin your parsley seedlings
Your parsley seedlings should be big enough to thin. Space them out and eat the little ones you pull. Your parsley should have a true leaf or two now. Thin to about 6 to 12 inches apart and eat the thinnings.
p
plant
Time to start picking parsley Start cutting parsley
Your parsley is big enough to pick. Take the outer stems near the ground and it grows back. Pick it often. Your parsley should be full enough to cut. Take the outer stems at the base, no more than a third at a time, and it will keep regrowing from the center all season.
p
plant
Your old parsley is flowering Second-year parsley is bolting
Your parsley from last year is flowering and the leaves will get bitter. Pick a few last leaves, then let it bloom for the bees or pull it. Use your new plants for cooking. An overwintered parsley plant is sending up its second-year flower stalk and the leaves will turn bitter. Take a last cutting, then let it bloom for pollinators or pull it, and rely on fresh-sown plants for leaves.
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Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
Last reviewed
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Data version
crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9
Sources cited on this page
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Verified entries
Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions
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  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
  • Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
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  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
  • UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
  • NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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Vol. 003 · Parsley · plant.lifestyle