Parsley
A true vitamin bomb
Parsley grows to a height of about 15-30 cm. Smooth-leaved parsley is said to be more flavourful than curly-leaved parsley. We use both varieties in the kitchen, but the curly-leaved one is particularly good as a border plant in the country.
In the classical Roman Empire, the plant was used for everything from hair loss and hangovers to strengthening internal organs. Today, it’s more as a source of iron that parsley has gained a superhero reputation.
Be patient – parsley seeds are slow to germinate
Because parsley seeds are cold-tolerant, they can be sown directly all year round. If sown in autumn or winter, the leaves will appear the following spring. Add a layer of snow after you have covered the seeds with some soil. When the soil dries up after winter, the seeds are ready to germinate. Then it’s time to start watering.
Parsley can also be sown directly in spring, from March-April until early summer. Parsley sown at midsummer makes good overwintering plants. They give an early harvest next year. In order to speed up the growing process, we often pre-plant in April-May.
Once parsley has germinated, it is a very easy plant to grow. But the seeds are crazy tough at the start. It can take up to a month for all the seeds to germinate. Parsley’s long germination time was explained in folklore as ‘the devil took the seeds’. But that’s not true – most seeds do eventually pop up! The key is to keep watering patiently. Soaking the seeds in lukewarm water for 24 hours before sowing will speed up germination.
Parsley should be planted out in sun or partial shade when the risk of frost has passed. The ideal row spacing is approx. 30 cm. It is very nice to plant together with onions, as they both keep pests away from each other. Parsley also works well with tomatoes, peas, dill and asparagus.
Grow parsley indoors or on a balcony
Parsley can be grown indoors all year round. Having home-grown leafy greens adds flavour to your food even during the winter months. Parsley grows best with extra lighting during the darkest time.
Unlike lettuce, which has shallow roots and can thrive in small pots, parsley likes pots that are at least 15 cm deep. This allows the parsley’s taproot to develop freely and the harvest to be bigger.
Caring for parsley
Parsley needs a little nourishment sometimes. Cover the plants with grass cuttings or other organic material. And water with fertiliser after harvesting to give the plants the strength to grow again.
Parsley is a biennial plant that overwinters. Help it cope with the cold by covering it with straw, hay or leaves. In its second year, parsley produces an early harvest. When it starts to flower, cut off the inflorescences. This will save the plant’s energy to develop more leaves. But feel free to let some plants flower in order to collect their own seeds.
Parsley in cooking
If you harvest the outer leaves first, leaves will continue to grow from the centre of the plant. Cut off the parsley sprigs quite far down the stalk. Parsley keeps well in a little water in the fridge. Fresh parsley is of course best, but it can also be frozen. Dried parsley risks losing some of its flavour.
Parsley is both healthy and tasty. It contains vitamins A, C, E and K, folic acid, calcium, iron and antioxidants. What’s more, it goes with practically everything in the kitchen. Salads, sauces, soups, gratins and stews. In herb butters, dressings and marinades. And of course, finely chopped with tomatoes, onions and bulgur for tabbouleh.
Our favourite for quick energy is to add a couple of handfuls of parsley to the juicer along with carrot, lemon and some fresh ginger. The parsley adds a deeper flavour to the carrot juice. And the leftover pulp can be mixed with flaxseed to be dried into healthy biscuits.
Author: Johanna Damm
Fact-checked by Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2022-10-14