PARSLEY ROOT ‘BERLINER’ SEEDS

Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum ‘Berliner’

Jane Grigson calls parsley root the “underprivileged parsnip". Rarely grown in this country, parsley root is common to the cuisines of Germany, Eastern Europe and Russia. It is easily grown in most American gardens. Roots may be harvested through the winter like parsnips. Flavor is aromatic and delicious. Contributes to superior soup and stock. Combine with carrots and potatoes in the Sunday roast.

This is our preferred selection of the old German ‘Halblange’ parsley root. It features the most tenacious top growth of any parsley root we’ve grown. These tops have a substantial texture and assertive flavor, and proved to be extremely hardy, holding up beneath snow or thick straw mulch through long Midwestern winters. Roots can be dug in late autumn, through winter if heavily mulched, or early spring of the second year. Both tops and bottoms contribute to nourishing winter soups.

Seeds should be sown outdoors in early spring, when soils and weather are still relatively cool. Germination is sometimes slow and erratic, occurring between one week and one month. Soaking seeds before sowing may improve germination. Carefully thin seedlings to 6” in all directions. Seeds may be started indoors but root shape is unpredictable in transplants. Flats with deep cells are recommended.

To harvest parlsey root (and parsnips, salsify, etc.) through winter, use square straw bales to keep soil from freezing. Move bales to dig roots as needed. Use loose straw on some plants to insulate top growth for fresh parsley. Well-tended and protected plants can produce nearly four seasons of food in many gardens.

Parsley root is a biennial crop that is appropriate for use in permaculture. Sow seeds again in the second year to maintain a self-sown supply of roots and foliage for years to come. Take care to thin plants to at least 6" to give roots room to develop. Parsley flowers attract diverse beneficial insects over several weeks in late spring and summer.

These plants will cross easily with common parsley. If saving seed, grow just one variety per year, or carefully bag flowering stems. In a permacultural landscape, choosing one variety of parsley is advised.

Packet contains around 300 seeds.