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Parsley (bot. Petroselinum crispum), also known as Peterle in southern Germany and Austria, is one of the most popular kitchen herbs. Whether on sandwiches, with vegetable dishes, with poultry or fish, in an omelet or in a salad dressing: the spicy leaves can be used in many different ways. However, the herb has a reputation for being quite complicated and demanding. In this article, you can read about the location in which the kitchen herb thrives best - in the garden bed or in a pot.
Parsley: information about the location
In the bed
Many popular kitchen herbs need a spot in the garden that is as sunny as possible so that they can grow vigorously and develop their full aroma. Not so the parsley. It needs light to thrive, but please no direct sun. It is best to plant the herb, which is sensitive in this regard, in a bright location that is at best shaded over the midday hours. A semi-shady spot is also very suitable, where the delicate leaves are not damaged.
floor
With regard to the soil, parsley has completely different requirements than many other herbs, which is why it is better not to plant it in a herb bed. The substrate is optimal if it…
- is nutritious and humic,
- loose and well drained,
- rather clayey
- and slightly damp.
In addition, the soil should remain as cool as possible, since the parsley roots are sensitive to heat. For this reason too, a partially shaded location is the best choice. Dry soil is also problematic, because even if parsley does not tolerate waterlogging, it likes drought even less. Both lead to the plant getting yellow, withered leaves within a very short time and then dying.
No umbellifers
Anyone who sows or plants parsley in the bed is well advised to use a mixed culture. The herb goes particularly well with radishes, tomatoes, onions, radishes or chives. But be careful: the popular umbellifer is highly self-intolerant, which means that after growing biennial parsley, the location must be changed. Afterwards, neither the kitchen herb nor any other umbellifer should be placed in the same place in the garden bed for at least three years. A mixed culture with other umbellifers does not work either, because the plants hinder each other.
Ergo are…
- Herbs such as chervil, lovage, dill, cress, coriander
- anise and cumin
- Sweet umbel and burnet
- Vegetables like carrots and parsnips
- Celeriac and stalks
- Bulbous fennel and fennel
… taboo in the parsley bed.
Tip: If the Peterle in the garden bed gets small, white spots on the leaves and doesn't really want to grow, the location is too sunny. In this case, only digging up and relocating the plant will help.
On the balcony
If you want to grow the kitchen herb on the balcony, you have a good hand: With the right space and good care, the umbelliferae thrive very well in a pot or box. With regard to light intensity and substrate, the same rules apply as for planting in beds, only tailored to the special conditions of a planter:
- no full sun, especially not at midday
- better penumbra or shading over the midday hours
- nutrient-rich, humus-rich substrate
- Herb soil is unsuitable
Experience has shown that pot parsley grows very well in compost or humus soil, commercial plant or potting soil can also be used. It is best to use a peat-free or peat-reduced product: These are looser and crumbly in their structure, which the kitchen herb appreciates with stronger growth. Peaty substrates tend to harden, which in turn causes considerable problems for the sensitive roots.
Tip: It is best to sow your pot parsley yourself and do not try to cultivate herbs you have bought from the supermarket on the balcony. These are grown very quickly in greenhouses under special conditions and are intended for immediate consumption. These specimens usually do not survive long on the balcony or windowsill.
In the flat
If you have no way of cultivating pot parsley outside or planted in the garden, the herb also thrives well in the apartment - provided the planter is in a suitable place and you take care of the herb properly. Unlike other herbs, parsley should
- do not stand directly at a south-facing window
- a window facing west or east is more appropriate
- or behind a south-facing window - but not directly behind it
- or with shading over midday (curtains or blinds)
- no warm heating air from below in winter
- this dries out the substrate too quickly
- Roots cannot stand the rising heat
- in winter, temperatures between 18 and 21 degrees Celsius are optimal
In this way, the kitchen herb can be cultivated not only in the summer but also in the winter months in the apartment. So you always have fresh leaves at hand and also provide yourself and your loved ones with fresh vitamins in the cold season.
Tip: So that you can harvest faster in spring, the slowly germinating kitchen herb can be brought forward from February. Depending on the weather, the young plants are planted between April and May.