Petroselinum crispum, on its common name Parsley, is a bright green, biennial leafy herb, used as spice and as a companion plant in gardens because it attracts predatory insects, including wasps and predatory flies to gardens, which then tend to protect plants nearby, specially tomato plants. As a spice the used parts of the plant are leaves, root and rarely fruits. It is one of the most popular herb grown in cooler areas
There are two cultivated varieties for their leaves: flat-leaved parsley and curly-leaved parsley. Pick up leaves as needed and use fresh or frozen because the flavor is lost if drying. As leaves coarsen in the second, flowering year, parsley is often grown as an annual, propagated by seeds sown in spring.
Parsley needs a rich, well dug soil which does not dry out too often. It prefers a place in full sun, but if the soil is good enough it will do just fine in partial shade. Parsley is also an excellent plant for growing in containers. No special care is needed, just keep them in a sunny place, feed regularly with a liquid plant food and make sure the pot compost is kept moist.
Propagation can be done by sowing seeds but it can take several weeks for the seeds to germinate. Pre-chill the seed in the refrigerator and then soak them overnight in warm water before planting. This helps speed the process slightly and gives better germination results. In early spring sow few seeds in a pot, thin out to one seedling per pot when they are large enough to handle. Prepare the soil outside by digging it well and incorporating as much organic matter as possible. Add bone meal to the top layer of soil. The seedlings can be planted outside when they are about 8 cm high.
