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Old March 20, 2009   #1
stormymater
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Default New at starting basil & parsley

Any tips/advice for starting basil & parsley (both curly & Italian flat). I have Genovese, an Italian purple & a mouse-eared basil.
Any advice is most appreciated. The basil plants I bought last year did super well - we're still eating off them (I blended the leaves with olive oil & froze)! This will be my first time growing them. I have read to expect <60% germination - anything affect this?
Same ? about the parsley - parsley is a really slow germinator, right? As in, like, how long? Thanks in advance folks.
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Old March 20, 2009   #2
montanamato
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Basil is very easy to grow, and I got well over 90% germination with 4 yr old seed this year...
Parsley can be a lesson in patience...The parsley I have growing now, took nearly 3 weeks to germinate...I also soaked the seeds 12 hours before sowing...I get much poorer germination from parsley, but I am often using pretty old seed too...I did not use bottom heat on either basil or parsley this year, as my peppers were taking priority at the time...

Jeanne
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Old March 20, 2009   #3
stormymater
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Thanks Jeanne - would you use bottom heat if you had the space? I am so thrilled with my electric blanket with gi-normous clear plastic bag enclosing my flats this year!
Anything special about soaking the parsley seed? Does it float? Get slimy?
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Old March 20, 2009   #4
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Stormy ---

PM you.

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Old March 29, 2009   #5
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I have Genovese basil sprouted already - I just bought a package of basilico greco - do I treat it the same as other basils, to get it germinated?
The leaves are very different...
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Old March 29, 2009   #6
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Dew-no difference in germinating any basil.
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Old March 29, 2009   #7
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I have found that soaking and bottom heat, just like for peppers REALLY speeds up parsley germination. Now this part is a pain-in-the-butt but if you "score" the individual seeds with an emery board (Just rub a spot on them to skiff the coating) you will get much better germination, but it is tedious filing on all of the seeds! I persoanlly have a large patch of parsley and I always let about a third of it re-seed and it comes back just fine (I do grab the tops where seeds are and kind of rub the heads between my hands at the end of the year.)
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Old March 29, 2009   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by stormymater View Post
Thanks Jeanne - would you use bottom heat if you had the space? I am so thrilled with my electric blanket with gi-normous clear plastic bag enclosing my flats this year!
Anything special about soaking the parsley seed? Does it float? Get slimy?
I am glad to hear that your gynormous seed starting mat is working well. I know...we will be harangued for doing it but it has worked for me for 20 years and you can get a lot of flats germinated very quickly!
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Old March 30, 2009   #9
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Put the parsley in the freezer for a day or so before planting.

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Old March 30, 2009   #10
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parsley! yeah it is slow to germinate, if fact i start my parsley for this spring in october of the prior year and i get them to germinate in a timely fashion.

okay that's stretching the truth but it is a tough one to germinate. keep it damp.

tom
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Old March 30, 2009   #11
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OK - basil (3 kinds!) is up & looking like little chia pet carpets in the cells! The purple ones (middle 6 cells) are turning purple! The mouse eared little ball basil did not germinate as well as the purple or the Genovese but that's ok - I think there will be plenty - If not I'll sow again!
The parsley is planted after a 24hourish soak in a cup of water with a tablespoon of H2O2. Let the cup sit on the heating pad. Sowed the seed thickly in a flat, watered well & put in the plastic bag on the heat source. Did add 1 six pack of marigolds to the tray - reckon they'll be up quick.... unlike the parsley.... once the parsley is up I reckon I'll be about done with the electric blanket until next year. My goodness this has been fun!
Tomorrow I pot up my tomato seedlings!
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Old March 30, 2009   #12
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Yeah, you tell 'em stormy! That Parsley needs to get stomped on! (old Italian wives tale)

And you know that the old Italian wives tale said that a maiden should never pick it; lest she wind up being an "Old Maid" (Spinster/Unmarried) herself! It should be planted by a married woman or the head of the household (meaning her husband or father.) LOL!

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Old March 30, 2009   #13
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Pony's been outta the barn here for several decades now LOL!
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Old March 30, 2009   #14
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Man, I'm so stiff - moved 7 - 8 cubic yards of topsoil blend into the new raised beds today - began to get stiff when DH joined me after his work was done - a cool wind kicked in & now, BLAMMO, I can hardly shuffle into the kitchen & back to living room. First a leftover coffe with Frangelica then supper, then a gram of good old aspirin (& a hot shower before bed). We have one more bed to build & fill - have 4 - 5 more yards of topsoil blend. Oooowwww!
DH thought I was nuts tossing the alfala cubes in after the first 10 inches was in the beds... he stopped talking when I started flinging the molasses solids. I think the earthworms are gonna dig these beds!
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Old April 8, 2009   #15
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Parsley is up! Thin, hair-like moved out into the sun & wind today! Basils are already putting out their second leaves!
Time to turn off, shake out & pack up heating blanket until next year! Will be packing up lights too. I reckon Zinnias can be started in trays under plastic out side.
Thank you all for such generous & effective advice this year!
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