According to history, parsley was used in medieval times to absorb odors from foods. Makes you wonder what they were eating! It was also used as a poison antidote. I’m sure this would be most useful for those who became ill from consuming any rancid meat…

The growing parsley seed has to have high temperatures to germinate. But it could take a couple of weeks to a month for the leaves to begin to sprout. Soak the seeds in warm water overnight before planting. The seeds can be kept inside the house and sewn in pots, until the seeds begin to sprout.

Plant parsley in early springtime. Place in rows around 12 inches apart from each other. Cover the bed 1/2 inch deep. Bonemeal should be added to the top of the soil.

The seedlings can be planted out-doors when they are about three inches tall. {Pick a spot for growing parsley that will receive at least six to eight hours of sunlight per day!Although parsley enjoys direct sunlight, it should only receive between 6 – 8 hours per day}. It performs best in full sun to part shade.

The growing parsley should be in soil that is enriched with organic matter. Follow these directions, and you’ll be rewarded with a healthy crop. Consider planting in a container if you have poor soil conditions or not enough space.

Growing parsley indoors requires a minimum five hours of sunlight everyday. Fertilizer should be added to growing parsley to maintain growth throughout the season. During the summer, water the herb often to ensure the soil remains damp. Mulch needs to be added to the soil, which will reduce water loss, and prevent weeds from growing. After a while, thin the plants out so they stand around 6” apart form each other.

Parsley is an all year round herb. From planting time until harvest is about twelve weeks. Because it is a biennial, the herbs will start to produce seed, which ends the plants use as an herb. As for drying parsley, the leaves can be dried in the Autumn and placed in air-tight containers. For growing parsley indoors, transplant into plant pots beforehand. Removal of the flower in the next springtime should help the plant to remain active.

Growing parsley tips

Growing parsley in a deep container benefits its long taproot system. To help parsley to withstand low temperatures, try lightly mulching.

Parsley medical uses

Parsley is a nutritious food, full of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need. Parsley can be used for relief of arthritic pain. It is also good as a diuretic for liver or kidney problems. A tea made from parsley seeds is a natural remedy for colic, and indigestion. Parsley snips are nature’s breath mints. Others uses in herbal medicine are as a cough expectorant, and has been claimed to even be used as an aphrodisiac!

When growing parsley it is important to keep them warm, fed regularly, and be sure to wet the bed!

You’re reward for its upkeep will be a beautiful presentation of green to place with any meal.

Annuals like basil, cilantro, and summer savory will not survive a frost.  each year, these types of herbs need to be planted from a seed or a young herb plant.  Perennials like sage and winter savory can survive colder temperatures and will return year after year.  Herb garden plants that grow leaves in their first growing season, flowers and seed in the second, then die. are called biennials.

Biennial herb garden plants like parsley, angelica, or caraway should be sown in late spring directly into the garden.  You should first work the soil by making it into a fine texture and making it slightly wet.  Then the seeds should be sown in shallow rows making the soil firm on top of them.  Fine seeds can be planted in a mixture of sand which will allow them to spread more evenly.  You can also cover the bed with wet burlap or paper in order to keep the soil moist during germination.

Herbs are also grouped into the categories for which they are used.  perhaps the most useful to herb growers are culinary herb garden plants.  There is a wide range of uses for herbs in cooking.  Because of their strong flavors, herbs like chives, thyme, basil, sage, savory, and marjoram are generally used in small quantities to add flavor to different types of food.  A very famous herb that is used mostly as decoration is parsley.

Aromatic herbs have pleasant smelling flowers or foliage.  Oils from aromatic herbs like loyage, mint, and rosemary can be used to make different types of perfumes, toilet water, or other various scents.  Parts of aromatic herb garden plants used intact can also be used in the home to scent linens or clothing.  They can also be dried and made into potpourri which will enable them to be able to retain their aroma for a long period of time.  Lavender and lemon verbena are great herbs to use for potpourri.

Some herbs are also used for medicinal purposes.  For centuries herbs have been thought to have the ability to cure the body.  Present medical knowledge recognizes that some herb garden plants are beneficial to one’s health, others are overrated.  Herbs used for medicinal purposes should be used carefully.  Some herbs are harmless but others can be dangerous if eaten.

Some herbs are not used for their flavor, power to heal or fragrance.  Some herbs are also used for their beauty.  Ornamental herb garden plants have brightly colored flowers and foliage.  Many of them come in white or light-colored flowers like valerian which has delicate  crimson flowers, and borage and chicory which has attractive blue flowers.

While herbs can be categorized into these different categories of uses, many herbs have multiple purposes.  Mint may also be used as insect repellent or as flavor enhancer.  Whatever the reason you have an interest in herbs, by understanding herb garden plants you are able to pick the herbs that will be most useful to you.

Buy Non-Hybrid Heirloom Seeds for healthy, good tasting, and continuous harvesting of your favorite herbs for many years to come.

For Food Storage Secrets for All you favorite herbs, click here.