For a Fresh Start in an Herb Patch, Plant Useful, Easy-to-Grow Parsley

Question: I’d like to grow my own herbs. What should I start with?

S.Z., Mission Viejo

Answer: Parsley is a good choice. It’s an attractive, easy-to-grow plant with an interesting history and many uses. A member of the same family as carrots and celery, parsley is a biennial, which means it grows foliage during the first summer and during the second summer flowers and sets seed.

It can be grown year-round in Southern California and is often grown as an annual and replanted yearly.

Parsley plants grow 6 to 12 inches high, with tufted, finely cut, dark-green leaves, which may be flat and smooth (Italian parsley), or curly and crinkly. Chinese parsley (Coriandrum sativum) is not a member of the parsley family.

Native to Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, parsley has been grown as a cultivated crop for more than 2,000 years. Parsley was used in ancient Greece and Rome more as a decoration or digestive tonic than as a salad herb.

Hercules is said to have used parsley for garlands, and it has been used for victory crowns and coronations ever since. Parsley has spread all over the world; it was introduced into Britain in 1548 and into the U.S. as early as 1629 by Mayflower passengers.

Fresh parsley is high in vitamin C and contains vitamins A, E and iron. It makes a tasty addition to stuffing, salad, sauces, casseroles, soups, seafood, meat, omelets, pasta and vegetables.

It is an essential ingredient in Middle Eastern dishes such as tabbouleh and is often combined with basil to make a flavorful variation of pesto.

It also has the ability to mask strong odors, such as garlic. When you finish a meal, chewing parsley is said to sweeten your breath.

Two types of parsley are grown for foliage. The tender flat-leaf Italian type is more flavorful for cooking; the curly leaf type is used mostly for garnish.

Parsley, especially the curly varieties, makes an attractive edging for herb, vegetable and flower gardens. It can also be grown in containers indoors in a bright window or outside in partial shade.

If you want only a few plants for cooking, it is much easier and not that much more expensive to buy plants at the nursery. If, however, you want to make a border and need many plants, seeding is not that difficult. Seeds can be sown from December through May.

Keep the following planting tips in mind:

* Plant in a well-draining location that has partial shade inland and full sun along the coast. Remove all weeds from the area before planting.

* Speed seed germination by soaking seed in warm water for 24 hours before planting. Or sprinkle seeds into prepared soil and pour boiling water over them straight from the kettle; then cover the seeds with a thin layer of potting soil.

* Keep the area moist, never letting it dry out.

* Be patient. Parsley is slow to germinate, taking as long as six weeks.

* Once parsley is 1 to 2 inches high, thin 4 to 8 inches apart.

* Always keep parsley moist but not soggy.

* Harvest parsley when it becomes a desirable size, which is usually about 2 1/2 months after planting from seed, and sooner if you planted from nursery plants. Harvest from the outside of the plant, making sure enough leaves remain in the center, which will allow the plant to continue to grow.

To harvest, cut the outer leaves just above ground level as needed. If you cut off just the tops, you’ll ruin the plant’s appearance and growth habit.

Remove flower stems as soon as they appear, which will prolong the plant’s leaf production.

Have a problem in your yard? University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Master Gardeners are here to help. These trained and certified horticultural volunteers are dedicated to extending research-based, scientifically accurate information to the public about home horticulture and pest management. They are involved with a variety of outreach programs, including the UCCE Master Garden hotline, which provides answers to specific questions. You can reach the hotline at (714) 708-1646 or send e-mail to ucmaster gardeners@yahoo.com. Calls and e-mail are picked up daily and generally returned within three days.