More Pathetic Parsley

[mrsbusy]

I listened to gardeners question time last week and they played an old recording about growing parsley and the advice was to provide some shade and heel it in very firmly.

[Plot70]

On my soil they do grow in a sheltered area with structures around it that works as a climbing bean frame quite well but the biggest and best plants are self seeded in full sun.

[Marb67]

I listened to gardeners question time last week and they played an old recording about growing parsley and the advice was to provide some shade and heel it in very firmly.

Well that's strange as I have been advised on this forum in the past that they need many hours sunlight. I was told mine were not getting enough hours. Btw, this last attempt was grown in part shade and the roots were in the centre of the tine. .

[Marb67]

Well absolutely no growth around the Kale despite planting in soil as advised. It seems whatever I do with Parsley is destined for failure. I can't even get flat leaf to germinate, from different packets.

[ameno]

Well of course you have no growth. You have it planted under the direct shade of that kale plant, just a couple inches from the stem. It's never going to grow there.
They need more light and more space.

[Marb67]

It gets plenty of light (and remember I was told here that they need some shade) and have plenty of depth to put it's roots down in the raised bed it stands. With respect, I seem to be getting mixed signals here.

[ameno]

Plants need space in all directions, not just depth. Besides, which, the roots of that kale plant will have long since spread under where that parsley is planted. Brassica roots spread quite far.
Any seedling will suffer planted so close to such a comparatively large established plant. They are too close to it by far.

[smallblueplanet]

This years pot of supermarket curly parsley that was split up and planted out. It has 'picked' up after a bit of dying off at the start, and is growing away. We may have to replant some as it is being out grown by a courgette plant!

[Marb67]

They have loads of space around that courgette. I wouldn't worry.

Well I haven't the luxury of that kind of space so have to plant near to other plants. Besides, I have seen many examples of people packing veg and herbs in very tight, small spaces (including Parsley) with great success. Joe maiden did it in his how to grow dvd, among other examples I have read and watched. There is something else at work here stopping me being able to grow Parsley, and It has failed with much more space around it too.

[ameno]

There's a marked difference between growing the same (or similarly vigorous) plants at the same growth stage together, and planting small seedlings next to a large, fairly well established, and far more vigorous type of plant.
If you're going to grow veg close together then simply watering and feeding more isn't all you need to pay attention to. You also need to pay close attention to which varieties you grow close to which other ones, how big they are when you plant them, what size they will ultimately reach, how quickly they grow, and so on.

This years pot of supermarket curly parsley that was split up and planted out. It has 'picked' up after a bit of dying off at the start, and is growing away. We may have to replant some as it is being out grown by a courgette plant!

Yeah, you'll probably find that will be too close eventually.
You're fine for now, but that courgette plant will get more than double that size in a month or so, at which point the parsley will likely start to struggle (although it will help that it will already be established by then, rather than being newly planted).

[Marb67]

That parsley remember has been growing for months (fed with Vitax Q4 3 weks ago) now and seems to be getting smaller. That defies nature as all plants, however slow, should get bigger. Even in that large tin (which it had all to itself) it was larger.

Before you dismiss the Vitax as being a suitable feed, my sister in law grew huge multiple salad leaves in the same size tin using Vitaxand although bolting in the heat, are still producing. This should have happened with the sparsely. So nothing wrong with the tins.

[smallblueplanet]

There's a marked difference between growing the same (or similarly vigorous) plants at the same growth stage together, and planting small seedlings next to a large, fairly well established, and far more vigorous type of plant.
If you're going to grow veg close together then simply watering and feeding more isn't all you need to pay attention to...

Yeah I know.

I was just showing Marb67 how easy parsley grows, I really can't understand what it is they are doing wrong. Maybe they're giving the parsley too much 'attention'?

[ameno]

Yeah I know.

I was just showing Marb67 how easy parsley grows, I really can't understand what it is they are doing wrong. Maybe they're giving the parsley too much 'attention'?

That comment above the quote box was directed at Marb, actually, not you. Only the one below the quote was replying to you.

[Marb67]

Again, I have tried to grow parsley in the past with plenty of space, in its own containers, planted out shop bought and all with the same results. All my flat leaf from different packets have so far failed to germinate. There is a force beyong my control that just doesn't allow me to grow this (and some others) plant.

[smallblueplanet]

Again, I have tried to grow parsley in the past with plenty of space, in its own containers, planted out shop bought and all with the same results. All my flat leaf from different packets have so far failed to germinate. There is a force beyong my control that just doesn't allow me to grow this (and some others) plant.

Perhaps the same force that makes some people believe they 'can't do maths'?!