Parsley seedlings: growing at home, detailed instructions, photos

Parsley is one of the most common crops grown in household plots. It is unpretentious in care, gives a good harvest, has useful properties due to its chemical composition. Parsley seedlings are cultivated by many gardeners in order to obtain spices as early as possible.

Depending on the timing of maturation, the spice is early, mid-ripening and late.

Pros and cons of growing parsley seedlings

The method of growing parsley seedlings is suitable for leafy varieties, since the root crops after transplantation often give lateral branches and become clumsy. The advantages of the method include:

1. Getting an early and abundant harvest.
2. Creating comfortable conditions for young plants.
3. Saving planting material.
4. The possibility of growing heat-loving varieties in the northern regions.
5. No need for thinning.

Among the minuses of the seedling method:

1. The risk of damage to the root system during picking.
2. The need to shelter seedlings for the first time after planting in open ground.

Many gardeners prefer a combination of two options – get part of the parsley using seedlings, and the rest – by sowing directly into open ground.

Which varieties are better to choose

For growing parsley seedlings, varieties are used that have shade tolerance, fast growth, disease resistance and a pleasant taste. In addition to these characteristics, the size of the foliage and the height of the bush are of great importance.

Aster

Parsley Curly Astra (Etroselinum crispum Astra) is an early ripe variety. The yield is high, the application is universal. Rosette of medium height, slightly raised. The time from germination to harvest is up to 60 days.

The yield of the Astra variety is up to 5 kg per square meter

Breeze

Parsley curly Breeze (Etroselinum crispum Briz) has an average ripening period. Its rosette is high (up to 75 cm), upright. Greens are tender, low-juicy. The growing season is 80 days. The yield of the variety is 2,5 kg per square meter.

Parsley Breeze is used in cooking and for processing.

Carnival

Parsley Carnival (Etroselinum crispum Karnaval) has an average ripening period, the spice is used in salads. Rosette of medium density and height. The period from germination to technical ripeness is three months.

Parsley greens Carnival grows well after cutting

Terms of sowing parsley for seedlings

Sow spice for seedlings begin in February. The exact date depends on the climatic conditions of the region. It is necessary to calculate the period so that after a month and a half the parsley can be planted in open ground. In the middle lane, sowing is done in the third decade of February, in the Leningrad region – in early March, in Siberia and the Urals – in its second decade.

According to the lunar calendar in 2021

To determine the most favorable time for sowing seedlings, you can use the lunar calendar. Planting garden plants on greenery is carried out in the phase of the growing moon. The most productive time is considered when the Earth’s satellite is in such zodiac signs as Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces and Taurus. In 2021, the days are favorable for sowing parsley for seedlings:

1. In February – 4, 12-14, 17-24.
2. In March – 2-5, 8, 9, 12-14, 17, 18, 23, 24.
3. In April – 13-15, 18,19, 26-28.

Planting parsley seedlings

Growing greens through seedlings allows you to get juicy spice in early summer. To do this, it is necessary to properly prepare the seeds, soil and containers. Subject to agricultural technology, after a month and a half, healthy grown parsley seedlings are transferred to open ground for growing.

At first, parsley seedlings develop very slowly.

Ground selection and preparation

Loose, nutritious soil is suitable for growing parsley seedlings, the acidity of which is neutral (6,5-7,0 pH). You can buy ready-made soil or make it yourself by mixing peat, garden soil, humus and sand in a ratio of 2: 1: 1: 1.

Before use, the soil mixture is disinfected by calcining or steaming for one and a half hours. After that, it is shed with Fitosporin solution.

Capacity selection

Container for parsley seedlings should not be small. The culture has a powerful root system that goes deep into the soil, so the best option is a container with a wall height of 15-20 cm. Flower pots, containers, 5-liter plastic bottles cut to the desired height are quite suitable.

At the bottom there should be drainage holes for the outflow of excess water. To prevent moisture from getting on the windowsill, pallets are installed under the containers.

Seed preparation

Parsley seeds contain essential oils that do not allow them to germinate ahead of time. To speed up the process, you need to prepare the seeds accordingly:

1. Soak in warm water for a day, changing it every four hours.
2. Select those that have settled to the bottom.
3. Treat the seeds with a growth stimulator (Epin).
4. Dry.
5. Place in a damp cloth and refrigerate to peck.

Vernalization increases the rate and percentage of seed germination

Step by step guide

After carrying out the preparatory work, they begin to sow parsley. To get healthy and strong seedlings in the shortest possible time, you should follow a certain scheme:

1. Lay a drainage layer of expanded clay 2 cm thick on the bottom of the pot or container.
2. Fill the container with the prepared soil mixture.
3. Make grooves 0,5 cm deep at 3 cm intervals.
4. Moisten the soil with a spray bottle.
5. Distribute seeds at 2 cm intervals.
6. Sprinkle them with soil with a layer of 0,5 cm.
7. Spray generously with water.
8. Cover the top of the container with a lid, film, glass or non-woven material.
9. Move the container to a warm place with an air temperature of +25 ⁰С.

Every day, the mini-greenhouse is ventilated and moisten the soil as needed.

Parsley seedling in a snail

Recently, the method of growing seedlings in a snail has become popular. It allows you to rationally use the place, do not damage the roots when picking seedlings, evenly illuminate all plants, and do not harvest a lot of soil.

The algorithm of actions is as follows:

1. Cut out a tape 10-15 cm wide from the substrate under the laminate (isolon or polypropylene foam).
2. Spread it on the table and spread the prepared soil over the surface in an even layer 1-2 cm high.
3. Distribute the seeds, stepping back from the top of 2 cm and spacing between them 1,5 cm.
4. Roll the tape tightly.
5. Fasten with elastic band, tape.
6. Place vertically on a tray.
7. Pour water into it.
8. Cover with a film on top to create a microclimate.
9. Periodically open for ventilation.

After the emergence of parsley seedlings, the snail, together with the pallet, is transferred to a bright, cool place.

All turns in the resulting folded structure must be carefully watered

Caring for parsley seedlings after germination

You can get strong seedlings only as a result of careful care and creating conditions for the development of plants.

Lighting

Seedlings need to provide a day length of about 12 hours. With a lack of natural light, you need to use artificial from LED and phytolamps, which are turned on in the evening and in cloudy weather. In April and May, parsley foliage should be protected from the bright sun, creating shade. Otherwise, the seedlings get burned, turn yellow and dry.

Temperature conditions

The optimum temperature for the growth and development of parsley seedlings is +20 ⁰С. Under containers and pots standing on a cold windowsill, heat-insulating material should be placed so that the roots do not freeze and rot. Seedlings need to be reliably protected from drafts and at the same time provide good ventilation.

For the growth and development of parsley, you need a lot of light and heat.

Watering

Parsley loves water. To moisten the soil, use a warm, settled liquid. Watering seedlings is carried out as the soil dries up, using a spray bottle, syringe or watering can with a long spout. With special care, moisten the smallest plants. After each procedure, the earth is gently loosened.

Thinning and picking

After the emergence of seedlings, you need to pay attention to their density. One plant should have five square centimeters of area. So that the seedlings do not stretch, the excess ones are removed or swooped into separate containers. Parsley seedlings do not warp if the pots and containers are periodically turned from side to side in sunlight.

Transplanting seedlings in open ground

As soon as stable warm weather sets in and the earth warms up, the strengthened parsley seedlings are planted in open ground. The soil is prepared in advance – in the fall they dig deep, add organic matter, add sand and sawdust to clay soil. In early spring, it is loosened, ridges are formed, covered with a film to warm up better.

Seedlings are determined to a permanent place late in the evening or in the morning in cloudy weather. Planted in rows, leaving a gap of 10 cm and 5 cm between plants.

Between the rows of parsley, you can sow late cabbage for seedlings

The easiest way to plant parsley grown in peat cups or tablets. They are lowered into prepared holes, lightly sprinkled with soil and watered. Seedlings in plastic containers must be watered abundantly in advance in order to later get the plant along with an earthen clod and plant it on a ridge without damaging the root system.

Possible problems in growing

The most common problem that occurs when growing parsley seedlings is their stretching. The reason for this is insufficient lighting, short daylight hours and too high air temperature. To correct the situation, it is necessary to install additional lighting and move the containers to a room with an air temperature of +16 ⁰С to +20 ⁰С.

Picking is an additional stress for parsley seedlings. To exclude such situations, it is better to grow plants in separate pots and glasses, immediately providing a sufficient amount of soil for the root system and an area for the development of the aerial part.

Conclusion

Parsley seedlings are grown by gardeners for the purpose of getting greenery early. Agricultural technology is simple, accessible to any beginner, and the effect is impressive – spice in sufficient quantities can be obtained already in early June. The process is not laborious, it is worth it to use in the practice of any gardener.

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