Parsley Seed

Anyone had much luck growing Parsley from seed? From my research, it seems it's pretty hard to get the seeds to germinate. It sounds like it's better just to buy the plants.

Has anyone taken cuttings and started new plants?

I'd like to have several parsley plants for beneficial insects. But, then, it sounds like the Beneficial Insects don't come until Parsley blooms which is the following year (biennials).

Parsley is suppose to be hardy to zone 2. Last year is the first year I grew parsley. I suppose it will return? We had a really cold winter this year as did everyone else.

I grow parsley, depends on the variety as to the germination rate of the seeds, my par-cel did have a few sprout in the fern leaf dill volunteers, but I didn't find the parsley drew the beneficials as much as the dills and basils and fennels did. It may be the variety is important to the beneficials taste as well.

I have grown Parsley from seed--but it is much easier to buy a 4" pot-full
of it for a couple of bucks. You can separate them and have many plants.

Parsley and Dill and all the others you names are the main food source for
Black Swallowtail Caterpillars. The will strip every stem of leaves...
I allowed them to last summer---they ate it all!

Gita

Yours is flat leaf parsley- they weren't as fond of my curly leaf, but I had tons of fernleaf dill so that may be why..

I thought parsley came pretty much from one big tap root--so, how can you divide it?

It has a parsnip or carrot taproot, no division, useful as edible year one, gets tougher 2nd year, but seeds 2nd yr.

Hi, birder!!! Good to hear from you....

What I was saying is that when I have bought parsley at the farm stand--
there are more than one plant in the pots.
That is what I meant about dividing them.
Gita

Hi Gita!
I thought of you while I planted the Angelonia and Aquilegia seeds this year.

Oh wow! I never get more than one plant in a pot. That's why I am considering starting them from seeds.

Is there any consensus as to whether the parsley plants I have outside will return from this ccooolllddd winter?

kittriana--interesting comment about which herbs the beneficials like the most. Have you observed any activity with the Marigold 'Lemon Gem"--suppose to be for beneficials.

Marigolds are supposed to draw spiders to eat aphids. The grass spiders will eat my butterfly cats, but it is usually the stinkiest marigolds that work for some reason. Just as the bees dont really care for my cinnamon basil, or red leaf basil, but go for the 'african blue' basil most. I have had more of a stinkbug problem than an aphid issue so far.

Yes, me too. I think the stink bug problem is here to stay. I know of nothing that really works unless it's something like a Sevin powder.

Best aphid control is no poison- they are built wrong for it to work. soap n water on both stinkbugs and aphids. Ummm, there are several who use neem oil, spray and wash off if aphids get really bad-

We've never had any problem with growing parsley. We do keep it fenced as various kinds of wildlife find it tasty. The caterpillars also like it but we just make sure we have enough planted that we don't care.

I live in zone 5/6 depending on what zone map you look at. Parsley is a bi-annual and also reseeds it's self. We have an earthbox that we grow parsley so that can sit outside all winter and also reseed it's self. I let part of it go to seed in the summer. Generally you can tell as the older plants start to make flowers. The box has been going a number of years (around 6 plus) and we've not had to buy new seed to plant.

Best sown directly into the ground (1/4 in deep) four to five weeks before the last spring frost. For my area that is March 11-25. The seeds should start germinating in Germination in 14 - 21 days. Thin seedlings to 6 to 18 inches apart. Grow in full sun. We water weekly and fertilized once or twice a year generally in the spring and at midsummer.

So your "earthbox" is above the ground and your parsley makes it through the winters as biennials?
I am zone 6b, and my freeze date is April 10th.

Thanks for the information.

Yes. They are above ground and they've made it through the winter every winter prior to this one. I was just out to check on them. Usually they are green all winter. This winter has been colder so they died back. The roots however still look viable.

"Maybe" mine will return. I looked at it about a month ago. It looked pretty crisp. I will look at it again but not today. We are under a severe weather alert.
Thanks for your info.

If you are worried about it coming back just leave the old plants in place and reseed around them

I checked my parsley today--it's toast. It had heaved out of the soil. I will buy more this spring.

I'm sorry to hear your parsley didn't survive the winter.

Here is grows well in winters which aren't as drastic as yours. When we get freezes, it looks sad and droopy with the frost. Later in the day, it perks back up.

I've never bought plants and only started mine from seed with no germination problems. I have grown both par-cel and parsley from seed.

And as mentioned, it is biennual, blooming and seeding the second year.

In my observations--Parsley will usually come back the second year--
go to seed---then give up the ghost. Mission accomplished.....

That's what I have read about Parsley--a biennial.

I don't what I could have done differently to keep my parsley alive through the winter. This was an unusually cold winter for us. The weatherman said this March was the coldest we had in 25 years.

Even though I have seeded some parsley (not up yet)--I bought a bunch
at HD while their BIG sale is still on. 5" and 3" pots of Bonnies Veggies and herbs-
5 for $10. So--$2 each. What a deal!!!
Picked up 4 pots (has multi stems in it) of Dill as well.
Those Caterpillars will be happy! They are all my Parsley AND Dill last year.

I may grow some in pots near the house so I can have some too.....;o)

This sale ends 4/13....hurry up if you want some! Bonnies always has a good product.

G.

Yes, that's a good deal. Bonnie plants are good. We don't have a HD around here. We have Lowe's and Menard's.
I checked w. Menard's this week and they did not have parsley. I will have to check with Lowe's. They also carry Bonnie plants. Maybe Lowe's has the same deal, but I doubt it. Lowe's is higher than Menard's.

birder--

I am looking at the Lowes add right now and there are no sales on Bonnies.
They do show 6-packs of annuals--3 for $5.
Sale ends 4-14.
Gita

Thanks for checking. I am swamped right now. My garden club is having a Spring Festival tomorrow. I have spent three days this week working on this project. Plus, the weather has finally turned nice here, and I have tried to squeeze in some yard work and garden clean up this week. So, I do appreciate checking out Lowe's add.

I have never had trouble germinating parsley before. Sometimes you just have to be patient. The tiny seeds are what drive me nuts, which is why I prefer pelleted whenever I can find them.
Dee

This message was edited Jan 17, 2015 10:43 PM