Why can't I grow parsley ?

[Snoop Puss]

My penny's worth: damp compost (I water sparingly) and use the outside leaves first, as they will eventually die off. Plus, I agree with Annie8, for a plant, by one from a garden centre; for cooking, get one from a supermarket.

[Small pumpkin]

There’s an old wives tail that only the head gardener can grow parsley.

I know my job title then

[Marb67]

I thought parsley was parsley despite where it was purchased. Its not over watered. I just know they like deep compost which it has. Not harvesting from it much either. The flat leaf is the same. Never gets any bigger which in the summer is very bizarre.

[veggiechicken]

Parsley, and other herbs, sold in supermarkets and shops are grown for immediate consumption. They will last a bit longer than a bunch of cut herbs - because they still have roots - but only by a few weeks.

They're often sown very thickly in the pots, far closer together than you would sow seeds yourself.
If you're crafty, and choose the pot carefully, you can split the seedlings and pot them up individually, but it doesn't always work because the seedlings have been forced and the roots are cramped and get damaged.
If you can't grow parsley from seed, either buy a pot from a garden centre or buy the shop ones as a temporary measure.
I often buy marked down herbs and experiment with these. Sometimes it works, (chives and thyme are the most successful) - most times it doesn't.

[Jungle Jane]

The sun did the same thing to my indoor parsley,it’s on a south facing window sill. My outside parsley’s in a shady spot between two big plant pots its still green.

[Can the Man]

Think I’ll be moving my parsley outside into a pot.

[muckdiva]

It's picky for sure....I've had success with supermarket pots one year and not the next. I think it does take an age to recover from the shop production process but once it gets going it's great. This year, I did some from seed which took forever to get to a decent size, but now it's romping away. I sowed more in pots during last month's hot weather and it germinated after the downpours we've had so time will tell on how that does. I'd say, give it time and it should come good.

[carolefu]

An old wives tale is that it takes a witch to successfully grow parsley from seed :O . Mine seems to be ok; but I might just devote one pot to parsley. It's also one of the herbs that can be sown all the year round