Parsley is a popular herb for its flavor and nutritious qualities, making it an ideal ingredient for adding a zesty flavor to recipes and garnishing dishes.
If you want fresh, home-grown Parsley, you may wonder if this herb can be grown from cuttings. The answer is yes! Read on for details about how to best take parsley cuttings to grow new plants.
Types of Parsley
Parsley, scientifically referred to as Petroselinum crispum, is a hardy biennial herb related to carrots and celery. The two most commonly recognized types of Parsley are curly Parsley and flat-leafed (Italian) Parsley.
Curly Parsley has an inferior flavor, but it’s often used for its ornamental leaves. In contrast, Italian flat-leafed Parsley is better for cooking due to its superior flavor than curly varieties.
- Curly Parsley: This type of Parsley has finely cut, trimmed, and tightly curled leaves that grow in deep mats. This variety produces tiny fruits when allowed to flower and bolt, creating numerous seeds on the stem of each plant that can be used in cooking or planted to produce new plants.
- Flat or Italian Parsley: With large ribbed leaves and a bright green color, Italian Parsley has a rich flavor with slight undertones of celery seed compared to other natural herbs such as oregano or thyme. The proper care will help this variety put out larger yields than the other types of parsleys; however, flowering and seeding occur faster since it’s a biennial plant). This can be controlled with proper, consistent maintenance practices such as deadheading spent flowers before they have time to set seed.
Propagation of this species can occur from cuttings from established plants (often the preferred method) and from seeding directly into the soil when conditions are ideal for germination success.
However, propagation by root division would also be possible in some cases depending on the size and state of growth for particular plants already cultivated in garden beds.
Related Read
- Can Parsley And Thyme Be Planted Together?
- Can Parsley And Strawberries Grow Together?
- Can Parsley And Oregano Be Planted Together? Gardening Tips
- Can Parsley And Mint Be Planted Together? Consider Before Planting
Benefits of Growing Parsley from Cuttings
For many gardeners, growing Parsley from cuttings is an economical and rewarding way to multiply the amount of foliage in your herb garden.
Many plants can quickly be grown from cuttings, including Parsley, which has the added advantage of producing bushier, healthier plants.
This propagation is beneficial for Parsley because its seeds are slow to germinate, and the growth period required for a new seedling to reach edible size can be tedious.
Growing Parsley from cuttings also offers several benefits:
- It is a cost-effective way to obtain more plants since a single cutting can produce as many as 5-6 plants.
- It allows you to control which variety you will be growing since you can take a cutting from any existing Parsley plant in your garden.
- It allows you to regenerate healthy foliage quickly- it takes about 4 weeks for roots and shoots to appear in new cuttings.
- You don’t need much space or equipment – a pot and a good soil mix are enough!
If you’re looking for ways to maximize your parsley harvest while keeping costs low, consider growing it from cuttings! Taking cuttings at least twice a year will provide fresh foliage all season long.
Steps to Grow Parsley from Cuttings
Growing Parsley from cuttings is a great way to increase the yield from your existing plants. It’s a simple but rewarding process that has plenty of benefits. Taking cuttings from parsley plants, you can root them and have a new, healthy plant in no time.
In this article, we will discuss the steps required to grow Parsley from cuttings:
Select a Healthy Parsley Plant
One of the most important steps when learning to grow Parsley from cuttings is starting with a healthy plant. Choose a parent plant with lush green foliage rather than one showing signs of disease or stress.
Scrutinize the entire plant for any spot or discoloration to avoid choosing a cutting that may carry an infection or pest.
It’s also essential to choose an older parsley planting, at least two years old, as it’s more likely to have developed solid and appropriate growing habits enough for flourishing new growth.
Prepare the Parsley Cuttings
Grow Parsley from cuttings to bypass the lengthy germination time of this popular herb. Parsley cuttings can be taken at any time during the growing season, but summer is the best time to grow Parsley from cuttings.
To start, look for young, healthy plants. When you find a good specimen, use clean shears or scissors to take four or five 4-inch-long cuttings with two or three leaf nodes each.
- Remove all but two top leaves and dip the cutting in a rooting hormone.
- Plant them one inch deep in soil-less potting mix in individual small pots or a single wide container with drainage holes in the bottom.
- While it’s not necessary to cover the container with plastic etc., doing so will help maintain humidity and speed root growth.
- Place your parsley cuttings in bright indirect light and keep them moist by misting them every other day with lukewarm water.
Your Parsley should root within three weeks and begin growing new leaves after about four weeks from when you took your cutting.
Allow them to mature for several weeks before transplanting them into larger containers filled with regular potting soil or your garden bed as desired.
Once planted outside, lightly water your Parsley every day until it gets used to its new environment before resuming the regular watering schedule as weather permits.
Also, Read
- Can Parsley And Dill Be Planted Together? The Ultimate Herbal Combination
- Can Parsley And Cilantro Be Planted Together? A Flavorful Harvest
- Can Parsley And Basil Be Planted Together? DIY Herb Garden
- Can Chives And Parsley Be Planted Together? A Beginner Guide
Plant the Cuttings
Once you have harvested your parsley cuttings from a donor plant, the following steps are to plant and grow the cuttings. Here’s how:
- Start by filling a pot with quality potting soil.
- Use a pencil or spoon handle to create several holes in the soil for the cuttings.
- Insert the cuttings into each hole, pressing down gently around them to ensure good soil contact and stability.
- Water just enough so the soil is lightly damp throughout but not overly wet.
- Place your pot in an area that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight each day, ideally in an outdoor space such as a patio or balcony or an indoor spot near a window with lots of sun exposure.
- Continue watering regularly, so your soil remains damp (not wet) throughout—but avoid overwatering, as too much moisture can cause root rot in certain conditions.
- You should see signs of new growth within one to three weeks, depending on soil temperature and light exposure conditions!
Provide the Necessary Care
For cuttings to grow into healthy plants, they must be provided with proper care. Here are the steps for caring for your parsley cuttings:
- Light: Parsley cuttings need plenty of bright, indirect light during their growth. Please place them in an area where they will receive filtered sunlight daily and check them twice daily to ensure enough moisture in the soil. If you do not have access to natural light, consider using artificial lightings such as LED or fluorescent lights.
- Water: Watering your parsley cuttings is essential to ensure the roots develop correctly and the cutting grows strong and healthy. Water once a week or whenever the soil feels dry; it should be moist but not soaked with water. Ensure any excess water can drain away freely; otherwise, your cutting may become waterlogged and rot.
- Fertilizer: Fertilizing your parsley cuttings at least once every two weeks will boost their growth and give them the nutrients they need to thrive. An all-purpose or vegetable fertilizer is recommended, as this will provide essential elements such as nitrogen and potassium that will help produce lush leaves of high quality.
- Temperature: Parsley likes temperatures between 65-75°F (18-24°C), so ensure that the room where you keep your cuttings is not too warm or too cool during its growth period. Consider using a thin sheet of plastic overtop of your pot as this can trap heat around your cutting and help it develop roots quicker than without one present.
Conclusion: Can Parsley Be Grown From Cuttings?
In conclusion, even though Parsley can be grown from cuttings or seeds, it is essential to note that the seeds are the easiest and best way to propagate the herb.
Cuttings can be done but require more experience and attention than sowing from viable seeds. Parsley is a versatile, easy-to-grow plant, and gardeners of all levels should be able to experience success with either method.