How to plant parsley in a pot?

Parsley, native to the Mediterranean region, a major staple in French cuisine, is one of the most consumed and most appreciated aromatic plants by the French.

Very fragrant, this aromatic herb, scientifically called Petroselinum crispum , has a warm and recognizable scent and flavor. Parsley breaks down into two varieties of the same family. Flat-leaf parsley , used for its strong taste, and curly parsley , used for more decorative purposes thanks to its shiny green leaves.
This biennial aromatic herb brings freshness and flavors recipes. Thus, curly or flat, it seems essential to have this variety at home and available at home to enhance your best dishes.

What better way to make sure you always have parsley on hand than to grow it directly at home, in pots , and in an indoor vegetable garden ?

This article will provide all the information necessary for those who are wondering how to sow and cultivate , even without a garden and from their apartment, and thus have their own parsley plants available all year round. One of the many benefits of parsley is that it can be grown all year round. Even without a garden, you will be able to grow parsley all year round thanks to container cultivation.

The steps to follow to plant parsley in a pot:

The pot culture of this variety has the advantage of being relatively easy and accessible provided you have large volumes of soil. It is also an option perfectly suited to the urban lifestyle and the specific conditions of the indoor vegetable garden.

1. To plant your parsley, you must first ask yourself the question of the container for your flat or curly parsley and therefore that of the pot to be preferred . Proper planting is necessarily done in concert with a good container, and therefore a good pot that allows plants to benefit from rich and fertile soil. For the cultivation of flat or curly parsley , the pots can be made of plastic, earth, clay or other, all of this depending on the preferences and means of each one and remains suitable for growing flat or curly parsley plants. However, care must be taken that the pot is pierced in the bottom to allow the soil to be aerated and to space the roots well for good growth. Drilling the bottom of the pot also facilitates the evaporation of water and has a well-drained soil.
2. Put the soil you have chosen. The volume of soil needed should be more than half the size of your pot, and you will top it off by adding quality horticultural soil . This will serve as a growing bed for your flat parsley or curly parsley and you must fill the entire pot, that is to say the entire height offered by this container.
3. Once filled, it is necessary to sift well so that the culture bed is well spread out.
4. Once this operation has been carried out, you will need to water your plant so that the parsley seeds benefit from the water necessary for their growth and take on moisture immediately.
5. After completing this step, it will be necessary to sow the parsley. To properly carry out this action, it is necessary to sow quite thinly, sparsely and not abundantly. Also be sure to spread the seeds well , spreading them well over the entire pot when you start sowing.
6. Next, cover your seed with a little bit of dry potting soil . It is then necessary to sift over it so that the seed is covered, while maintaining a lightly packed soil . It is essential to tamp it down well to lower the soil and to allow the seeds to assimilate properly into the soil of your variety. Humidity is also of major importance during the first phase, which is sowing, so it is up to you to ensure that your soil is well hydrated as soon as you sow and therefore to provide the necessary quantity of water.
7. Once all these actions have been completed, you will have to wait a week for the germination period , and about a fortnight to count the start of your harvest.

Caring for potted parsley: tips and tricks

The right location for the parsley pot

No problem if you don't have a garden to grow your flat or curly parsley in, your pot can be placed on a balcony or terrace to recreate outdoor conditions : exposure to the sun, light, water and rain. If you don't have a balcony or a terrace, you can very well place your potted parsley inside your home or house, in a room like in the kitchen for example. Indeed, the kitchen is often a sunny and uncluttered room which will facilitate the cultivation and maintenance of your parsley and its leaves.
Parsley is a so-called “partial shade” plant, so it is important not to expose it too much to full sunlight in summer. It will be necessary to alternate its exposure if you place your plant in the sun, and to offer it a location in the shade during a certain part of the day. Another option is to place your parsley behind your other plants, flowers or fruits, so that it benefits from their shade.
In winter , on the contrary, ensure that the young shoots still benefit from the light necessary for their growth. Indeed, winter in the vegetable garden marks a slight slowdown in the growth of parsley . If during the winter you are unable to obtain additional leaves, you can place the pot of parsley next to a window so that it gets the most sunlight. Parsley plants are indeed very sensitive to external factors. One of the advice regularly given to those who are starting the adventure and embarking on a home vegetable garden is to keep a notebook with the specificities of each variety that is grown. Thus, it will make the task easier by simply having to refer to the page dedicated to the variety that one cultivates.

How to maintain your pot of parsley?

Once germination has taken place with the appearance and formation of stems and young shoots, certain actions must be carried out frequently to maintain your pot of parsley .
One of the key stages of maintenance is obviously watering . Thus, it must be watered regularly . You must water in a decreasing manner over time: in the times immediately following sowing, you water in small quantities approximately twice a week. The important thing is to be vigilant to the humidity of the substrate , it must not dry out. Care must therefore be taken to maintain a wet and moist substrate . To keep the substrate moist, however, it is not necessary to water your pot every day. On the contrary, this would risk flooding the roots, which is bad for the growth of the plant. So you water taking care not to flood the potting soil or even the ground and your pots with too much water.

Harvesting parsley: how to cut it?

To start harvesting, you must start by harvesting only a few shoots from your plantation. To do this, cut the stem at the base with a pair of scissors or by hand. However, you should not remove everything at once: leaving some indeed promotes the growth of other stems and makes the parsley more vigorous. So it's up to you not to strip the whole parsley stalk at once. Harvesting is indeed an operation that is carried out over time and it is therefore necessary to pick as you go.

How to use parsley?

Once the parsley is planted, maintained and harvested, you wonder how to include it in your recipes?

First of all, it should be remembered that parsley is an aromatic herb that is eaten fresh . To take advantage of its aromas and vitamins, we advise you to cut its leaves just before using it to make your favorite dish.

Once the leaves are at hand, you can use your parsley in many ways and in many different recipes! Parsley is indeed ideal for seasoning sauces based on yogurts or homemade cottage cheeses.
But that's not all, parsley is also suitable to sublimate a dish of potatoes, salads and to accompany your vegetables.

Want recipe ideas? URBAN CUISINE invites you to find all our advice and all our recipes on our website! You will also find articles relating to the maintenance of your aromatic plants, your flowers, and your organic fruits and vegetables, in addition to all our recipes!