Is parsley perpetual ?

[Primrose]

My parsley has been magnificent all through this winter and spring, not dying back at all, and I'm wondering whether it will go on flourishing indefinitely or go to seed around May. In previous years it has always died back in winter, with a few remaining stalks going to seed around this time of year. Should I be buying young replacement plants or can I expect my current plants to carry on flourishing indefinitely?

[alan refail]

Primrose

Don't be optimistic - it will go to seed quite soon now. Parsley is a biennial so you cannot do more than take of the seed heads and hope for a few more leaves. Why not sow some seed instead of buying plants?

Alan

[cevenol jardin]

Yep Parsley sets seed in its second year, unless it is struggling and will set seed in its first year when the preservation mechanism overrides.

Parsley seeds are very easy to collect. Wait until the flowers have died back and you will see wide cluster heads of seeds. Once they start to turn brown (from green)- cut the stalks with the seed heads on - i find it easy to just stuff them (seed head down) in a paper/card carrier and as they dry the seeds fall off into the bag, give them a good shake to get all the seeds and you are ready to go again. Parsley seeds are incredibly robust, i've sown them at all points in the year and if conditions are not to their liking they just sit there hidden away until conditions are better and they spring to life (4 months later one time). I use a lot of flat leaf Parsley as a salad leaf - so i sow handfulls broadcast in wide troughed rows, its basically treated as a CCA. I've left one 13ft row to take care of itself and it seems to be doing a grand job, the seeds drop more or less in the row and it just keeps on going.

Parsley sown along the outside of a climbing bean row has worked very well for me.