How to Grow Italian Parsley-Little Sprouts Learning

This page may contain affiliate links. Learn More.

Learning how to grow Italian parsley (or any kind of parsley) is super easy and herbs are a great plant for beginning gardeners because they are so forgiving. They aren’t finicky, can take drought, and give you great flavor for your food. Plus they are super healthy. Click here for more about how to start an herb garden.

Check out these gardening articles too:

There are two types of parsley: curly and Italian (flat-leaf). My favorite is Italian, so that’s what we grow.

Italian parsley is a wonderful addition to any dish. It’s savory and robust. It’s a great garnish, but also adds great flavor to soups, sauces, appetizers, and more. robust and savory.

Growing Italian parsley

Parsley will grow well in the ground or in containers, whatever meets your needs. It just needs good drainage.

The seeds are hard to germinate, it can take 4-6 weeks. The soil must be moist but not wet and in warm conditions such as a sunny window or under a grow light. It might help to soak your seeds in water for 8-24 hours before planting to soften up the seed coat.

I always like to buy it as seedlings because I don’t have luck growing herbs from seed except for cilantro. Once your seedlings are 3 inches tall or more, you can plant them outside as long as it’s above 40 degrees night and day.

Remember, they need to be hardened off first though. And if you live in a really hot climate, don’t opt for full sun. They need some shade during the day unless your climate is mild. In Oklahoma, we have to do part shade for parsley to thrive.

Planting Italian parsley

If you want to grow Italian parsley from seed, plant the seeds one knuckle deep in a good organic seedling mix and water it well.

Parsley is a biennial meaning it grows for two years.
Parsley needs regular watering.
Pests that bother parsley are snails and slugs.
Seaweed solution is a good fertilizer for parsley.
Harvest parsley regularly, not more than half the plant at a time, from the outside inward.
Parsley sets seed in the second year.
Make sure to use the stems in cooking, they have the strongest flavor. And always add the parsley at the end of cooking to maximize flavor and nutrients.

Parsley is very nutritious. Italian parsley is high in vitamins, minerals, and more. It also has medicinal benefits as well.

To preserve parsley if you grow too much, check out how to use excess herbs here.