Garden Column for the Salisbury Post
Special Article by Janet Sutton
June 24, 2003

Why plant parsley? It is a food source, easy to grow, and adds flavor and color to dishes. Parsley is used in cooking from the Mediterranean to Asia and everywhere in between. Seeds are available from catalogs for the more exotic varieties. It grows year round in Rowan County, and with enough moisture is easy to cultivate. Butterflies are attracted to it, and bees like it when it goes to seed. An unassuming plant, it is just green and is not very exciting until considering the range of its influence in cooking worldwide and how its appearance is similar to other plants, it has a fresh, earthy, herbal aroma and unique taste.
At the West End Community Garden and Park, Master Gardener Volunteers planted a parsley study to demonstrate how easy it is to grow, and to showcase the more unusual varieties of the plant that are not commonly available locally. Our cool wet spring has been ideal for this plant.

Propagation
Parsley likes soil rich in organic matter and a pH of 6.0 to 7.0, is similar to the acidic soil of Rowan County. Sow seed directly in late winter, spring and early fall, for example February, May and September, for fresh parsley year round. Germination can be slow, 30 days or longer, and can be encouraged by pre-soaking the seed for 12-24 hours in water. Cover the seed lightly with soil, not more than ½ inch deep, When the seedlings are about an inch high, thin to 6-8" apart. Parsley transplants well and can also be started from seed sown indoors. It will grow well in full sun or partial shade. Plant it in rows, in a small circle, as a border or edging, in a pot, or between other crops or flowers. Just don't plant it next to a plant that you will spray with herbicide if you plan to eat it. Young Harvest the entire stem of the plant from the outside edge, close to the ground and pinch off the stems with flowers to encourage new growth. Plants will generally last 2 years in the garden. The curly parsley in my garden lasted through the ice storm last winter, although it did not have the best flavor at that time, and went limp for a few days.
Parsley Varieties
The most common variety is the Moss Curly parsley, Petroselium crispum. These curly types are quite versatile, typically growing 8-14 inches tall, forming attractive, dense clumps which are great for borders. This is the variety most often found in grocery stores and used in abundance by caterers. As the name states, it is recognized by the ruffled, fancy leaves it produces, and I can recommend using it as a garnish. Also planted in the study is Green River parsley, a curly leafed variety that takes heat well and makes an attractive garnish.
Italian flat leaf Catalogno parsley, Petroselium neapolitanum is the variety preferred by chefs for stronger parsley flavor that holds up well in cooked dishes, such as soups and stews. Finely chopped, it is used as a garnish or in sauces. Finely chopping this herb releases the oils containing the characteristic taste. This plant can grow quite tall (2-3 ft) and can look gangly or floppy. The flat serrated leaves appear similar to celery leaves, with a darker green color.
Japanese Mitsuba parsley, cryptotaenia japonica, has lobed, heart shaped leaves, and is not commonly grown. Growers recommend that it be harvested when it reaches 8-10 inches tall for the best flavor, which tends to slight bitterness. This variety is used in oriental cooking.
Perhaps the most unusual parsley in the study, Hamburg Parsley (Petroselium crispum tuberosum)is also known as Rooted Parsnip. Unlike other varieties of parsley, the Hamburg variety produces a strong root, quite like a parsnip that is used in soups and stews. The flat leaves when crushed have a parsley scent.

Uses
Parsley is eaten raw, cooked, dried, or frozen and thawed. It is commonly used in sauces, soups, and salads, and as a garnish for vegetables and meats. Because parsley grows well here year round, I do not recommend drying or freezing it. Dried parsley loses color, aroma and tastes dry and grassy. Frozen parsley retains color, but is watery, tough, mushy and thoroughly unpleasant.
Many people think that the main use of parsley is as a garnish for food, but it can also be used in salads or in flower arrangements. It is the perfect greenery to compliment cut pansies, since both grow in winter.
Another aspect of the study is a comparison with plants that look like parsley, but definitely are not. Other plants may have similar leaves and green color, while being dissimilar in aroma, taste and uses. Examples include cilantro, and lovage.
Cilantro, coriandrum sativum, is a cool weather annual that produces seeds called coriander. The leaves of the plant have uses similar to those of parsley in Mexican and Southeast Asian cuisine. This plant may be confused with parsley in the grocery store, especially if the store stocks flat leaf parsley. Crush a cilantro leaf and you will know it is not parsley. The seeds have a completely unique flavor, and can be purchased whole or crushed in the spice section, and are used in curry and in Mexican cooking.
Lovage, ligusticum levisticum, is an aromatic perennial herb with a licorice flavor, can be used sparingly in soups or salads. It is also known as Sea Parsley.

Master Gardener Volunteers work at the West End Community Park and Garden every Friday morning and welcome visitors. The parsley study is just a small component of this varied, attractive community garden.