How to grow parsley

Compact and easy to grow from seed, parsley produces tasty fresh-flavoured leaves from late spring through to autumn. It makes an attractive edging to herb and veg beds and grows well in containers, in sun or partial shade. Choose from curly-leaved or flat-leaved types for a wide range of culinary uses.

Curly-leaved parsley is both decorative and delicious, with a mild, refreshing flavour 

Biennials are plants that complete their life cycle over the course of two years. In the first year, biennials typically produce leaves and roots but no flowers. In the second year, they flower and produce seeds before dying. Some common biennials include foxgloves (Digitalis), honesty (Lunaria annua) and viper's bugloss (Echium vulgare).

biennial

There are two main types of parsley to choose from – flat-leaved varieties, which tend to have a stronger flavour, and curly-leaved varieties, which are more decorative and are still tasty but have a slightly milder flavour. Curly-leaved parsley plants are typically shorter than flat-leaved plants. When choosing varieties to grow, look for those with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in our growing trials – see our list of AGM fruit, veg and herbs (135kB pdf) and our Recommended Varieties below. You'll also find a wide range of herbs, including parsley, in the RHS gardens, so do visit to compare varieties and pick up growing tips and inspiration.

Flat-leaved parsley (left) has more flavour, but curly parsley (right) has extra visual appeal

Parsley grows well in fertile, moisture-retentive soil. Before planting or sowing parsley, weed the ground thoroughly then fork it over to break up any hard lumps. If you have poor or very free-draining soil, mix in some well-rotted organic matter. If sowing directly into the ground, remove any stones and rake the soil until it has a fine, crumbly texture.  Alternatively, if you’re practising no-dig, mulch the surface with well-rotted organic matter and sow or plant directly into the mulch.

It’s easiest to sow parsley outside directly into its final growing site, either in the ground or in a container. Direct sowing is an effective way to avoid any root disturbance that may be caused by potting on or transplanting. Although you can also sow indoors in early spring if you want earlier harvests. Bear in mind that parsley seeds can be slow to germinate, often taking a month or more, so don’t give up on them too soon.

If you don’t have the time or space to grow parsley from seed, you can buy plug plants or potted plants from garden centres and online retailers. These can be grown indoors on a well-lit windowsill or planted outside in containers or in the ground (see Preparing the ground above). The best time to plant parsley outside is from mid-spring to early summer. Harden-off young, indoor-raised plants to acclimatise them to outdoor conditions.

Parsley will grow well in full sun or partial shade. Position the plants at the same level they were previously growing, and space them 15–30cm (6–12in) apart. Firm them in, then water well.

Once established, parsley needs little attention. Simply water in dry weather, keep weeds at bay, and snip off any lower leaves that turn yellow, to keep plants looking good and encourage new growth. 

Cut parsley stems at the base and add the fresh leaves to salads and other dishes

When grown outdoors, parsley dies down over winter, so to keep plants productive bring them indoors or into a greenhouse or coldframe, or cover plants in the ground with cloches. Given sufficient light and warmth, they should continue producing new leaves. However, it’s not worth keeping parsley plants into their second year for cropping, as these biennial plants will stop producing tasty leaves and concentrate on flowering and setting seed instead. Although you could just keep a couple of plants, if you can spare the space, so you can collect the seeds for sowing.

Parsley grown in pots or baskets can be moved indoors for later harvests

Parsley leaves are best used fresh, but can also be frozen or dried for use in winter, after harvesting has stopped. To freeze parsley, chop the leaves and add to an ice-cube tray, then top up with water and freeze. You can then simply add the cubes to your cooking whenever needed.

To dry parsley, hang up a bunch of leafy stems in a warm, dark, well-ventilated place for a few weeks. When fully dried, crush the leaves and store in an air-tight jar. Dried parsley has less flavour than fresh leaves. 

Parsley is closely related to carrots and celery, and can be affected by the same diseases and insects. Slugs and snails like to eat parsley, so growing it in pots is often a good option, as the plants may be harder for them to reach. See Common problems below for more information.