How to Grow Parsley
Parsley At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -12°C
Plant Family
Apiaceae
Growing Season
Cool & Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Biennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Parsley handles frost, so sow it 2 to 4 weeks before your last spring frost. Soak the seeds in warm water overnight to speed them up, then sow them 0.5 cm deep and keep the soil damp. They are slow, taking 14 to 28 days to sprout, so do not give up. Thin them (pull the extras so each has room) to 15 cm apart.
Parsley lives two years: the first year it makes leaves for months, and the second spring it quickly flowers and makes seed. Most people sow fresh each spring for the best leaves, and a mulched plant often lasts through winter for an early picking.
When To Start
First chance to plant
30 Days Before Last Frost
Last chance to plant
60 Days Before First Frost
When should you plant Parsley?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Parsley Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Parsley Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow parsley now and keep the soil damp, it is slow to sprout
2 weeks before your last frost· every year
Pick outer parsley stems, the centre keeps growing
10 weeks after your last frost· every year· optional
Did you water your parsley seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
Time to thin the parsley seedlings: snip the extras at soil level so each one has room to grow.
About 38 days after you plant it
Your parsley is growing! Keep the soil damp and pull weeds while the plants are small.
About 51 days after you plant it
Harvest time! Cut the outer stems near the base and let the centre keep growing.
About 75 days after you plant it
Picking time may be here: check your parsley.
About 70 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Parsley's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.5 cm
Seeding Depth
15 cm
Plant Spacing
45 cm
Row Spacing
4
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
Yes: Tower.
Method: Tower.
Succession Planting
Yes.
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 14–28 days
Growing Tips
- 1Grow parsley in full sun, at least 6 hours a day, though it handles part shade.
- 2Mix compost into the soil before sowing, or use a pot at least 20 cm deep for the long root.
- 3Water when the top 2 to 3 cm of soil feels dry, and spread mulch to keep the roots cool and damp.
- 4Feed with compost tea or worm castings about once a month to keep the leaves dark green.
- 5Green caterpillars with black stripes and yellow dots are young black swallowtail butterflies, so pick them off by hand or move them to a few plants you can spare.
- 6Wash aphids off with a spray of water.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
~70
Days to Maturity
30 cm
Mature Height
30 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
Harvest Window
60 days
When to Pick
Pick leaves throughout the season
How to Harvest
- 1Start picking once the plant is about 15 cm tall with plenty of stems.
- 2Cut the outer stems at the base, and the centre keeps sending up new ones.
- 3Never take more than a third of the plant at once, so it keeps growing strong.
- 4Keep picking well into fall, since parsley handles light frost.
- 5Stand fresh stems in a glass of water in the fridge, or chop the leaves and freeze them in ice cube trays with a little water.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Parsley only makes seed in its second year, so leave a strong plant in the ground under a thick layer of mulch over winter. Curly and flat-leaf parsley cross with each other through insects, so let only one kind flower at a time. Hybrid F1 seeds will not grow true, so save only from a variety that is not a hybrid. In the second summer, wait until the flat flower heads turn brown, cut them into a paper bag and let them dry, then shake out the seeds. Store them in a labelled envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry, where they keep about 2 to 3 years.
Seed Production
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