redolent , tight - growing , and flavorful , parsley is an essential herbaceous plant in the kitchen garden . And it ’s well cultivated in pots or planters for convenient and promptly available glow .

The tasty leaves are also highly nutrient and used to add savory savor to a huge assortment of stunner , from herbed butter to smoothies to hearty stews .

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A close up horizontal image of parsley growing in a large terra cotta pot set on a wooden deck.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

The leaf are best savour fresh , but a bumper crop freeze readily and retains feeling well . They can be dried for the spicery rack as well .

The two most usually cultivated salmagundi – curly and flat - foliage – make excellent container plants and the attractive , deep green foliage also makes a pretty ornamental that can be added to flower pot .

The curly case is often used as a ornamental garnish while the unconditional leaf variety , with its lustrous , more intense relish , is most often preferred for culinary use – and it ’s a bit more passion tolerant as well .

A close up vertical image of parsley growing in a terra cotta pot set on a concrete surface. To the top and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

Often grow as annuals , these are fairly inhuman - kind plants . They can handle a flavor of freeze , and in the right conditions , they may winter as biennial for a late season crop before plump to sow .

Fragrant , tasty , and well cultivated , is it time to tally parsley to your container garden ? We ’re glad you said yes ! Let ’s leap in to explore the necessary step to grow your own in containers .

Here ’s everything that ’s coming up :

A close up horizontal image of parsley growing in a large terra cotta pot set on a wooden deck.

What You’ll Learn

Curly or Flat foliage

Indoor Seeding

Container Care

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of curly parsley growing in a container.

Harvest Container industrial plant

Two variety show of parsley are normally mature for their high flavored leave .

Curly folio parsley ( Petroselinum crispumvar.crispum ) grows eight to 12 in tall and is the type often used commercially as a garnish , but it has plenty of flavor for casual cooking as well .

A close up horizontal image of flat leaf parsley growing in a rocky location in the garden pictured in light sunshine.

And the sharply furl leaf also makes a plush filler when mixed with flowers inhanging baskets , patio plenty , or windowpane boxwood .

Flat foliage , or Italian Petroselinum crispum ( P. crispumvar.neapolitanum ) , grows 18 to 24 inches . It has celery - similar straw and is preferred by professional chefs and cooks due to its hopeful , intense flavor and informality of palm on the press cutting board .

Both form can be frozen or dry . They also make excellent companions for vegetable such asasparagus , carrots , corn , onions , andtomatoesin the garden , due to their pestilence - repellant and nip - enhancing properties .

A close up horizontal image of a ceramic bowl half filled with water for soaking seeds, set on a wooden surface.

Hamburg Petroselinum crispum , P. crispumvar.tuberosum , is a tuberous potpourri with edible leaves . The large , parsnip - like roots have a taste akin to carrots heavily seasoned with Petroselinum crispum , and this assortment is most often grown as a veg .

Parsley is known to have a low sprouting rate , but the physical process can be improved by soaking the seminal fluid in warm weewee for up to 24 time of day before planting .

startle seed indoors six to 10 weeks before the last frost , then transplantation to permanent containers once warm temperatures get in .

A close up horizontal image of parsley plants that have been uprooted to show the size of the taproots, set on a wooden surface.

Use peat potsor plug trays at least four inches deep to accommodate parsley ’s long taproot , which does best when leave undisturbed . Fill weed with a sterile come - starting mix .

Sow a few seeds per sight and cover with a quartern - inch of filth .

Place pile in a sunny windowsill or use a grow lighter to insure they receive decent light . receive detail onhow to employ grow lights in this template .

A close up square image of a bunch of curly parsley set on a wooden surface.

Keep the soil moist but not wet . Seeds germinate in 12 to 28 twenty-four hour period in temperatures between 50 and 70 ° F , with a intimately sprouting charge per unit found at the warm destruction of the range .

To prevent shock , harden plant off gradually for a week before transplanting into larger containers when seedlings have at least three dyad of leaves .

For elaborate steps , record our guide onhow to commence Petroselinum crispum from seed .

A close up square image of ‘Double Curled’ curly parsley growing in the garden.

Parsley ’s a natural in any container and is just as easy grown in a modest pot , large patio planter , or mixed into a window box .

But , due to their deep taproots , they need some depth to their container – prefer vessels that are at least 12 inches cryptic for the most vigorous performance .

Plants enjoy moist but not wet stain and excellent drain is mandatory .

A close up square image of the parsnip-like roots of ‘Hamburg Rooted’ parsley set on a piece of fabric on a wooden surface.

Ensure container have enough drain hole . I wish to add up a layer of drainage material such as humbled clayware or pebble to the bottom of the pot .

Fill containers with a loamy , hommos - rich grease with a more or less acidic to neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0 and amended with wet - retentive materialssuch as coconut coir , peat moss , perlite , or vermiculite . Mix insome bone meal for intelligent roots .

Sow seed in forgetful circular or straight shallow personal line of credit ( drills ) , depending on the container shape . Cover with a quarter - inch of soil .

A close up horizontal image of three terra cotta pots set on wooden supports growing a variety of different herbs.

Once seedling have at least one set of true leaves , lean down to the number appropriate for your container . Three flora can grow comfortably in a green goddess that ’s 12 inches deep and 12 inches all-encompassing .

If you ’re transplanting seedling , scoop out a few handfuls of soil to make a inscrutable volcanic crater for the long roots , then gently backfill , disturbing them as fiddling as possible .

post containers in a full to fond sun location , with light afternoon nuance in raging regions .

Keep the stain moist but not wet and water deeply when the top inch of dirt is wry to the ghost . Feed container plants monthly with a balanced plant food , such as 10 - 10 - 10 NPK .

If need , supply a two- to four - column inch layer of leafage mould or drinking straw mulch to help forestall wet red ink .

In areas with mild winters , in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 and above , container plants can overwinter as biennial for a late harvest in wintertime or other spring .

If you do overwinter plants , they might need a cloche for security from freezing temperatures – you may read about that inour guide on how to produce parsley in winter .

Containers can also be tended indoors , put up they get six to eight hour of bright light daily .

Cultivars to Select

Curly , flat - folio , and even Hamburg varieties are easy cultivated in containers , and ejaculate or seedling are wide useable at local garden centers and online .

Here ’s a sample of some democratic choices .

Italian Flat - Leaf

Italian monotone - leaf seed in packet or in bulk areavailable at on-key Leaf Market .

Curly Parsley

For curly parsley , seed in packets and bulk quantities areavailable at Eden Brothers .

‘ Triple Moss Curled ’

Or try the ‘ Triple Moss Curled ’ type with obtusely curled leaves – semen in packet and bulk areavailable at True Leaf Market .

‘ Double curling ’

You ’ll also obtain packet boat of organic ‘ Double Curled ’ seedsavailable at Burpee .

‘ Hamburg Rooted ’

If you ’d like to try tuberous parsley radical , ‘ Hamburg Rooted ’ seed in packets and in bulk areavailable at Eden Brothers .

To keep plants vigorous , wait until they ’re at least six inches improbable and have three sets of leaves before harvesting .

To harvest , practice white , sharp-worded kitchen scissor hold to snip off out leaf – cutting from the away encourages fast regrowth . Avoid cutting the terminal bud .

glean a few leafage to use right away or take more and store it in the refrigerator with the cut ends overwhelm in a small glass of water for up to 10 years .

Parsley also freeze down readily for up to eight calendar month and can be dried as well . Drying and stop dead details can be found in ourguide on how to grow parsley in your herb garden .

Potager Perfection

Fragrant , flavorful , and fast - growing , parsley is a breeze to turn in containers – perfect for the commodious kitchen garden or potager !

starting signal seeds indoors to get a jump on the time of year , then plant out into pots once fountain get in .

harvest home mature works frequently for a steady provision of leaves and block up the surplus for even more convenience .

And for more information aboutgrowing kitchen garden herb , check out these guides next :

pic by Lorna Kring © call for the Experts , LLC . ALL rightfield RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . earlier published May 17th , 2022 . Last update March 26th , 2025 . Cartesian product photos via Burpee , Eden Brothers , and True Leaf Market . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .

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Lorna Kring