How to grow Flat Leaf Parsley

Petroselinum crispum var. neapolitanum

To keep parsley productive, weed it often and thoroughly, frequently cut back the full length of the outside stems, and remove all flower stalks.
Parsley will naturally want to run to seed after its first winter, and to keep it at its best the plants need replacing every one to two years. Has a tendency to bolt in hot weather.

Growing Flat leaf parsley from seed

Soak seeds overnight before sowing.

Leaching can also speed up germination by washing away a chemical on the seedcoat which inhibits germination. To leach the seeds: soak them overnight, strain them and run water over the seeds (in the strainer) every few hours. When leaving the seeds for more than a few hours, place the seeds into a plastic bag to ensure that they do not dry out. Recommendations differ on how long to leach the seeds and though 24 hours is commonly recommended, leaching the seeds for as long as three days has been reported to produce quick germination results.

Look to ensure a distance 7.8 inches (20.0 cm) between seeds when sowing - bury at a depth of at least 0.25 inches (0.64 cm) deep. Soil temperature should be kept higher than 10°C / 50°F to ensure good germination.

By our calculations*, you should look at sowing Flat leaf parsley about 35 days before your last frost date .

Transplanting Flat leaf parsley

Transplant as soon as they have two sets of true leaves (and the soil is warm), because they have a long root and resent being transplanted once they have begun to leaf out. If you’re growing them in a pot for the kitchen window, select a container that is long and narrow rather than wide and shallow, to give the root room to run.
If planting into the garden, pick a spot that is handy to reach from the kitchen.

Ensure that temperatures are mild and all chance of frost has passed before planting out, as Flat leaf parsley is a hardy plant.

Harvesting Flat leaf parsley

Harvest outer leaves by gently twisting the stem away from the base of the plant.

To preserve parsley, you can either dry or freeze it.

Air drying Parsley: To dry parsley without a dehydrating machine, simply hang upside-down in small bunches in a cool, dark place. check that they are ready by crumbling a little in your fingers – if ready put into small airtight jars to keep until use.

Freezing Parsley: pack ice cube trays with parsley leaves and then cover with hot water (the hot water should blanch the parsley quickly and keep the colour nice and green). Place in the freezer for at least 24 hours, then place in freezer bags and store to defrost when required. Alternatively, blend parsley leaves in a food processor with oil to a smooth paste consistency, then pour into ice cube trays. After 24 hours, remove from the trays and place into freezer bags and store frozen until required.

Seed Saving Flat leaf parsley

Parsley will flower after its first winter and the seeds can be collected from the plant into a paper bag as they ripen. Cut the top off the remains of the flower head and store in a warm and dry place to complete the drying process

How long does Flat leaf parsley take to grow?

These estimates for how long Flat leaf parsley takes to sprout, grow and harvest are from real observations from real gardeners, right around the world.

Days to Germination How long does it take Flat leaf parsley to germinate?
12 days

Average 12 days | Min 3 days | Max 31 days (279)

Days to Transplant How long until I can plant out Flat leaf parsley?
+ 33 days

Average 33 days | Min 3 days | Max 90 days (45)

Days to Maturity How long until Flat leaf parsley is ready for harvest / bloom?
+ 107 days

Average 107 days | Min 12 days | Max 298 days (126)

Total Growing Days How long does it take to grow Flat leaf parsley?
= 152 days

When should I plant Flat leaf parsley?

Our when to plant Flat leaf parsley estimates are relative to your last frost date.

When to sow The number of days to sow Flat leaf parsley before or after your last frost date.
35 days before Last Frost Date

Flat leaf parsley Etymology

From the Greek word meaning “rock celery” (parsley is a relative to celery).

Other names for Flat leaf parsley

Italian parsley, Persil géant d'italie

Petroselinum neapolitanum, Petroselinum sativum, Petroselinum hortense

Misspellings: Italian Parsly, Flat-Leaf Parsley

Footnotes

1 Missouri Botanical Garden-Flat leaf parsley


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