With bright green leaves and a refreshing flavor, parsley is a must-grow herb. If you want to keep plants productive and healthy, know how to harvest parsley and avoid overharvesting, which can cause plant stress and impaired growth. Whether you grow parsley from seeds or nursery starts, this guide will help you time your parsley harvest to perfection. Learn how to harvest parsley the right way to keep your plants healthy and your kitchen brimming with fresh herbs. When to Harvest Parsley Parsley is typically harvested from spring through fall either as a cut-and-come-again herb or in larger quantities for freezing or drying. However, if plants are grown indoors in pots, parsley can be harvested in winter, too. Fast-growing and adaptable, parsley can be kept in container gardens or larger herb beds and harvested just 70 days after sowing parsley seeds—nursery-started plants can be picked even earlier. Note that harvesting parsley too early can be detrimental to plant health, so it’s best to wait until plants are at least 6” tall and have well-formed leaves with at least 3 leaf segments before harvesting. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best-growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! How to Harvest Parsley the Right Way Harvest parsley in the morning. Parsley can technically be harvested at any time of the day, but if you want to get the best flavor out of your plants, pick parsley in the morning before the sun is high overhead. Parsley leaves contain the highest concentration of flavorful oils at this time of the day. Cut or pinch entire stems. Gather the parsley stems you’d like to harvest with one hand and cut or pinch the entire stems off just above the soil line with your fingers or a sharp pair of kitchen shears. Harvesting the entire stem will rejuvenate plants and encourage new growth. Work around the exterior of the plant. Parsley plants produce new leaves towards the center of the plant, so harvest the leaves around the exterior of the plant first. This will refresh the look of your parsley and prevent older leaves from going to waste. Don’t overharvest. Young parsley plants should be harvested sparingly by clipping off just a few stems at a time. Older plants, on the other hand, can be picked a bit more aggressively, but avoid harvesting more than 1/3 of your plant at once. Repeat. Parsley is a fast-growing herb that can be harvested again and again throughout the season as needed for recipes. Established plants can be harvested daily in small quantities, but it’s best to give plants a week or two to recover in between harvests if you gather a lot of parsley stems at once or harvest from young plants. Remember, frequent harvesting encourages parsley plants to produce even more leaves. How to Keep Parsley Growing for Years Parsley is a biennial herb that only grows for two years even with the best of care. As a result, many gardeners grow parsley as an annual and sow new parsley seeds every spring. But, parsley plants can be overwintered and harvested in the spring of their second year if desired. If you’d like to harvest second-year parsley plants, overwinter your parsley indoors or harvest your plants in early fall before the stems die back in cold weather. Outdoor parsley will lie dormant in gardens through winter and begin to grow new leaves in spring, while indoor plants can continue to grow through the winter months. Once parsley starts to produce new leaves in spring, harvest the stems regularly until the plant starts to bolt or flower. When flowering begins, it’s best to harvest the entire plant as bolting changes the flavor of parsley leaves. But if you want to gather parsley seeds for future planting, let your plants flower and gather the dried seeds when the parsley flowers fade.

Pick a space for your herb garden that can provide the proper light, soil nutrients, and humidity your herbs need. Pick and place herbs according to their needs—some plants need less water than others. After harvesting herbs they can either be frozen or dried in order to keep them viable for longer. Herb gardens are the perfect introduction to gardening and supply your senses and pantry with fresh flavors and scents. Whether you plan to grow herbs in containers or a small plot, here are the things you need to know to start a successful herb garden. Pick a Space for Your Herb Garden Herb gardens are so popular because they are easy to start and maintain; they grow quickly and you can begin harvesting within a few weeks. The size of your herb garden is up to you and depends on the quantity and variety of herbs you want to grow. Light Almost all herbs require at least 6 hours of full sun daily. A few such as chervil, mint, chives, and cilantro can be grown in an area with light shade. Soil Herbs need well-draining soil. They will no thrive in heavy, wet soil. Adding compost to clay soil will help improve the structure and drainage. The soil does not have to be highly fertile; too many nutrients tends to produce excessive amounts of poorly-flavored foliage. Temperature and Humidity Mediterranean herbs like basil, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and lavender like warm, sunny, dry conditions. Most perennial and biennial herbs can overwinter if they are protected with layers of mulch. Established herbs can tolerate dry conditions but supplemental water is recommended during periods of drought. Use mulch to conserve soil moisture, but keep it away from the base of the plants to prevent stem rot. Want more gardening tips? Sign up for our free gardening newsletter for our best growing tips, troubleshooting hacks, and more! Pick Which Herbs You Want to Grow Most people plant the herbs they enjoy using for cooking, making teas, or drying for potpourri. Some make selections based on fragrance or bloom color. The beauty of an herb garden is that it is personal to your preferences. It is a good idea to group your chosen herbs by their watering needs to prevent over-watering those that prefer drier conditions. Drought-Tolerant Herbs Borage: Once established, allow the soil to dry out between waterings. Fennel: Drought-tolerant once established; allow the soil to dry between waterings. Lavender: Lavender will not survive wet roots and heavy soil. Marjoram: Drought-tolerant and prefers dry soil with occasional watering. Oregano: Thrives in dry and warm climates with low rainfall levels. Sage: A drought-tolerant plant that prefers soil to dry out between waterings. Rosemary: Prefers slightly drier conditions and minimal watering. Thyme: Water only when the soil is completely dry. Winter savory: Once established, prefers dry soil. Herbs with Moderate Watering Needs Basil: A broadleaf herb, it requires more water than herbs like thyme, rosemary, and sage. Bay laurel: For healthy leaves, keep the soil evenly moist. Catnip: A member of the mint family, catnip requires consistent moisture to flourish. Chervil: Prefers evenly moist soil with good drainage. Chives: Although drought-tolerant, chives must be watered evenly throughout the growing season for high yields. Cilantro: The soil should be kept evenly moist for tender leaves. Dill: Requires consistent moisture levels to flower and produce seeds. Lemon balm: Prefers soil that is moist but never wet. Lemon verbena: Requires regular watering. Mint: Thrives around water and can tolerate wet roots. Parsley: Evenly moist soil produces the most tender leaves of flat or curly parsley. Tarragon: Young plants need regular watering to become established. Propagating Herbs There are many ways to propagate herbs, and doing so can keep your herb garden fresh and perpetually growing for years. By Seed Nearly all herbs grow well from seed that you've saved or purchased. Fine herbs like anise, cilantro, dill, and fennel should be directly sown into the garden once the danger of frost has passed because they do not transplant well. Basil, parsley, sage, and thyme can be started indoors and transplanted into the garden when temperatures warm. After planting seeds in well-tilled soil with good drainage, water lightly until they germinate. From Cuttings To quickly establish new plants, herbs can be propagated from cuttings. Take cuttings in spring or early summer when the plant is actively growing; select a 3 to 4-inch stem that is healthy and tender. Strip the leaves off the bottom two inches and dip the cut end in rooting hormone. Place the stem in a small pot of moistened potting soil. Cover the pot with a plastic bag and place it in an area with bright, indirect light. Keep the soil moist and remove the plastic bag when new leaves begin to grow. Transplant the cutting into the garden once the plant has at least 3 or 4 sets of new leaves. Propagating Without a Plant If you don't have herb plants already established, there are some herbs you can grow from supermarket purchases like mint, basil, thyme, and more. By Division Herbs that have a clumping habit like tarragon, chives, and mint can be divided to create new plants. Use a garden trowel to gently dig up the clump of herbs. Use a clean, sterile knife to separate individual plants and replant or share them with others. Harvesting Herbs harvesting mint Valeriy_G / Getty Images Once an herb plant has enough foliage to maintain growth, fresh leaves can be harvested. It's best to harvest herbs before they flower or go to seed because leaf production declines. Snip stems at a leaf node with sharp, sterile clippers. For the best flavor, pick leaves or seeds after the morning dew has evaporated but before temperatures are high. Before using, discard any bruised or soiled leaves and inspect the herbs for insects or foreign matter. Rinse the herbs under running water and shake gently to remove excess moisture. How to Preserve Herbs The two best methods for preserving herbs are freezing and drying. Depending on the herbs you're drying, one method might suit your needs better than the other. By Freezing Tender herbs like basil, chives, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, mint, parsley, and tarragon freeze well in small batches. After harvesting and rinsing the herbs, pat the herbs dry. Place the herbs in a freezer bag, seal the bag, and place it in the freezer. To freeze in pre-measured portions, chop the herbs finely and place them in an ice cube tray. Add a small amount of water and allow the tray to freeze. When solid, pop out the cubes and store them in plastic bags. By Drying Rosemary, sage, thyme, and winter savory are the easiest herbs to dry and will retain the most flavor and color. After harvesting and rinsing the herbs, pat them dry with a paper towel. Form small bunches and tie them with cotton string. Hang the bunches upside down in a warm, well-ventilated place until the moisture evaporates. Avoid hang in direct sunlight that can strip flavor and color. The herbs are dry when the leaves crumble and the stems break when bent. Store dried herbs whole, crumbled, or ground in a cool, dark spot in a labeled airtight container for up to six months for the best flavor.

You should start tomatoes indoors five to eight weeks before planting in the ground, which should be after the last frost. Consult your USDA growing zone to find out when your last frost date is, as tomatoes won't survive those temperatures. Also plant seedlings with enough space between them, and add support structures early. Fresh tomatoes are a juicy end-of-summer delight. With a wide growth range from 60 to 100 days, it can be hard to determine when to plant tomatoes. To answer that question, we spoke with organic vegetable gardening expert Adam Weiss, founder of Pike Lane Gardens. Best Time to Plant Tomatoes You should generally begin to grow tomatoes in the spring to avoid the last frost of the year. It's best to plant tomatoes in two stages, says master gardener Adam Weiss. In the first stage, the seeds are planted indoors. In the second stage, the seedlings are transplanted outdoors. Space the planting stages from five to eight weeks apart. When to Plant Tomatoes Indoors When planting your tomatoes starting from seeds, they should be started indoors five to eight weeks before you plant them in the ground, Weiss says. There is a specific reason why tomato seeds are started indoors, according to Weiss. "Tomatoes are a warm-weather vegetable," he says. "If you planted the seeds in your garden or container in early summer, it would take a considerable amount of time—about five to eight weeks for the seed to germinate and another five to seven weeks for the tomato plant to grow to a seedling." Planting the tomato that way throws off the plant's growing schedule. Weiss says that if you planted in May, you would already be in late July by the time the plant started growing. The plant may still produce tomatoes, but not in abundance. Because your harvest time has been condensed, you'll get a limited harvest quantity of tomatoes. When to Plant Tomatoes Outdoors To pinpoint when you should plant tomatoes, Weiss suggests looking at outside temperatures rather than the calendar. Tomatoes are a summer vegetable, he says, and should be planted in your garden or container once the outdoor temperatures begin to warm. Tomatoes must avoid frost. "Ideally, the soil temperature should be close to 70°F for the seedlings to be planted," Weiss says. That recommendation applies only to planting tomatoes in the ground outdoors, not indoors. "It is much more challenging to plant tomato seeds outdoors directly," says Weiss. "There are several weather variables that could either dry or flood the seed before it even germinates." Frost Dates for Planting Tomatoes Because tomatoes must avoid frost, consult your local United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) hardiness zone to learn the last and first frost dates for each year. A frost date is when air temperatures dip to 32°F (freezing) or below. There are ways to protect plants from frost, such as adding cloches, row covers, cold frames, or container wraps. Yet with tomatoes, the safest way to protect them is to avoid frost conditions altogether. Tips for Planting and Growing Tomatoes Sungolds, cherry tomatoes, beefsteaks, or green zebras? Regardless of the variety of tomato you love planting, Weiss offers these tips for the perfect harvest: Add enough space: Tomatoes need at least 24 inches between each plant to allow for ample sunlight, strong root development, and space. This helps minimize potential disease and pests. Plant fewer tomatoes if you don’t have the space. Plant seedlings: Always plant your tomatoes as seedlings to maximize your harvesting process. Plant seedlings deeply: Place your tomato plant deeper into the ground than other seedlings, at least 6 inches deep. You can bury the plant under the ground until the first set of leaves. This lower stem will develop additional roots, which will improve the health of your plant. Add structure early: Well before planting tomatoes, decide what type of trellis you want: tomato cage, stake, or another supporting structure. The structure must be in place before the tomato grows, as adding it later can damage the plant. Water deeply: Tomato roots grow deep within the ground, so water deeply two to three times a week at the base of each plant. Weiss suggests slowly counting to 20 while watering each tomato plant to measure the correct amount of water.