There are a lot of varieties of parsley, and one of the most common is curly parsley. It was used in cooking in the 6th century by the inhabitants of the Mediterranean. At that time, not knowing its useful qualities, I attracted the original appearance and pleasant, special aroma. Nowadays, curly parsley is well studied and widespread.
"Curly parsley"
seeds "Curly parsley"
"Curly parsley" attracted the attention of gardeners and gardeners not only with its attractive appearance, but also with a sharp spicy smell
Description
Curly parsley is a branchy biennial plant with a straight stem up to 100 cm high. The root in the first year has a fusiform shape with white-gray flesh. In the second year, the root system branches out.
The leaves are triangular, the surface is shiny on top, the lower part of the leaf plate is matte, dissected. It blooms in early to mid-summer. The umbrellas are collected from small yellow-green flowers. The fruit is double-seeded, laterally compressed, green-brown in color.
Very beautiful appearance, ideal for decorating dishes and tables. Delicate greens taste good and have an excellent aroma. Does not require special storage conditions.
Advantages and disadvantages of curly parsley
The benefits of curly parsley over conventional leafy varieties include:
- aesthetic appearance;
- unpretentiousness;
- tolerates drought more easily;
- well kept.
But this type of parsley has its drawbacks:
- after heat treatment, it loses its smell;
- when fresh, the aroma is less pronounced;
- greens are tougher.
Chemical composition and properties
Parsley contains many useful elements: riboflavin, carotene, mucus, proteins and carbohydrates, a large amount of vitamins (B1, C, PP, A, B9) and trace elements (selenium, zinc, sodium, magnesium, potassium).
The aroma of parsley is determined by the complex essential oils with fatty acids. Due to its rich composition, its use is possible not only in the kitchen, but also in medicine. Have an effect:
- anti-inflammatory;
- diuretic;
- fortifying;
- antispasmodic;
- healing;
- choleretic.
Growing parsley
Curly parsley can be grown all year round, because it does not require special conditions, it takes root well in a new place. It is only important not to forget about the agrotechnical complex of measures.
Soil preparation
You should think about the place of sowing and growing curly parsley in the fall. Clean it from plant residues of other crops and dig it up by adding humus. In the spring, if required, to treat the soil from pests and diseases and enrich it with mineral fertilizers.
Sowing seeds
Parsley tolerates cold well, so you can sow it without waiting for stable warm weather. Carry out a sowing event in mid-April. You should not make deep grooves, 1 cm is quite enough.When sowing, leave a gap of 20-25 cm between rows.
It is recommended to soak the seeds for 2-3 days in warm water before sowing, and then dry them until their flowability is restored. This way the seedlings will break through faster.
Cover the plantation with plastic wrap to keep moisture in the soil. For seed germination and the appearance of the first shoots, a temperature of 4-6 ºС is quite enough. The emerged plants are not afraid of frosts down to -9 ºС. You can sow curly parsley throughout the summer.
Growing parsley seedlings
To grow seedlings, you must do the following:
- Pick up the soil. You can certainly buy a ready-made one, but it is better to take 2 parts of the land from the garden and mix with 1 part of the purchased mixture. If the soil on the site has increased acidity, add chalk to the prepared soil at the rate of 20-30 g per bucket of soil mixture.
- Sprinkle the prepared potting mix into the molds or boxes into which the seeds will be planted.
- Soak the seeds in 30-35 ° C water for a couple of days to rid them of essential oils, which will increase the time of first germination. Change the water periodically.
- Dry the seeds until they become free-flowing, or drain the water and spread them on a damp gauze in a thin layer. Maintain moisture by sprinkling a little water over the gauze periodically.
- When pecking seeds, plant them in molds with potting soil. To do this, make indentations of 0.5 cm, carefully lay out the seeds, and then sprinkle them with earth.
- Place the molds on the windowsill on the sunny side of the house or take them to the greenhouse. If the temperature is at least 25 ° C, then the seedlings will appear very quickly.
- Air the seedlings daily, make sure that the soil does not dry out. You can water it with a drip syringe or spray water on still weak seedlings from a spray bottle. Water hardened plants with a spoon.
- When the second leaves appear, if necessary, transplant the seedlings into separate cups or pick them up and plant them in the greenhouse soil.
- In early May, you can plant parsley in the garden. The row spacing is at least 20 cm, and the distance between the seedlings is about 10 cm.
Care rules
Curly parsley needs constant watering and loosening of the soil. However, be careful not to flood the beds. If, when growing in a greenhouse, the seedlings were spoiled with complex fertilizer, then after rooting and transplanting, it is time for feeding.
Fertilizing the root system of parsley
When preparing the soil for the next season in the autumn, the bed for growing curly parsley should be fertilized with humus and dug up. Apply nitrogen and phosphorus-potassium fertilizers before planting seedlings or sowing seeds. Leafy varieties do not require further feeding.
If you plan to use the root for food or for medicinal purposes, then in the fall, feed the plants again with fertilizers containing phosphorus and potassium.
Harvest
Parsley leaves are used as they grow. And harvesting begins in the fall, focusing on reaching maturity seeds. The vegetable part is cut off, possibly chopping and freezing, or squeezing oil out of it. If the leaves are dried, the spicy aroma will be lost.
Curly parsley root is harvested in the first year, while it is still fusiform. The next year, its use is possible only for medicinal purposes.
Dig up the root, clean it from the ground, dry it and place it in the basement for storage. Without these measures, it can quickly deteriorate and rot.
To obtain seeds, cut the umbrellas, dry in the shade, and use the threshing method.
Diseases and pests of curly parsley
Like all plants in the garden, parsley suffers from a number of diseases:
- Powdery mildew - a fungal disease characterized by the appearance of a white bloom on the plant. During the maturation of the mycelium, the plaque takes on a dark shade. The fungus is spread by the wind and with drops of rain or watering. In a short time, it can spread over a large area, harming the crop.
- Cercosporiasis - affects the deciduous part of plants. Depressed yellow spots form on the leaves, which brighten over time. A brown rim is retained around the spots. The disease develops with an excess of moisture and increased planting density.
- Stolbur - damages leaves, giving them a reddish tint. With this disease, the seeds ripen unsuitable for further use. Plants often dry up and die.
- Rust - characterized by the appearance of yellow-orange spots, which merge and darken as the fungus spreads and ripens. The disease causes the parsley to dry out.
- Septoria -spoils the greenery from the lower leaves, covering the entire bush. It turns brown and dies, but the spores of the fungus remain inside.
- Fomoz - fungal disease. It manifests itself in the formation of brown spots on leaf veins. A sunken spot of rot forms at the root. Infected plants are not stored.
Measures to combat fungal diseases involve fungicidal tillage of the soil and greenery, compliance with crop rotation and regular agrotechnical measures.
Pests of curly parsley:
- Melon aphid - small insects of black or green color, feeding on plant sap. Thus, parsley suffers from a lack of nutrients, becomes sluggish, and its growth stops. If not treated against aphids, the plants die.
- Stem nematode Is a parasitic worm that lives in the stems and roots of parsley. It feeds on the juice and pulp of the plant. Its presence is determined by the dull color of greenery, uneven germination and growth.
- Carrot fly - an adult is not harmful to plants, since its nutrition is only nectar when parsley is flowering. Dangerous young offspring, which causes irreparable damage, destroying greenery.
- Carrot lily - the direct pest is the insect larva, which feeds on parsley juice. With a lot of prolonged damage, the root system ceases to fulfill its function and the plant dies.
It is important to determine the presence of pests in time and immediately take measures to destroy them, because in addition to their direct harm, insects can be carriers of fungal diseases.
Gardeners reviews
Julia, 37 years old, Krasnodar, summer resident. Curly parsley pleased with its appearance and taste. It is early maturing, unpretentious, and we use its greens until autumn. I highly recommend trying it.
Mikhail, 72 years old, Solnechnogorsk, retired. Curly parsley is our favorite. Easy to grow and enjoyable to care for. Juicy, beautiful and tasty. Helps maintain health and decorates our table.
Alexandra, 43 years old, Maykop, housewife. All year round I grow a curly beauty. In the spring I sow it in the country, and by winter I transplant part of it into a tray and put it on the windowsill. Pleasing to the eye on cold winter days. Excellent taste.
Hide
Add your review
Whatever the correct choice of seeds, agrotechnical measures, feeding and prevention of diseases and pests will help in obtaining a healthy rich harvest. Curly parsley will be your assistant in decorating the table and preparing delicious dishes.