Parsley and parsley root are among the best-known herbs that can be harvested almost all year round. What you need to consider if you want to properly harvest parsley in the garden or from the balcony.
How and when do you harvest parsley correctly?
The best way to harvest parsley is all year round by cutting the stem as low to the ground as possible, but not the heart of the plant. Harvest tip: Pick the leaves on a dry morning for best flavor.
When is parsley harvested?
You can harvest parsley all year round. Parsley growing in the garden forms new leaves from spring until the onset of frost, which you can cut off regularly.
Perennial parsley begins to bloom in the second year. The flowering period is in the summer months of June and July.
Once the parsley blooms, you can no longer use it. The poisonous apiol then forms in the leaves and especially the seeds, which has a harmful effect on the digestive system. The seeds in particular are poisonous and must not be eaten under any circumstances.
Harvest parsley correctly
The biggest mistake you can make is cutting the heart of the parsley. You can recognize the heart by the thickened stem, on the side of which new shoots develop. It is usually located in the middle of the plant.
If you cut the heart, the parsley will stop growing and will die after a short time.
Always cut off the parsley at the bottom
To harvest parsley properly, don't just pluck the leaves. Cut the entire stem as low above the soil as possible. This will encourage the parsley to produce more shoots with leaves.
The best time for harvesting
Like all herbs with a high content of essential oils, it is best to pick parsley on a dry morning. The leaves are then particularly aromatic.
Get parsley seeds
Once it has started to bloom, the parsley plant is gone. You can either pull them out straight away or leave them standing so that the flowers can be pollinated by insects.
In the fall, the seeds are ripe, which you can use to propagate parsley next year. Store in a cool, dry place until ready to sow.
Harvesting parsley root
Parsley roots take a long time to harvest. Although they are sown in spring, they only reach their full aroma in autumn.
- Put the digging fork next to the row
- Raise the earth a little
- Pulling out roots
- Keep in a cool place for storage
Parsley root can also be left in the ground and harvested as needed. Only when the temperatures drop so much that the ground threatens to freeze do you have to get all the roots out of the ground.
Tips & Tricks
Parsley must be used as soon as possible after harvesting. Even if you put it in a glass of water, it doesn't last long and also loses its aroma. If you have harvested too much, it is best to freeze the herb. You should only dry it in exceptional cases, as dried parsley hardly has any aroma left.
