Rainline Garden

When to plant parsley in Oregon and Washington

In Portland: Plant parsley in the garden Mar 15 – May 3, either as seeds or as young plants started indoors Jan 18 – Feb 1. In Bend: May 12 – Jun 30. Find your city below.

Difficulty
Easy
Sun
Full sun to part shade
Spacing
8 inches apart
Planting depth
¼ inch deep
Frost
Handles light frost
First harvest
About 75 days after planting

Slow to sprout (up to three weeks), so many gardeners buy starts. Often keeps going through a mild Northwest winter.

Parsley planting dates by city

CityStart seeds indoorsPlant in the garden
Astoria, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Baker City, ORMar 2–16Apr 27 – Jun 15
Bend and Redmond, ORMar 17–31May 12 – Jun 30
Burns, ORMar 19 – Apr 2May 14 – Jul 2
Coos Bay and North Bend, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Eugene, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Gresham, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Klamath Falls, ORMar 17–31May 12 – Jun 30
Medford, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Pendleton, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Portland, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Roseburg, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Salem, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
The Dalles, ORFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Wilsonville and Canby, ORJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Aberdeen and Hoquiam, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Bellingham, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Ellensburg, WAFeb 18 – Mar 4Apr 15 – Jun 3
Everett, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Forks, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Moses Lake, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Olympia, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Omak and Okanogan, WAFeb 18 – Mar 4Apr 15 – Jun 3
Seattle and Tacoma, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Spokane, WAFeb 18 – Mar 4Apr 15 – Jun 3
Tri-Cities (Pasco, Kennewick, Richland), WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Vancouver, WAJan 18 – Feb 1Mar 15 – May 3
Walla Walla, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Wenatchee, WAFeb 4–18Apr 1 – May 20
Yakima, WAFeb 13–27Apr 10 – May 29

How to grow parsley

  1. Start seeds indoors on your city's dates in trays or small pots under a grow light or in your sunniest window. Or skip this step and buy young plants (starts) at a garden center.
  2. Harden off the young plants: about a week before planting, set them outside for a few hours a day, a little longer each day.
  3. Plant them in the garden on your city's dates, 8 inches apart. If you plant seeds instead, sow them ¼ inch deep.
  4. Water deeply once or twice a week rather than a little every day, and mulch once the soil is warm.
  5. Harvest: Cut outer stems at the base and let the center keep growing.

Varieties that do well in the Northwest

Watch out for

Slow, patchy sprouting. Soak seeds overnight before sowing, or buy young plants.

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