To grow parsley in a pot

Sowing parsley in pots or window boxes

When to sow?

Parsley is usually sown between February and September for a harvest about 3 months later.

How to sow?

• Choose parsley variety you wish to sow: flat-leaf parsley for more flavour, curly parsley for its decorative appearance, Giant of Italy parsley for its subtle taste. You can also choose dwarf parsley, which suits pots better, such as the dwarf moss-curled Wega, which reaches up to 25 cm in height.
• Before sowing the seeds, soak them for a full day in a glass of water
• Choose a pot or planter deep enough as parsley develops long roots
• Fill the pot with sowing compost and firm the surface
• Sow the seeds, distributing them evenly over the surface so the sowing is not too compact
• Cover with 1 mm of compost and sift again
• Water with a spray bottle so the soil is well moist
• Place the pot in light and warmth, ideally at 20°C and at least 15°C
• Sowing will germinate in around 20 days on average if the pot is kept at 20°C
• Water regularly so the soil remains moist

Angélique’s tip: One trick is to place a damp cloth over the pot and keep it moist until germination.

To grow parsley in a pot

When to plant?

If you plan to place your pot of parsley outdoors, it’s best to plant from late April, or once last frosts have passed.

How to grow?

• Choose a pot deep enough for roots to develop
• Place sand or clay pebbles at bottom of pot to ensure good drainage
• Cover with potting compost
• Loosen plant roots if necessary and place it in pot
• Fill with remaining potting compost and press down firmly
• Water soil well so it is moist
• Place in sun or partial shade, protecting plant with an upturned crate until it becomes established
• Ensure to water regularly so soil stays moist, because in pots, substrate tends to dry out faster than in open ground.
• If parsley turns yellow, it is likely suffering from drought and not receiving enough water.

Planting parsley in garden

Harvest parsley

• You can harvest parsley leaves as soon as young plants reach 15 cm in height, cutting them with clean scissors and starting with those on the outer edges. Cutting stimulates formation of new shoots.
• Harvest is generally possible between May and November, even December.
• As parsley is a biennial plant, leaves are harvested in the first year. In the second year they harden and the plant produces flowers. To always have tender leaves, parsley is therefore preferably grown as an annual.
• However, if you want to continue harvesting in the second year, it is best to cut flower stalks from spring to force the plant to produce leaves.
• You can also let parsley go to seed in the second year and harvest these seeds in August or September to make new sowings the following year.
• Discover our range of parsley in bucket or in seed packets!