Parsley

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I've been growing herbs indoors in my kitchen window for years, I love using fresh herbs when I cook. I've had a problem for some reason with Italian parsley. It's growth seems very sporadic, for awhile it will seem to start thriving and then for no apparent reason that I have identified it begins to brown up and go sparse again. I have played with watering, drainage, and lighting. Every time I think I've got it growing again and it's starting to look good, it flops on me again.

Any ideas on what I maybe doing wrong or missing?

TIA :)
 
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I've been growing herbs indoors in my kitchen window for years, I love using fresh herbs when I cook. I've had a problem for some reason with Italian parsley. It's growth seems very sporadic, for awhile it will seem to start thriving and then for no apparent reason that I have identified it begins to brown up and go sparse again. I have played with watering, drainage, and lighting. Every time I think I've got it growing again and it's starting to look good, it flops on me again.

Any ideas on what I maybe doing wrong or missing?

TIA :)
What are you growing it in?
 
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Hi Chuck,

I have attempted this in clay, plastic, and ceramic pots using basic potting soil
 
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You aren't doing anything wrong--parsley is a seasonal, cool weather plant, and will droop and turn brown when it's tired of growing. I plant parsley three times a year--in late winter under a grow light with a dome cover; again in early spring to have a little parsley that grows in shade during our hot summers; and again about now, for a winter growth on my kitchen windowsill.
 
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Marlingardener is correct. I was wondering about your soil medium and your water. If you use city water it more than likely has chlorine in it and if you do not let the water gas off the chlorine will damage your plants.
 
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Marlingardener is correct. I was wondering about your soil medium and your water. If you use city water it more than likely has chlorine in it and if you do not let the water gas off the chlorine will damage your plants.
I am also wondering what you fertilize with
 
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Oh:oops:, I should have mentioned that we harvest rainwater, and that is what all our plants, inside and out, receive. I hadn't thought of the adverse effects of chlorine, floride, or any of the other additives in city water.
 
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I have a ton of other indoor plants, quite a few of which are herbs and the water isn't effecting them so I don't think it's the water. I use my own compost on all of my plants as a fertilizer, again only the Italian parsley is unhappy. I'd like to grab hold of the seasonal piece but even in season it's pretty weak.

The curly leaf parsley is growing great, but I prefer the Italian... so far it's a love/ hate relationship :(
 
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I have a ton of other indoor plants, quite a few of which are herbs and the water isn't effecting them so I don't think it's the water. I use my own compost on all of my plants as a fertilizer, again only the Italian parsley is unhappy. I'd like to grab hold of the seasonal piece but even in season it's pretty weak.

The curly leaf parsley is growing great, but I prefer the Italian... so far it's a love/ hate relationship :(
I would change the growing medium on that variety by using a different mixture of potting soil
 
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More water, and possibly fewer plants in the pots.

One other thing, it's not a good idea to think that all plants like the same environment or the same treatment.

Enough water for Italian parsley will kill Rosemary.
 
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I tried planting parsley before, but it also died. I guess it's because we water it with city water and we don't use potting soil. Now, I just buy parsley from the grocery store. They are not really that expensive, so it's okay.
 

zigs

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I'm wondering if it's soil depth, think Parsley likes to put out a bit of a tap root.
 
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Zigs, you are right. Parsley and dill both have long tap roots. Planting either in a shallow (less than 10" deep pot) may lead to die-off.
When our garden parsley is finished and I pull it, there is a foot-long tap root. Dill will go even deeper if the soil allows.
 
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It has been a long while since I have grown parsely and I grew it from a plastic pot out on my deck. I seem to remember that it is biennial and so it will have a beautiful growth one season and then flowers and seed the next. Also consider if it is time to transplant it and make sure when you are taking leaves from it that it is from the larger outside leaves first.
 

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