In your garden on the balcony you certainly cannot miss a space dedicated to parsley, a key aromatic herb of Mediterranean cuisine that is very easy to grow to always have it available at cost and zero kilometers
Grow parsley starting from the seeds it requires more patience than other aromatic plants, as its germination times are around four to five weeks. For this reason, whether you decide to take care of the common parsley (Petroselinum ortense) or del curly parsley (Petroselinum crispum), it is advisable to equip yourself with soil and seedbed.
Index
When to sow parsley
In order to harvest parsley in the autumn months, sowing must be done in June. Inside your seedbed, which can be very well made using jars or trays that previously contained food, in order to reuse them in a profitable way, just pour some common soil.
I parsley seeds they must be buried at a depth of about one centimeter from the surface.
When and how to decant the seedling
Once the seedlings have sprouted and are already quite resistant, they can be transferred to pots at a distance of at least 6-8 centimeters from each other. The ideal solution is to use a rectangular pot and arrange the plants in parallel rows, eliminating those that will immediately prove weaker.
When transferring the potted plants, you can use a mix made with common soil, adding a small part of sand and a layer of homemade compost once in the middle of the operation.
You can use a saucer, but avoid the formation of water stagnations inside it, which parsley does not like and which could cause its roots to rot.
When and how to water parsley
Parsley requires regular watering. Water your vase morning and evening using a spray container, which you will fill with tap water, enriched from time to time with somecooking water unsalted vegetables or grains.
Exposure
Parsley requires one good exposure in sunlight, which lasts at least six hours a day; therefore place it in the least shaded area of your balcony, taking care, however, to place it away from direct sun on days when temperatures are higher, especially if you notice a yellowing of the leaves.
Collection
Both the parsley leaves and their petioles are perfectly edible. They must be picked up by gently peeling them off with your fingers. They can be chopped and used fresh or frozen in small containers with lids.
How to store parsley
Freezing allows them to retain their aroma more thandrying, which can still be done within a few days by placing the leaves in the open air on a grid. (Read also: How to store aromatic herbs)
Use parsley
Parsley is widely used in the preparation of many dishes. It goes very well in summer with the preparation of rice salads and in general as a condiment to add to vegetables, for example boiled or stewed potatoes and carrots.
It can be added to basil in the home preparation of pesto.
Combined with garlic, capers, breadcrumbs and olive oil it becomes the basic ingredient for the preparation of a cold green sauce to spread on croutons or to accompany with other dishes.
From a nutritional point of view, we must not forget that parsley contains calcium, iron and phosphorus, as well as vitamin C and vitamin A.infusion of parsley leaves it has diuretic and purifying properties.
It can also be used on a cosmetic level to make the penultimate rinse of the hair, in order to make the hair softer and shinier.
On parsley you may also be interested in:
- Parsley Juice: 5 Health Benefits and Uses
- Parsley: 9 good reasons to use it at the table
- 5 aromatic herbs that help you lose weight
- The 10 best aromatic herbs that cannot be missing in your kitchen and the right ways to combine them
