Yes you can grow parsley and other herbs from seeds but the germination process can take time and you want to grow them as soon as possible, so you can regrow the cuttings of parsley.
Cuttings of parsley have a low rate of success as compared to other herbs but you can follow these tips and apply these tricks to increase the success rate of parsley cuttings. Here is the full method to grow parsley from clippings.
Clean Your Tools
Before using any tool to cut your parsley cuttings, you must clean your tools like scissors or pruners, whatever you are using. You can use hydrogen peroxide to sterilize your tools.
First, wash them with water and soap, then use a cotton ball to clean them using hydrogen peroxide and then dry them thoroughly for a few minutes.
Cleaning and sterilizing your tools will increase the chances of parsley cuttings to survive by decreasing the chance of any infections and diseases. Remember, always use a sharp tool to make a clean cut. Click here to buy a toolset for gardening on Amazon.
Choose Some Healthy Clippings
You can select some healthy and green cuttings from store-bought parsley. Select cuttings of 4-5 inches in length, green in color, there are no brown spots and have some sets of leaves on the top of cuttings.
If you already have a plant of parsley which is fully mature, you can take some cuttings from that fully grown plant. Use your clean and sharp tool to make cuts.
First, choose some nice and healthy cuttings, make the cut at 45 degrees angle instead of straight. Remove leaves from the bottom of cuttings because leaves that are on top are required.
As I mentioned before, the success rate of parsley cuttings is a little low. So, collect a good number of cuttings. If you want 5 plants of parsley, collect at least 10 good and healthy cuttings.
Put Them In Water
After collecting cuttings, put them in a glass of water immediately. Try not to use tap water. Use chlorine water or distilled water. If you have none of them, try to use clean water or cuttings can catch infections.
You can add some rooting hormone in the water to increase the chances of survival. You can also make your own rooting hormone by adding an aspirin tablet in the water.
Also Read: How To Grow Mint At Home In Water – Without Soil
Plant Cuttings In Growth Medium
For growing cuttings, you need a good growth medium. Soil with good drainage and good water holding capacity can do the trick. Here is a recipe that you can use to make your own growth medium:
- Peat moss
- Sand
- Perlite
Mix equal parts of these three ingredients to make a good growth medium. Fill a small container with this medium and plant your cuttings in this soil.
Make a hole in the soil with your finger or a pencil about 1.5 inches deep and plant your cutting in that hole. Carefully pack the soil around the cuttings, do not leave any space for air.
Care For Cuttings
Cuttings will start producing roots in 2 weeks but you have to take care of them first. Here are a few tips for you:
- Watering: After planting the cuttings in the soil, give them water immediately. Water them thoroughly, so the water came through the drainage hole. Always check the soil before watering. If the top 2 inches of soil is damp, there is no need to water. Overwatering will kill the chances of rooting.
- Sunlight: You need to put your containers near a window that receives indirect sunlight. You can also put your container outside if there is no frost. Partial shade is great for cuttings to produce roots. You can also use LED grow lights to give them sunlight if there is no sunlight in your apartment. Click here to learn which LED light is good for you.
Check The Roots
As I mentioned before, roots should appear in 2 weeks. You can check the status of roots by removing some soil with your fingers or some tools. If roots are growing, let them grow.
When roots will reach 1-2 inches in length, it’s time to transplant them in their final location. If there are no roots and clippings are turning brown, they are not going to produce roots. You need to move on from those cuttings.
Transplant Cuttings In Pots
For that, you will need a bigger pot. Because each cutting will need some space to thrive. You can also use small raised bed planters to grow parsley. Click here to check planters on Amazon. You can also check this beautiful barrel on Amazon.
After the selection of a container, now it’s time to fill it with a good kind of soil. If the soil in your garden is very fertile, you can use it by making some amendments. Add some compost in it for fertilizer and peat moss for water retention.
If the soil is not very fertile, you should use potting soil. Learn to make your own potting soil and compost using kitchen wastes. Click here to buy potting soil from Amazon.
After filling your container with good soil, carefully plant your cuttings with roots in the soil. Give them water on a required basis. Always check the moisture level before giving them water.
Also Read: 10 Best DIY & Cheap Container Vegetable Gardening Ideas Anyone Can Use
Transplant Cuttings In Ground Or Raised bed
If you want to grow them in the ground, make sure to improve the soil first. Add some organic compost in the soil, plowing is a good activity to loosen up the soil. Remove if there is any weed. The process of replanting is the same as above.
Growing them in a raised bed garden is also a great idea. Again amend the soil of the raised bed before planting cuttings. If you are new in raised bed gardening, click here to make your own raised bed garden in no time.
After planting the cuttings in the ground or raised bed, give them water. 4-6 hours of indirect sunlight is enough for growing parsley. Give them water whenever the top inches of soil feels dry. Overwatering can cause problems like fungal infections.
Also Read: 10 Raised Garden Bed Plans For Seniors
Harvesting
Your cuttings will produce multiple branches. Each branch will produce lush green leaves. You can harvest them when they are fully mature and vibrant. Again use a clean and sharp tool to harvest the stems.
- Collect Seeds: Parsley plants produce lush green leaves in two growing seasons. In the first growing season, you will have tons of stems to harvest. At the end of 2nd season, plants will produce seeds and die. You can collect those seeds and sow them in next season.
