Parsley French
Every veg plot should include parsley. It's easy to grow, hugely versatile and copes well with cold weather. My parsley carries on growing right through the winter despite the frosts and snow we get on Dartmoor.
Pick a few sprigs every time you go to your veg plot. It's always handy to have in the kitchen.
Time from seed to plate: 12 weeks
Sowing Calendar
Sow
Sow parsley anytime from April to July. Create a shallow groove in the soil about 1/2inch deep. Sprinkle in the seeds aiming for one every half inch or so. Sow two rows 12inches apart. Firm the soil back and water well.
Parsley seed comes with a natural germination inhibitor on the seeds, so it's best to soak them in warm water the night before to get rid of it.
Grow
Thin your seedlings to leave gaps of 6 inches between plants.
Parsley can be slow to really get going, but be patient with it, it'll get there in the end!
Chop out any stalks that look like they're going to flower.
Harvest
Pick regularly to encourage new growth. Chop off all the leaves in the summer leaving 1in behind to re-sprout. Be a little more forgiving in the winter by snipping off the leaves around the outside.
In very cold areas of the country you may find parsley dies off in the winter. You can try and protect it with fleece, but you're probably better off putting a clump in a pot for the kitchen windowsill.