Parsley and Its Cultivation

Common parsley (Petroselinum crispum) is a biennial plant belonging to the Apiaceae family. In its first year, parsley forms a rosette of leaves and stores nutrients in a robust root. In the second year, it produces a stem with an umbel inflorescence. The umbel is composed of many small, yellow, hermaphrodite flowers. The fruits are ribbed achenes without hooks, containing high levels of essential oils.

Its native habitat is southern Europe, from where parsley has spread throughout the temperate zone.

• Garden parsley (Petroselinum crispum) and Italian (garden) parsley (Petroselinum crispum neapolitanum) are the best-known species. However, Italian parsley is often considered a subspecies of garden parsley. In gardens, two main cultivars are predominantly grown - root parsley (Petroselinum crispum convar. radicosum Hill) and leaf parsley (Petroselinum crispum convar. vulgare Danert).

• Root parsley develops a root up to 25 cm long in the first year, which is broadly conical and unbranched.

• Leaf parsley develops a thin, richly branched root. The leaves are bright green, smooth or curled depending on the specific variety.

• There is also a wild-growing herb called fool's parsley (Aethusa cynapium), which looks like flat-leaf parsley but is poisonous, so beware.

• One of the most suitable root varieties for cultivation is Olomoucká dlouhá. This variety has a long, conical, sharply pointed root. It is very aromatic. It thrives in lighter soils. It stores well and has considerable disease resistance.

• Another root variety is Alba. This is a medium-late to late variety intended for direct consumption, industrial processing and storage. The root is medium-long, elongated triangular in shape with a smooth white surface. The roots have increased resistance to branching and reach a length of approximately 18-21 cm.

• The third frequently grown root parsley is the Konika variety. This medium-early variety is suitable for summer harvest with greens, as well as for winter harvest without greens. The roots are medium-long, broadly conical and smooth. They reach a length of 12-15 cm. The flesh is aromatic, creamy white, with slight marbling near the center.

• A late variety of root parsley intended for storage is Hanácká. The root is semi-long, conical to club-shaped. It reaches a length of 14-17 cm. The flesh is aromatic, forming a predominantly compact white core with subtle marbling.

• The last frequently grown variety is Osborne. This is a semi-late, long and well-storable root parsley.

• A representative of leaf parsley is curly leaf parsley. This variety has richly divided leaves, grows very well and quickly. Young leaves are light green and glossy. The variety is also suitable for forcing from roots harvested in autumn.

• Another variety of leaf parsley suitable for year-round harvest is Astra. It can be consumed fresh, dried or frozen. The leaves are very strongly curled, with a medium to dark green color. The foliage grows intensively, so harvesting can be repeated after 8 - 10 weeks.

• Leaf variety with smooth leaves is Festival 68. This variety is intended for year-round foliage harvest. The leaves are smooth, medium green, uniform.

• The basis of many herb mixtures is the Mooskrause variety.

How to grow parsley?

It's not complicated, but a few tips are always useful. Parsley thrives in a sunny or semi-shaded location. It prefers lighter soils rich in humus with the ability to retain sufficient water. It grows best at temperatures between 10 - 20 °C, but can briefly withstand frost. Sow parsley in beds in the second crop rotation (sufficient nutrients, but soil is not directly fertilized).

Parsley germination takes quite a long time. A proven trick for speeding it up is pouring warm water over the rows with seeds. The basic needs of both parsley cultivars are the same, but sowing is slightly different.

Root parsley should be sown in beds as early as possible in spring - from February to April at a spacing of approximately 7 x 30 cm.

Leaf parsley should be sown later - from March to April at a distance of 2 x 10 cm. It's better to sow more densely and thin the emerged seedlings to the recommended spacing, because not all seeds will germinate. Sow seeds approximately 1 cm deep for spring sowing and approximately 2 cm deep for autumn sowing, which is done in September to November. Root parsley needs deeply dug soil for successful growth, so that strong roots can develop. Leaf parsley is not as demanding on deep soil cultivation.

Root parsley especially benefits from hoeing and adequate watering during hot summer days. For a better harvest, you can apply NPK fertilizer with lower nitrogen content during the season. Root parsley is harvested in autumn before the frosts arrive. Leaf parsley is harvested gradually as needed. In the second year of cultivation, seeds are harvested, which are collected before full ripening, most commonly in August. Usually, entire inflorescences are picked off, from which the seeds are simply threshed after drying. The growing period for root parsley is 190 - 210 days, while for leaf parsley from spring sowings it can be up to 90 days.

Leaf parsley can also be grown indoors. Curly parsley leaves look very decorative in a special parsley pot. You can sow seeds directly into this container or transplant pre-grown roots into it, which will sprout during winter.

Sowing Tip

Parsley germinates quite slowly, sometimes even several weeks, so you can mix the seeds with radish and sow them together. Radish germinates much faster, so you'll keep the parsley constantly in sight. The simplest solution is to buy a ready-made seed tape combining leaf parsley and radish seeds.

Parsley Diseases and Pests

The most common pest on parsley is the celery leaf miner, which belongs to the Hymenoptera order. The larvae create tunnels in the leaves, causing affected leaves to dry out and die. Other pests on parsley leaves include carrot aphid and hop spider mite. You can eliminate these pests using insecticidal products such as Decis.

• Parsley roots can be attacked by nematodes, which are tiny roundworms that deform roots through their activity. An effective method of fighting nematodes has proven to be sowing marigolds around vegetable beds. Marigolds kill nematodes with their juices.

• Wet weather contributes to the development of Septoria leaf spot.

• You may discover a large green caterpillar with black stripes and yellow dots on parsley leaves. Don't kill this caterpillar, as it's actually the caterpillar of a very beautiful butterfly - the swallowtail.

Medicinal Effects and Uses of Parsley

Parsley is a significant source of vitamins, especially C, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, E and A. In terms of minerals, it contains phosphorus, manganese, calcium, potassium, magnesium and chlorine. The main active substance in parsley is essential oils, which act as a diuretic (a substance that promotes urination). Essential oils have a strong disinfectant effect, which is why they are used as a component in diuretic and urological teas intended for treating urinary tract infections.

Its effect on digestion and appetite stimulation is also significant.

Its consumption is recommended for disorders associated with bloating, intestinal cramps, bronchial cough in old age and menstrual disorders. Using parsley causes increased blood flow to the sexual organs - making it a mild aphrodisiac. High doses of parsley can induce uterine contractions, therefore consuming large amounts of parsley is not suitable for pregnant women.

Parsley finds its most frequent use in the kitchen. The leaves are used to season soups, sauces and egg dishes. They are often used to garnish salads, vegetable dishes or potatoes. Root parsley is cooked in soup and other dishes. Natural parsley juice from fresh foliage is an excellent insect repellent.

After an insect bite, rubbing the affected area with fresh parsley helps. A decoction from parsley foliage acts as a hair tonic that revitalizes hair shine. Chewing parsley freshens breath and removes garlic odor. You can also prepare a cleansing facial water from parsley. Simply boil two tablespoons of finely chopped parsley with a cup of peppermint tea and then leave it covered to steep for 30 minutes. Then strain the decoction and apply to the areas you want to cleanse. The ornamental value of parsley is also undeniable - especially when growing curly varieties in terracotta pots (parsley pots).

Can You Tell Parsley from Parsnip?

Parsley and parsnip look very similar at first glance, and are even often confused in shops. However, they taste completely different. So how can you tell parsley from parsnip at first glance? By the foliage. Parsley has foliage covering almost the entire top of the root, and after cutting it has a thin purple rim around the perimeter where the foliage grew. In contrast, parsnip foliage grows from the center of the root crown and doesn't cover such a large area. After cutting, it looks as if the foliage grew from the inside. The top after cutting is light and uniform in color. Do you think you still can't tell the difference in the shop?

The simplest solution is to grow your own parsley from seeds in your garden. This way you'll have 100% certainty that it's parsley.