Herbs
Parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Timings for your region
Suggested: Moderate · Explained in the glossary
Sow outdoorsmid March – late July
Harvestmid May – late November
Practical tip
Notoriously slow to germinate; three to four weeks is normal. Never sow it twice running in the same spot — it does not tolerate itself.
Origin & history
Parsley comes from the eastern Mediterranean, where it grows wild on rocky slopes and walls — the botanical name Petroselinum means nothing other than “rock celery”. The Romans cultivated it and carried it across the Alps; since the Middle Ages it has been a fixture of the monastery gardens, and it is still one of the most-used culinary herbs in Germany. Botanically it is biennial: in the first year it makes only the leaf rosette, in the second it bolts and flowers — after that second spring a plant is finished.
Varieties
Flat-leaf parsley has by far the stronger flavour and is what people actually cook with; the curly type is tougher through the winter and stays fresh longer as a garnish. There is also Hamburg parsley, sown like a carrot and lifted in autumn for its white root — its foliage is edible but coarser. When buying, the date is what matters most: parsley seed loses viability quickly, and an old packet from the drawer is the commonest reason for nothing coming up at all.
Care
Until the seedlings appear the drill must never dry out — keep it evenly moist for three to four weeks, covering it with fleece if need be, or the surface crusts over and the seedlings cannot get through. Later thin to about ten centimetres and water thoroughly in dry spells; in partial shade the leaves stay more tender. Harvest stem by stem from the outside, close to the ground, and never shear straight across the plant — the heart keeps producing new growth.
What can go wrong
Parsley does not tolerate itself, and it does not tolerate its relatives either: after carrot, celery, dill or fennel it likewise does not belong in the bed, and three to four years’ gap is the minimum. In wet summers brown-grey leaf spots with dark margins show up; space the plants more widely, water at the base, cut out affected leaves and do not work among wet foliage. Individual plants that suddenly wilt in the middle of the row should be pulled roots and all and kept off the compost heap; with Hamburg parsley a crop-protection net additionally keeps the carrot fly away.
Harvest, storage & kitchen
Parsley goes into the dish at the end; cooked along with everything else it loses its flavour completely. Throwing the stalks away is a waste — they taste stronger than the leaves and belong in any stock. Drying is barely worth it, whereas chopped and frozen it keeps almost everything; in the bed, under a fleece, you can go on picking into December.
All timings are guide values for the given climate, not a guarantee. Weather, aspect and variety all have a say.