Is it okay to let parsley flower?
Written by
Benjamin Miller
Reviewed by
Prof. Samuel Fitzgerald, Ph.D.Flowering parsley ushers in a natural end to the biennial life cycle of the plant. While producing a bitter-sounding note in the leaves, the flowering serves another purpose too. Here is what you do when to let it flower and how to get the maximum number of seeds, so the plants round out their life cycle satisfactorily.
Chemical Changes
- Apiol increase: Bitter compound rises 300%
- Oil reduction: Flavor oils drop by 40%
- Toxin development: Seeds contain furanocoumarins
Seed Production
- Timeline: Seeds mature 90 days post-flowering
- Yield: 500-800 seeds per plant
- Viability: 3-year germination potential
Flowering occurs early the following year for spring-sown and fall plantings in warm climates. Once temperatures reach approximately 75°F (25°C), the umbel appears, and the process takes 4 to 6 weeks to complete, which is crucial for pollinators that love the small, yellow flowers.
Leaf usability is variable but does not disappear entirely. Many bitter leaves will impart a satisfactory flavour to long-simmered stocks where they may be welcome, and their strong character often strengthens a meat broth. Hints of them should definitely be removed from the liquor before service. They are scarcely fit for raw applications, salads, and the like. Still, in cooked dishes, they will not be so objectionable.
Seed to Collect: Seed harvesting takes patience, but the results will be worth it. Wait until the umbels begin to turn brown and dry before cutting and gathering the entire flower head; place them upside down in paper bags, hang the bags in a dry area for a couple of weeks, and let the seeds drop. Information on the seeds should be written on the envelope in permanent ink. Store away from children and pets.
After you've harvested the seeds, the plants need to be removed. Allow the plant's leaves to yellow, which indicates that all the energy is being transferred into the seeds before cutting them off at ground level. The remaining material (non-seed portions of the plant) can be composted. Additionally, it is a good practice to rotate your crops, such as parsley, to different locations within your garden each year. This helps prevent the transfer of diseases from one year to the next.
Manage flowering parsley, enabling a few to bear seed, while others are gathered just before blossoming for the best leaves. Mark the blooming plants with extreme care. Dried seeds must be harvested at the point of perfect maturity. You have thus made your garden self-sustaining and have derived the full benefit from the life cycle of the plant.
Read the full article: When to Harvest Parsley: Ultimate Timing Guide
