Greens & herbs
Parsley
Plant Sep to Oct, again in Feb.
- Outside
- Plant Sep to Oct, again in Feb
- Where
- Raised bed or in ground
- Sun
- Full sun or part shade
- Water
- Even moisture; goes tough if it dries out
- Harvest
- Nov to May, cut outer stems
Care
- Water
- Even moisture with the finger test; parsley does not wilt for show, it simply stops growing and the leaves turn tough. The cool months ask less of the bed, but a dry winter or spring spell still wants a soak.
- Sow
- Direct sow or set plants in September or October, and again in February. Soak the seed overnight first to even out its slow sprouting, and sow shallow.
- Feed
- Light: compost in the row at planting carries a leaf crop, with a fish and seaweed drink if the color fades in winter. Nothing heavy is called for.
- Ready
- Snap outer stems off at the base whenever you cook, working around the ring so the middle keeps pushing fresh growth. A fall planting cuts all winter and into spring.
- Trouble
- Heat is the whole enemy, which is why both plantings sit in the cool months and the plant steps aside for summer, as the cilantro does. Dry roots toughen the leaves; even moisture is the fix.
In a bag?
- Yes
- Up to a 1–2 gal bag.
- Water
- A bag dries faster than a bed even in the cool months; water often enough to keep the mix evenly damp, daily in any warm spell.
- Feed
- A pinch of compost at planting and a light drink if winter color fades; a bag leaches with every watering.
- Sow
- The Texas container guide lists parsley at 1 gallon; one or two plants fill a 1 to 2 gallon bag for the kitchen door.
Planted in September or October and again in February, parsley cuts from fall through spring and steps aside when the heat arrives.
Growing
The windows are the county's: September or October for the winter stand, February for the spring round before heat ends it. Cut outer stems at the base and the center keeps producing, and since the ground does not freeze, a fall planting never really stops through winter. It is a biennial, so a plant that survives to flowering is finishing anyway; cut what it gives, compost the stump, and start fresh next fall.
In the kitchen
Chimichurri on grilled meats, tabbouleh, gremolata: the recipes where parsley is the point rather than the decoration. Stems go in the stock bag.