How do you grow parsley?

Grow parsley by preparing the soil, soaking parsley seeds, and sowing them 1/8 inch deep. When the plants have sprouted, thin them to ensure the remaining plants are 8 inches apart. Keep the soil moist, and start harvesting from the outside working inward when the plants are bushy and robust.

1. Prepare the soil

   Select a location that receives at least six hours of sunlight each day. Till compost or a 5-10-5 commercial fertilizer into the ground.

2. Soak the seeds

   Cover the parsley seeds with water, and let them soak overnight or up to 24 hours. This encourages them to sprout earlier.

3. Plant the seeds

   Parsley takes a long time to sprout, so mark the rows. Make a shallow furrow down the center of the row. Drop a thin trail of parsley seeds down the center of the furrow. Cover the seeds with 1/8 inch of soil, and press it firmly down.

4. Keep the soil damp

   Water the seeds well after planting, and water as much as necessary to keep the soil damp. One deep watering a week to soak the roots is essential.

5. Thin the plants

   Depending on conditions, parsley sprouts in two to six weeks. After it germinates, thin the plants by pulling some of them up so that there is about 8 inches between sprouts.

6. Harvest starting at the outside of the plant

   When the plants are bushy, harvest the outside stems by clipping them near the ground.