Petroselinum crispum
Curly parsley, common parsley, garden parsley: the most universal of herbs, and yet the one that causes the most confusion when sowing. Its seeds take three to four weeks to germinate, a delay that gave rise to the saying that “parsley goes to the devil seven times before emerging from the ground.” Patience and consistent moisture will overcome its reputation.
Characteristics:
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Decorative curly foliage: very dense and ornamental, it also makes a lovely border.
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Extended harvest: from spring to winter, leaf by leaf.
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Can be grown anywhere: in the ground, in a planter, or in a pot on a windowsill.
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Hardy: it withstands the cold and can often be harvested throughout the winter.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: sunny or lightly shaded — partial shade suits it very well in summer.
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Soil: deep, cool, loose, humus-rich, and well-drained. This plant appreciates well-nourished soil: adding compost produces noticeably fuller foliage.
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Method: germination is slow, so soak the seeds overnight in lukewarm water before sowing. Sow from April to October at a depth of 1 cm, and above all keep the soil constantly moist until germination: drying out during germination is the main cause of failure. Stagger sowings by a few weeks for a continuous harvest. See how to sow your seeds.
Care advice:
- Thin to 15 cm apart. Water regularly, as parsley dislikes drought, which causes it to bolt.
- Remove flower stalks as soon as they appear in the second year to extend leaf production.
Harvesting advice:
- Harvest the outer stems at the base, leaving the center intact: the plant will keep growing. Never cut the clump halfway up.
- It freezes very well when chopped; drying causes it to lose much of its aroma.
Beneficial companions:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Leave one plant to go to seed in the second year: its yellow-green umbels are genuine platforms for hoverflies and beneficial parasitoid wasps, whose larvae devour aphids.
- Like all umbellifers, it is a host plant for swallowtail caterpillars.
Uses:
- Chopped raw and added at the end of cooking: salads, tabbouleh, garlic-and-parsley sauce, sauces, and soups. Its stems, often discarded, add excellent flavor to broths and stocks.
- A traditional medicinal plant, cultivated in physic gardens since Antiquity. See our medicinal plants to sow.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Biennial, it goes to seed in its second year: let one plant flower, then harvest the umbels when the seeds turn brown. Parsley also readily self-seeds. See saving your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to resow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
The everyday herb to always have on hand.
