When to sow parsley?
It’s about a biennial plant that can be planted between March and August. In March, it will be planted in a greenhouse. We will have to wait until April to sow it directly in place. Once sown, you have to wait about 3 months before you can cut it to enhance your dishes. Once properly established, parsley can last up to 2 years as long as it is protected during freezing episodes. On the other hand, if the winter is mild, you can even enjoy it during that season.
Sow parsley with the moon
Parsley is a leafy vegetable that must be sown at the time of a rising or ascending moon regardless of the season. However, to take advantage of a better grip, we prefer spring or autumn. Cool weather will allow it to develop better. If you bought seedlings from the store, plant them as the moon is waning.
Sow wet seeds
To facilitate the intake of your parsley, it is recommended touse wet seeds. For this, you need a colander, water and parsley seeds.
- Place your parsley seeds in a glass of water.
- Let them soak for at least one night and up to 24 hours.
- If you find that some seeds are floating, you can remove them, it will not germinate, because they are not viable.
- Once they have soaked well, use your small colander to remove the water.
- Wet seeds are difficult to handle because they stick together. Therefore, it is better to dry them to be able to sow them more easily.
Where to sow your parsley?
Before starting your sowing, it is important to choose location and make sure that the earth will be adapted to the good development of your parsley. He likes spaces rather in partial shade. The earth must be humus and well drained. It is recommended to amend it by a add compost perfectly decomposed. As parsley prefers a light soil, it is possible to lighten it by using cattle manure, for example. To enjoy a nice parsley, proceed regularly at its watering, making sure to never let the soil dry out.
Make a success of your parsley sowing in the ground
When your soil is ready for sowing, the seeds are soaked, and the time is right for planting in the ground, you can sow your parsley. To do this :
- Make furrows, leaving a space of 20 cm between the rows.
- Sow your seeds fairly clearly in the furrow.
- Cover very lightly with soil. The seeds should not be too buried otherwise they could not come out. You must therefore cover them with a very fine layer of soil that is barely 1 cm thick.
- You can tamp lightly, then proceed to a copious watering.
- Once the seedlings have emerged, thin to 8 cm.
- It is possible to finish by installing a forcing veil which makes it possible to accelerate the emergence of the seeds, then to keep the seedlings warm. It will be maintained using large stones, for example. This solution can be very useful for the cooler periods. You will remove it as soon as the parsley has reached 2 to 3 cm.
Sow parsley in rows or broadcast?
It is possible to sow parsley in making furrows in order to create ranks. This solution makes it easier to distribute the seeds. So this is a fairly simple solution. However, when broadcast sowing, if you are not used to doing this, you may end up with poor seed distribution. You will then be forced to remove a larger number of seedlings to allow the others to develop properly.
Greenhouse sowing: when to transplant?
To quickly obtain parsley, it is possible to sow it in a greenhouse, for example, in March. From the emergence of the seeds, wait between 15 days and a month before transplanting them into the ground. It will depend on their evolution. Wait long enough so that the plants are strong enough to withstand the change and allow you to handle them without risking damage. For planting, reserve a space of 8 cm between each plant and about twenty centimeters between each row.
Cut the parsley to promote regrowth
To enjoy your parsley as long as possible, according to your needs, harvest it with a pair of sharp scissors. To do this, cut the strands low to the ground starting with those located on the outside of the tuft. Besides that, you can also do a massive harvest when the moon crosses a water constellation (Pisces, Cancer or Scorpio). You can then freeze your parsley to enjoy it all year round.
Collect seeds
When the flower stems are going to rise, you will have the opportunity to collect seeds, which will prevent you from having to buy some for your next sowing. To do this :
- you just have to wait for the umbels to start to dry and turn brown.
- Cut them off before they’re totally dry, because then the seeds will fall off.
- Let them finish drying in a sheltered location.
- Once completely dry, all you have to do is drop the seeds into a container.
Plant a lump of parsley
If you do not want to embark on the adventure of sowing parsley, you will easily find parsley plants to transplant on the market. It is generally presented in the form of trays in which there are about ten plants. You can separate them with the help of a sharp knife. Usually the soil is very moist, but if this is not the case, water the root ball generously beforehand. Prepare holes large enough to accommodate each of your plants. Install them in the ground, leaving around twenty cm in all directions. Then fill the hole with earth and proceed to a copious watering.