Parsley
Everyone in our culinary culture knows parsley (Petroselinum crispum) as the classic herb! But not many can claim to grow this familiar herb in their own garden. This is despite the fact that parsley is the most widely used herb in our country's kitchens.

Cultivation and propagation – what should you pay attention to?
Find a sunny to partially shaded location for your parsley. The soil should ideally be loose and nutrient-rich. When planting, ensure that there is a distance of 20 cm between each plant, and sow in rows if possible. Parsley also needs a clearance of 60 cm.
The right time to plant the plants outdoors is when ground frost is no longer expected. You should do this by mid-June at the latest. It's important to keep the soil slightly moist during germination, otherwise your new plants will quickly die.
If you don't have a garden or prefer to keep them in pots, that's also possible. In that case, it's best to buy healthy and vigorous plants with dark green leaves. Lift the pot from time to time and check whether the roots have already grown out of the bottom. This indicates a lack of space, and repotting is necessary.
In milder regions, the plants will survive the winter covered. In colder climes, you should cut the shoots back to about 3 cm in height in the fall, dig up the plant, and plant it in a pot. Placing the pot in a warm, bright location will ensure a successful winter harvest.

Parsley 'Parsley Green Pearl 2' – Petroselinum crispum ssp. Crispum
'Parsley Green Pearl 2' is a high-yielding, heavy, and densely filled variety with curly leaves. It grows on sturdy, medium-length stems and is suitable for both outdoor cultivation and greenhouse cultivation. It can also be cultivated in pots. Its excellent flavor is somewhat milder than that of smooth varieties. It has a wide range of uses in the kitchen and is often used for decoration.
Our high-quality organic herb seeds are grown according to the strictest organic standards for a sustainable and healthy harvest.
Details:
Sowing indoors/greenhouse: January to mid-July
Planting outdoors: March to mid-July
Germination time: 21 days at 3°C; optimal at 15-23 °C
Sowing depth: 1-2 cm
Height: approx. 40 cm
Planting distance: 30 x 20 cm
Harvest time: May to December
Soil: loose, humus-rich, permeable
Fertilization: Organic fertilizer
Location: Partial shade
Water consumption: medium, regular
Growing tips:
Parsley takes a relatively long time to germinate, so sowing radishes as a marker is a good way to remove weeds. Once the seeds have sprouted, a good water supply is essential. The soil should always be kept slightly moist, but not soggy.
Parsley is a biennial plant and can easily overwinter in the garden. It can be harvested continuously until April/May. Once the parsley blooms, it is no longer edible due to the toxic substances it produces! A new location should be chosen every two years.
Mixed culture:
Good neighbors: tomatoes, basil, zucchini, radishes, chives, onions
Bad neighbors: carrot, dill, celery, fennel, chervil
Use:
Parsley is ideally freshly chopped and added to dishes without overheating to preserve its flavor and nutrients. It can be enjoyed with virtually any dish: salads, dips, warm sauces, meat and fish dishes—there are no limits to your imagination.
Bag contents:
Contents: approx. 800 grains
Store in a cool, dry place.
Harvesting and preserving – when, what and how best?
Parsley can be harvested year-round; it is most aromatic just before flowering. When harvesting parsley, it's best to cut off the stem. It's very tasty and also contains many vitamins. Use scissors or a sharp knife to cut it off. Harvest your parsley in small portions to allow the plant sufficient time to recover. It will regrow from the base after cutting.
Flat-leaf parsley, in particular, stores well after harvesting. It can be frozen or dried.
Use – What recommendations for herbal cooking?
Parsley should be used immediately after harvesting. This means only picking as much as you need. The leaves lose their flavor when cooked, so parsley is generally never cooked with the food but is either sprinkled over or stirred into the dish at the end of cooking.

Application – What healing or caring effect?
Freshly picked, the leaves of your parsley contain a lot of vitamin C. They are also said to have a blood-purifying effect.
Parsley is also a natural beauty product. When eaten, the herb has a skin-clarifying effect and helps to create a more delicate complexion. It can also be used as a steam bath or compress for oily and blemished skin. Parsley is also very popular as an eye compress for burning eyes. Finally, some people swear by the effectiveness of parsley water as a remedy for freckles.
Botanical – What kind of plant is this?
Parsley is a biennial plant that is divided into two different types: curly and flat-leaf parsley. The difference is easy to guess from the name. The leaves of curly parsley are dark green and heavily curled. They are primarily used for garnishing dishes. Flat-leaf parsley, on the other hand, is characterized by smooth, glossy, dark green leaves that exude a more intense aroma. Due to this characteristic, flat-leaf parsley is more often used to season dishes. As mentioned before, flat-leaf parsley is also easy to store, as it can be frozen or dried. Another advantage of flat-leaf parsley: its roots can be used to make delicious soups, and when cut into fine strips and fried, it offers another possible use as a decorative side dish. Flat-leaf parsley came to us via Turkey and is indispensable in falafel and the like.
Varieties – Which ones are there?
In addition to the parsley varieties described above (curly and flat-leaf parsley), there are also root parsley, garden parsley, and fool's parsley. Root parsley, as its name suggests, is characterized by particularly large roots. While its leaves can be used like leaf parsley, the root is often used in soups. Garden parsley exists in many different cultivated varieties, each with its own distinct properties. Well-known examples include the 'Moss Curly' and the 'Simple Cut' varieties. Beware of fool's parsley. It is easily confused with edible parsley varieties, but it is highly poisonous!
TEXT: Carina Naeve