key growing information

Growing Parsley From Seed

How to grow parsley from seed: slow germination, transplants or direct sowing, spacing, soil, overwintering, feeding, harvest, storage and drying, and pelleted seed care.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Parsley - Key Growing Information

Parsley plant grown from seed; this cultivar, with its sweetly flavored, curled and cupped leaves, is of the Paramount type.

DAYS TO GERMINATION:

Allow 14–30 days at 65–70°F (18–21°C).

SOWING:

Transplants are recommended, sown in 1" cells. Expect germination to take 3 weeks or more.
Direct seed: Sow in spring after frost danger has passed, ¼–½" deep at 3 seeds per inch, in single rows or 2–3"-wide bands 12–18" apart. Thin to 8–12".

DISEASES:

Rotation and good sanitation prevent most disease.

LIGHT PREFERENCE:

Full sun.

SOIL REQUIREMENTS:

Does well in moist, rich soil. In a well-drained spot, it usually overwinters to give an early crop the next spring; mulch where winters go below 0°F (-18°C).
Water in dry weather, and if needed, side-dress once or twice during the season with compost or a balanced fertilizer.

PLANT HEIGHT:

Varies.

PLANT SPACING:

Space plants 8–12" apart.

HARDINESS ZONES:

Grown as a biennial.

HARVEST:

Snip leaves as needed. To keep harvested parsley crisp and fresh-looking, store at 32–36°F (0–2.2°C) and 95% relative humidity. Use it fresh or dried: to dry, rinse the leaves and spread them thinly on screens somewhere warm and airy, then crumble and jar them once completely dry.

PELLETED SEED:

Pelleted seed needs steady soil moisture while it germinates. Store it cool and dry before planting, and use it within a year of purchase.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Petroselinum crispum