Parsley is an important part of European cuisine and has been used as a medicinal herb since ancient times. The herb is easy to care for and robust in the garden throughout the summer until it is completely harvested in autumn. Petroselinum crispum must be sown again the following year in order to be able to use the plant. For this reason, the question often arises as to whether Petergrün is hardy and can be overwintered.
Parsley hardy?
The question of hardy parsley comes up more often than many think. The classic form of cultivation in Central Europe usually takes place within one season, since many people only use the foliage of the umbelliferae (bot. Apiaceae) in the first year. But they miss out on a taste experience, because Petroselinum crispum is a biennial plant that reaches its aromatic peak in the second year before flowering. This makes the herb even more popular in the kitchen. As the species is naturally hardy, it can easily overwinter outdoors. However, only the renewal buds are winter-hardy, because the green retreats during the cold season.
Tip: Perennial, the herb is rare in Central Europe if an ideal location with suitable climatic conditions is available. In most cases, these are specimens planted outdoors in the Mediterranean area or similarly warm regions in which they can be raised for several years.
Overwinter parsley
Because parsley is hardy, overwintering the umbellifer is not really a problem. In itself, the plant does this by itself, since the renewal buds are set for the turn of the year and the Petergreen easily carries into the next year. This is done in the following way:
- Do not cut back the plant
- fertilize in autumn
- Fertilizer: compost (ripe), horn shavings, horn meal
- cover before the onset of winter
- Materials: sticks, dry leaves, straw
horn shavings
That's all you have to do if you want to get your parsley through the winter. If the location is not sheltered, you can dig up the plants and plant them elsewhere. During the hibernation, the above-ground parts of the plant are slowly drawn in and all the energy is used to maintain the roots and outlasting buds. The winter buds then sprout again at a suitable time in the following spring.
Notice: If you want to grow the herb for several years, you have to choose a different location for the plants after two seasons. The contents of the plant are released into the soil in large quantities, making the spot unusable for further parsley plants over a period of five years.
Overwinter the parsley in the pot
If you keep the plants in the tub, overwintering is a little more difficult. It is possible, but the specimens are much more susceptible to pests. Aphids (Aphidoidea) in particular cause problems for the plants when they are overwintered in pots. It doesn't matter whether you bring them into the house or keep them in a suitable place on the balcony or terrace. Due to the good winter hardiness, it is sufficient if you bring the herb through the winter in the following way:
Parsely
- Location: sheltered
- bright
- not sunny
- Pack pot
- Materials: fleece, bubble wrap
- Place bucket on styrofoam
- no winter protection possible in the house
The substrate does not need to be covered, as you will need to water a little on frost-free days over the winter. In the house you should choose a location for the parsley that is not too warm. Well suited for this are unused rooms, garages or stairwells that are not heated that much. If you are lucky, the plant parts above the ground will not die and you can harvest them until the new vegetation phase. There is no fertilization during this period.
Toxic ingredient Apiol
Petergreen is no longer consumed after flowering for a reason: Apiol. Apiol is a substance that makes the leaves inedible after flowering. After flowering, parsley puts all its energy into seed formation while completely neglecting the leaves. This is an indication of the significantly increased apiol content, the amount of which is so high that consumption is not recommended. If you keep Petroselinum crispum for several years and eat the seeds or leaves after flowering, the following symptoms of poisoning can occur:
- cardiac arrhythmias
- preterm labor during pregnancy
- Menstruation is triggered early
- liver damage
- kidney damage
- allergic reaction
- death at high levels
Therefore, only use the seed for further cultivation.