New at starting basil & parsley

stormymater · March 20, 2009

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.

montanamato · March 20, 2009

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

stormymater · March 20, 2009

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?

Polar_Lace · March 20, 2009

Stormy ---

PM you.

~* Robin

dew · March 29, 2009

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...

**mdvpc** · March 29, 2009

Dew-no difference in germinating any basil.

brokenbar · March 29, 2009

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.)

brokenbar · March 29, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by stormymater

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!

eddie46 · March 30, 2009

Put the parsley in the freezer for a day or so before planting.

Ed

tjg911 · March 30, 2009

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

stormymater · March 30, 2009

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!

Polar_Lace · March 30, 2009

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!

~* Robin

stormymater · March 30, 2009

Pony's been outta the barn here for several decades now LOL!

stormymater · March 30, 2009

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!

stormymater · April 8, 2009

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!

March 20, 2009	#1
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	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.

March 20, 2009	#4
Polar_Lace Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Z8b, Texas Posts: 657	Stormy --- PM you. ~* Robin __________________ It's not how many seeds you sow. Nor how many plants you transplant. It's about how many of them can survive your treatment of them.

March 29, 2009	#6
mdvpc Tomatoville® Moderator Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: San Antonio, Texas Posts: 4,386	Dew-no difference in germinating any basil. __________________ Michael

March 29, 2009	#7
brokenbar Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: South Of The Border Posts: 1,169	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.) __________________ "If I'm not getting dirty, I'm not having a good time."

March 30, 2009	#10
tjg911 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: zone 5b northwest connecticut Posts: 2,570	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 __________________ I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the end of the night He’s gotta be strong And he’s gotta be fast And he’s gotta be fresh from the fight I need a hero I’m holding out for a hero ‘til the morning light He’s gotta be sure And it’s gotta be soon And he’s gotta be larger than life

March 20, 2009	#2
montanamato Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Montana Posts: 1,038	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

March 29, 2009	#5
dew Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 27	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...

March 30, 2009	#9
eddie46 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: SW PA Posts: 160	Put the parsley in the freezer for a day or so before planting. Ed

April 8, 2009	#15
stormymater Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Pleasure Island, NC 8a Posts: 1,162	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!