When is parsley harvested?
You can harvest parsley all year round. Parsley growing in the garden forms new leaves from spring until the frost starts, which you can cut off continuously.
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Perennial parsley begins to bloom in the second year. The flowering time is in the summer months of June and July.
Once the parsley blooms, stop using it. The poisonous apiol is then formed in the leaves and especially in the seeds, which is harmful to the digestive system. The seeds, in particular, are poisonous and must not be eaten under any circumstances.
Harvest parsley properly
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. Usually it is in the middle of the plant.
If you cut the heart, the parsley will stop growing and will perish after a short time.
Always cut the parsley at the bottom
To properly harvest parsley, don't just pluck the leaves. Cut the whole stem as deeply above the ground as possible. This will encourage the parsley to develop further shoots with leaves.
The best time to harvest
Like all aromatic herbs with a high proportion of essential oils, it is best to pick parsley on a dry morning. The leaves are then particularly aromatic.
Win parsley seeds
Once flowering has started, the parsley plant has been used up. You can either tear them up straight away or leave them standing so that the flowers are pollinated by insects.
In the fall, the seeds are ripe, which you can use to propagate parsley next year. Store them in a cool, dry place until sowing.
Harvest parsley root
Parsley roots take a long time to harvest. Although they are sown in spring, they do not reach their full aroma until autumn.
- Pierce the digging fork next to the row
- Raise the earth a little
- Pull out roots
- Keep in a cool place for storage
You can also leave parsley root in the ground and harvest as required. Only when the temperatures drop so much that the ground threatens to freeze through do you have to get all the roots out of the ground.
Tips & Tricks
Parsley should be consumed as soon as possible after harvesting. Even if you put it in the water glass, it will not last long and it will also lose its aroma. If you've harvested too much, it's best to freeze the herb. You should only dry it in exceptional cases, as dried parsley hardly has any aroma.
