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Parsley can be a bit ubiquitous. It turns up as a garnish on all manner of dishes from salads to steaks and everything in between. But don’t write it off… parsley is incredibly good for you (not to mention being an excellent cure for bad breath).
Positioning parsley depends on the variety you want to grow – flat leaved ‘Italian’ parsley loves a hot spot in full sun, whereas the ‘Curly’ parsley will do best in a part sun position with about four hours of sun a day.
Planting Time: All year
Position: Full sun – part shade
Water Needs: Low
Difficulty: Easy
How Long: Give it a couple of weeks
Parsley loves nothing more than a rich soil filled with compost. If growing in pots, which parsley loves, choose an organic potting mix. Both types of parsley do best with a neutral pH, so aim for about pH 7.
Like many leafy-green vegies and herbs, parsley will respond really well to regular feeding. Use a liquid seaweed feed at planting time and then continue weekly until plants are about 20-25cm tall.
They like it damp and will run to seed rapidly if left to dry out. For a prolonged lifespan and healthier plants, water every second morning (but only if the soil is not damp).
Parsley suffers from very few issues, but watch out for snails and slugs. If left to bolt to seed you may find parsley throughout your garden in years to come.
So when is parsley ready? There is no specific time here, but as a rule wait until two rows of nice, strong stalks have formed and harvest as required. Always harvest from the outside. Parsley is a biennial, so in the right spot it should continue to grow for a couple of years.
All varieties of parsley make excellent companion plants for both tomatoes and asparagus, and apparently improve the flavour of both significantly, so plant some in your vegie garden today and taste the difference.