[colin79ie]

Hi,

I am growing parsley in a pot on my kitchen windowsill. However, it is vwery slow to grow and the leaves are too small to use and they die off before they grow big. Is my pot too small, should I feed the plant? Any help appreciated.

Also, I have thyme growing in a pot also. It is very leggy/stringy and doesn't seem to be getting any strength. It's planted in bark compost as that's all I had handy at the time.

[walltoall]

Parsley has a long tap root and so you need a very tall slender pot. It also likes sun and is very finicky about how and when it is watered. Whaatever you do don't 'feed' it. This is WINTER. There's a very good article at

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_4450807_grow-parsley-indoors.html?cr=1

I've never successfully grown parsley indoors myself but I have flat-leaf in the garden as a 'weed'. Perpetual supply all the year round. No maintenance whatever.

[Sive]

I agree with walltowall about the flat-leaved parsley. It has a lovely flavour and you can add it to a salad and is easier to eat uncooked somehow......not as tough as the curly-leaved variety.

[dinahdabble]

I wonder if it is getting enough light? The discription of the Thyme plant suggests it 's suffering from lack of light. Windowsills can be deceptive. The sun may seem to come streaming in through a window, but this only happens for a short time each day. If there isn't a sunnyer (or more consistantly bright) windowsill, and you can't plant outside, I've found that standing mirrors at each end of the windowsill (or even lain flat upon it) can help. It can look quite good if you have a flare for arrangements.
I'm really not sure about the compost. Someone who is familiar with bark compost will advise you much better. I do know that good drainage is very important, and if the compost is waterlogged you will have to transplant into a pot with more grit in the bottom. Similarly, if the pot dries out very quickly, or you can see the roots through the holes in the bottom, you need a bigger pot. Parsley has to be transplanted very carfully so as not to damage it's roots. Good luck anyway.

[walltoall]

"bark compost" would be useless by definition for growing thyme. Thyme likes a well-drained loam, moisture retentive, good sun and minimal watering. "Bark compost" could be anything., but assuming it is pine bark it would be low ph. and not particularly high in nutrients. PARSLEY grows best in the sort of soil you find under a bank of nettles, which you can usually find for nothing on the side of the road and which it is illegal to 'take' as it constitutes larceny from either the owner of the adjacent field of your local authority. If you need retail therapy or you dwell on the highest moral ground, you can BUY the same soil from your garden centre as "John Innes No.2"

Now you have not mentioned sage and rosemary? If you are anywhere near Scarborough there is a Fair ..............

PS. I take it your window is south-facing? There is a difference between light and sunlight and Dinahdabble has touched on it with the reference to the mirrors

[michael brenock]

Parsley may be suffering from an attack of aphids, check underleaf or from Nitrogen/iron deficiency. it likes a medium loam type soil compost, free draining but must have nutrients, repot into fresh compost if growing in a peat compost. Tree bark is not a good growing medium, alright for mulching but robs the soil of Nitrogen as it decomposes. Thyme likes a sandy gravelly free draining soil usually not the type associated with nettles(good for parsley).
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

[walltoall]

Michael,
I bow to your opinion with respect. 'Twere my fault as usual. I wrote 'thyme' where I intented to write 'parsley'. But so long as we're all helping sure everybody is a winner.
Shaun

[Redfox]

I agree with the gents, parsley is hard to cultivate. I usually buy a pot in the supermarket and split it. Best way I found is to take a few plants and wash the soil from the roots under running water. This way you don't damage the roots. If you just pull them apart you will tear a lot of hair roots from the root stem. Plant the single plants into individual pots, keep moist and in as much light as you can. I keep them indoors until February and then transfer them into a cold frame. I plant about 20 plants in my allotment between the carrots this helps to prevent carrot root fly. Also when you have a lot, harvest, wash and chop it and then freeze for easy use out of the deep freezer during the winter. I do this with chives as well.

[walltoall]

Hey Redfox,
Welcome to this mad forum where one can teach and learn. That is a brilliant bit of advice and I'm up for trying it. Running the soil off under a water stream is imaginative and inventive and I thank you for sharing.
SW

[Good guy]

Reading the blurb on a packet of seed of Yerevan Parsley(Seed Savers), I saw that germination can take up to six weeks. It is years since I grew parsley from seed, and it was slow, but I remember hearing from somewhere that soaking the seed for 24 hours in urine speeds germination.
So I now have one set of modules with a 'P' on the label and one without, as a control. We shall see!

[davidk]

will keep an eye out for the update on this.

[Greengage]

never mind what it says on the packet, Put the packet of seed in the fridge overnight, Then sow seed on top of compost and lightly cover with sand or sieved compost leave on windowsill covered with clingfilm until germination and do not let the compost dry out ie do not leave it in direct sunlight i have been germinating seed every 3 weeks this way no problem approx 12 to 14 days to germinate.

[My Potatoes]

My Yerevan took about four weeks.

[Good guy]

My Yerevan showed a few leaves last week, about four weeks after planting. So I guess it's a case of "To pee or not to pee; there's no difference".

[My Potatoes]

I gave my yerevan a feed of seaweed extract and it's finally taking off.