My little green patch: Pretty parsley...

“It is usual that little streams put their mouths into big rivers. Most rivers can also be traced to the big sea. The fact that you start with a small choice does not mean you will be on that narrow road forever.”
Israelmore Ayivor, Dream Big!

And pretty Parsley had been one of my little choices, early on when I restarted growing vegetables more than two years back.
My parsley has always stood by me and added it's perky charm to my little green patch in all seasons. Come rain or sun, I have always had at least one pot/container of parsley in my patch giving me a few refreshing green sprigs and adding an interesting flavoursome edge to my omelets...

I have two varieties of parsley growing right now in my patch. Curly leaf and flat leaf. Both grown from seeds bought at a local nursery. The flat leaf one has been with me since two years, growing in an 8" earthen pot ! There have been time when it look s like the entire pot is dried out, but very soon, I see fresh sprigs appear from the centre of the stubs and within a week or so, the entire pot gets filled with green freshness. As for the curly leaf parsley, I have not been as lucky and I do lose a few of them once in a while. The main culprit I have found is over-watering, that could kill a parsley plant overnight. Yes, even I who follow the "Prudent watering philosophy" have succumbed to this phenomenon. I keep either sowing or planting new saplings (Got from Mum) And that ensures that I have a steady supply of parsley for my culinary requirements.
I have found Parsley to be a relatively easy herb to grow and I believe the Indian tropical weather is well suited for parsley to thrive. My potting mix for parsley is the same as for all my other greens. A 1:1 mix of soil and compost with some neem cake powder thrown in to arrest fungal infections. Parsley generally don't need much fertilizing. I don't add any extra doses after the first one in the potting mix, except after my parsley cross six months.

Fortunately for me, my parsley have been pest-free till now. Touch wood !! Parsley could suffer from damping off at the seedling stage (If growing from seeds). They could also be susceptible to leaf blight (Due to fungal infection) or powdery mildew. You could try any one of the many organic sprays being discussed on this forum. Good seeds are one of the best remedy for having healthy plants, be it parsley, any other herb or greens or even fruit bearing vegetables.

The first few pictures are of today's harvest. I have also posted pictures of my parsley growing in my old balcony patch and in the present patch. Along with that I have posted a few pictures of where my fresh and flavoursome parsley eventually landed up...