Biennial
How to grow parsley
Petroselinum crispum
Parsley grows in sun or light shade in rich soil that holds moisture. Sow it outdoors from March to July once the soil has reached 10°C, or in modules indoors from February, and be patient: the seed takes two to four weeks to come up, sometimes six. Keep the drill moist until it does. Treat parsley as an annual, sowing in spring for summer and again in July or August for leaves through winter, because plants run to seed in their second year.
- Hardiness
- Hardy, picks through a mild winter
- Position
- Sun to light shade
- Soil
- Rich, moisture-retentive
- Ideal pH
- 6.0 to 7.0
- Water
- Moderate to high, keep moist
- Feeding
- Moderate feeder
Sowing and planting parsley
WhenSow Mar to Jul (Aug for winter under cover); harvest 10 weeks after sowing, year-round
Starting off
Sow direct Mar to Jul once soil is at least 10°C; seed takes 14 to 28 days, sometimes six weeks, so soak it overnight or pour warm water along the drill first. For an early start sow in modules indoors Feb to Mar at 18°C and plant out without disturbing the taproot. An Aug sowing under cloches picks through winter.
Spacing and planting
Thin or plant to 15 cm apart in rows 30 cm apart, sowing 1 cm deep. Fine in a 20 to 25 cm pot, 5 plants to a window box, or as an edging in the veg bed.
Varieties worth growing
- Moss Curled 2
- The standard tightly curled parsley: hardy, compact and slow to yellow, for edging beds, pots and garnishing.
- Bravour
- A curled variety with long stems and very good winter hardiness. The one for an August sowing under cloches.
- Giant of Italy
- Flat-leaved, tall and vigorous, with a stronger flavour than curled types. The cook's choice and quick to regrow after cutting.
- Hamburg
- Root parsley, grown like a parsnip for its white root with a parsley and celeriac flavour. The leaves can be used too.
Parsley month by month
Timings are for central England. Allow two weeks later in the north and on cold, heavy soil.
- January
Pick lightly from cloched or greenhouse plants.
- February
Sow in modules indoors at 18°C for the earliest crop.
- March
Sow outdoors once the soil reaches 10°C; warm the drill with a cloche first. Harden off module plants.
- April
Plant out module-raised plants 15 cm apart without breaking the root ball. Sow again.
- May
Thin direct sowings to 15 cm. Last year's plants bolt: pull them once new ones are cropping.
- June
Sow the main summer and autumn crop. Begin regular picking and the first top-up feed.
- July
Last outdoor sowing for autumn and winter leaves. Water in dry spells.
- August
Sow under cloches or in a greenhouse border for winter. Keep picking the outer stems.
- September
Pot up a few plants for the kitchen windowsill. Last feed early in the month.
- October
Pick as needed. Clear yellow leaves from around the crowns.
- November
Cover outdoor rows with cloches for winter picking.
- December
Pick lightly; growth has almost stopped.
Feeding parsley
A hungry leaf crop that is cut again and again. A balanced base dressing at sowing, then a nitrogen top-up every five to six weeks while it is growing and being picked.
A nitrogen-leaning feed for lush leaf.
Feeding plan
A week before sowing or planting
100 g/m² raked into the top few centimetres. With rows 30 cm apart that is 30 g per metre of row.
From the first picking, every 5 to 6 weeks until early September
Organic Nitrogen Fertiliser 13% N
25 g/m², the low end of the label range for leafy crops, scattered beside the row and watered in: about 8 g per metre of row, a quarter of a rounded handful.
Potting, containers
5 g per litre of compost mixed through: about 40 g for a 25 cm pot holding 8 litres.
Containers, every 5 to 6 weeks from the first picking
2 g per litre of compost on the surface, watered in: about 16 g for the 25 cm pot.
Signs to watch
Uniformly pale yellow leaves
Nitrogen short on hungry soil
A nitrogen-rich liquid feed such as nettle tea
Older leaves yellow between green veins on chalky ground
Magnesium locked up
Epsom salts
Pests, diseases and problems
Leaves turn reddish or yellow and plants stop growing; the taproot has rusty brown tunnels
Carrot fly larvae, which attack parsley as readily as carrots
Cover with fine insect mesh from sowing, with the edges buried. Sow after mid May to miss the first generation, and do not grow parsley next to an uncovered carrot row.
Leaves yellow and red, twisted and stunted, with clean roots
Motley dwarf virus, carried by willow-carrot aphid in late spring
The same insect mesh keeps the aphid off. Pull affected plants and sow again; there is no cure.
Brown, dry blotches inside the leaves, with a small grub visible when the leaf is held to the light
Celery leaf miner
Pick off and bin mined leaves as soon as you see them. Mesh or fleece over the row prevents the fly laying.
Small brown spots dotted with black pinpricks, starting on the older leaves
Septoria leaf spot, which is seed-borne and spreads by water splash
Remove spotted leaves, water at the base in the morning, give plants their full 15 cm spacing, and buy fresh seed rather than saving your own.
Seedlings grazed off or vanishing soon after they emerge
Slugs
Start in modules and plant out at 5 to 8 cm tall, or sow a little thicker than needed and check the row by torchlight.
A thick central stem shoots up and the leaves turn coarse and sparse
Bolting: natural in the second spring, and brought on early by root disturbance, drought or a cold check to young plants
Cut out the flower stem to gain a few more weeks of leaf, then replace the plants. Avoid it in the first year by transplanting module plants young and keeping the soil moist.
Harvest and rotation
Harvest and storage
Cut outer stems at the base from 10 to 12 weeks after sowing, taking no more than a third of the plant at once so the crown keeps producing. Expect around 100 g per cut every two or three weeks. Freeze chopped leaves in ice-cube trays or bags, as dried parsley has almost no flavour. Cloche in Nov for winter picking.
Rotation and companions
Rotation: umbellifer group with carrots, celery and parsnip, 3-year gap.
Good to knowGermination is slow and erratic, so sow into warm soil; treat it as an annual, as it runs to seed in its second year.
Growing parsley in pots
Parsley does well in a pot provided it is deep enough for the taproot: 20 to 25 cm across and at least 20 cm deep, or five plants in a window box. Use peat-free multipurpose compost with the 4-4-4 mixed in, and either sow direct and thin, or plant module-raised seedlings while they are small. Keep the compost moist at all times, since a pot that dries out is the commonest reason for parsley bolting in its first summer. In light shade it needs less watering and stays greener. Bring a pot onto a cool, bright windowsill in October for winter leaves.
Parsley: common questions
Why won't my parsley seeds germinate?
Parsley is naturally slow, taking two to four weeks and sometimes six, and it fails if the soil is cold or the seed dries out in that time. Sow when the soil is at least 10°C, soak the seed overnight or water the open drill with warm water first, cover 1 cm deep, and keep the row moist. Use fresh seed, as it loses viability within two or three years.
Does parsley come back every year?
No. Parsley is a biennial: it makes leaves in its first year, survives the winter, then flowers, sets seed and dies in its second spring. The leaves turn coarse once it bolts. Sow fresh each year, and again in July or August if you want leaves through winter. Left to flower, it will often seed itself.
Is curly or flat-leaf parsley easier to grow?
Curly parsley is slightly easier outdoors, because it is hardier and stays compact, which makes it the better choice for winter picking. Flat-leaf parsley grows faster and taller and has the stronger flavour, so most cooks prefer it. They need the same soil, spacing and feeding, so grow a short row of each.
Sources
Growing information on this page was checked against these references in November 2026. Feeding rates are Dr Forest label rates.