Parsley – okay, it can be a bit ubiquitous, turning up as a garnish on all manner of dishes, from salads to steaks and everything in between. But don’t write it off; parsley is amazingly good for you and is an excellent cure for the dreaded ‘onion breath’.  Plus, it’s dead easy to grow, needs very little water, and will fancy up your next dinner party!

Position, Position, Position!

Position depends on the variety of parsley you choose to grow – flat leaved ‘Italian’ parsley loves a hot spot in full sun, whereas the ‘Curly’ parsley will do best in a part sun position, where it receives about four hours of sun a day.

Talking Dirty

Parsley loves nothing more than a rich soil, chock full of compost. If growing in pots, which parsley adores, choose an organic potting mix. Both types of parsley do best with a neutral pH, so aim for about pH 7.

Feed Me!

Like many leafy, green vegies and herbs, parsley will respond really well to regular feeding. Use a liquid seaweed feed at planting time and then continue weekly until plants are about 20-25cm tall.

 

What About The Water?

Ever heard the term ‘wet feet’? Well, this applies to parsley! They like it damp and will run to seed rapidly if left to dry out. For a prolonged lifespan and healthier plants, water every second morning (but only if the soil is not damp!).

Pests and the Rest

Parsley suffers from very few issues but watch out for snails and slugs. If left to bolt to seed, you may find parsley throughout your Yummy Yard in years to come!

Are we there yet?

There is no specific time limit here, but, as a rule, wait until two rows of nice, strong stalks have formed and harvest, as required, from the outside. Parsley is a biennial, so, in the right spot, it should continue to grow and provide much parsley for a couple of years!

Hot tip

Parsley are said to make excellent companion plants for both tomatoes and asparagus and apparently improve the flavour of both significantly.

Good friends: Asparagus, corn and tomatoes.

Bad friends: Lettuce.