When to Plant Parsley
Parsley is a half-hardy cool-season herb. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Start seeds indoors 9 to 11 weeks before the last spring frost, and plant out in the 3 weeks before the last frost. Or sow it where it will grow, from 3 weeks before the last spring frost to 1 week after it. The first harvest comes about 30 to 45 days after transplanting.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start seeds indoors | Dec 28 – Jan 11 | Jan 28 – Feb 11 | Feb 27 – Mar 13 |
| Harden off | Feb 15 – 21 | Mar 18 – 24 | Apr 17 – 23 |
| Plant out | Feb 22 – Mar 15 | Mar 25 – Apr 15 | Apr 24 – May 15 |
| Harvest | Mar 24 – Jul 14 | Apr 24 – Aug 14 | May 24 – Sep 13 |
| Direct-sown: Sow outdoors | Feb 22 – Mar 22 | Mar 25 – Apr 22 | Apr 24 – May 22 |
| Direct-sown: Harvest | Apr 7 – Jul 28 | May 8 – Aug 28 | Jun 7 – Sep 27 |
Growing parsley
Seed is slow to sprout, so soak it overnight or start transplants; snip outer stems to keep plants productive.
- Spacing: 8 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 30 to 45 from transplanting, then about 16 weeks of picking.
- Rotation: parsley is in the carrot family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: bell pepper, cherry tomato, eggplant, head lettuce, hot pepper, leaf lettuce, leek, potato, romaine lettuce, salad mix (baby greens), spinach, sweet corn, tomato. See companion plants for parsley.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant parsley and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
When do I start parsley indoors?
9 to 11 weeks before the last spring frost: with a last frost of April 15, that's Jan 28 – Feb 11. Enter your ZIP code above for your own dates.
Can parsley go in before the last frost?
Yes. Parsley is half-hardy: plant it out in the 3 weeks before the last spring frost.
How long does parsley take to grow?
About 30 to 45 days from transplanting to the first harvest, which then lasts about 16 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- Colorado State University Extension: Vegetable Planting Guide (CMG GardenNotes #720)
- University of Maryland Extension: Vegetable Planting Calendar for central Maryland
- UNH Cooperative Extension: Growing Vegetables: When to Plant your Vegetable Garden (2016)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Germination Requirements for Annuals and Vegetables
- Iowa State: Growing, Harvesting, and Drying Herbs
- Utah State University Extension: Suggested Vegetable Planting Dates for Utah
- University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners (UC ANR): Use and Culture of Culinary Herbs (table from the California Master Gardener Handbook)
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System (J. Masabni): Growing Herbs (E-561, 2009)
- WSU Extension King County Master Gardeners: Tip Sheet #8: Growing Herbs
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension, Kenosha County: Companion Plants for the Vegetable Garden (column, 2012)
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home