Content
You can feed parsley with both mineral and organic fertilizers. Experienced gardeners advise fertilizing at least twice a season. After thinning the seedlings, nitrogen compounds are given, and a few weeks later - potassium-phosphorus compounds.
Why does parsley need to be fed?
Like any other crop, parsley needs feeding. Regular application of fertilizers guarantees a good harvest. Plants are also fed for other purposes:
- rapid growth of greenery;
- strengthening the root system;
- prevention of pests and diseases;
- preparation for wintering (root crops remain in the soil);
- enriching the soil with beneficial bacteria.
Parsley is an unpretentious plant. It does not need too frequent fertilizers. If the soil is fertile, they can be applied only twice per season. If the soil is depleted - 3-4 times.
When to fertilize
When fertilizing parsley, it is important to follow the deadlines.Experienced gardeners recommend giving fertilizers 3-4 times per season, but not more often:
- After thinning the seedlings, they are fed with nitrogen compounds, for example, urea or ammonium nitrate.
- Two weeks after this, if necessary (if the seedlings are weak), the fertilizing is repeated.
- In the summer, before cutting, they give organic matter (mullein, manure, peat) or complex mineral fertilizers.
- In the fall, add superphosphate with potassium sulfate or wood ash. If you plan to plant next year, add humus or compost to the soil with the addition of a small amount of wood ash.
Types of fertilizers for parsley
Various fertilizers are used to fertilize parsley. Ready-made mineral compositions are very popular because they contain all the necessary elements in a balanced form. You can also use organic matter, which enriches the soil not only with nutrients, but also with beneficial bacteria. Another option is folk fertilizers, which can be prepared from scrap materials almost free of charge.
Plants can be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers
Organic
Organic matter is given in early spring or late autumn during the preparation of the site for new crops. To fertilize the soil, it is recommended to add 6-8 kg of humus or compost per square meter. You can purchase fertilizers or prepare them yourself.
If you grow a crop for greens, at the beginning of summer you can water it with chicken manure diluted in water in a ratio of 1:20. First, it is infused for a week at room temperature. Parsley responds well to mullein infusion. It is prepared in the same way, but diluted with water in a ratio of 1:20.
Plantings can be mulched with peat, sawdust and compost.Organic matter will not only serve as good fertilizing, but will also protect the soil from drying out quickly, which is especially important in the heat.
After the second leaves appear, you can water the beds with herbal infusion. To do this, grind various weeds, trying to avoid seeds. Fill 2/3 of the bucket and leave for 10 days, then dilute with water 10 times. Water twice a month. If the soil is depleted, at the same moment you can add wood ash 200 g per 1 m2.
Mineral
Parsley responds to mineral supplements, especially complex formulations. You can make them yourself by mixing the necessary components, or purchase a ready-made version in the store. The basic rule is to give nitrogen fertilizers in the spring, and potassium-phosphorus fertilizers in the summer and autumn.
In this case, the ratio of the main elements depends on the type of soil (the amount is given per 1 m2):
- meadow – nitrogen 5 g, phosphorus 8 g, potassium 15 g;
- chernozem – nitrogen 5 g, phosphorus 7 g, potassium 11 g;
- swampy - nitrogen 2 g, phosphorus 11 g, potassium 24 g.
The main source of nitrogen is urea (urea) or ammonium nitrate. You can also use ammophos, diammophos and nitroammophos for spring application. The main source of potassium is potassium salt or potassium sulfate, phosphorus - monophosphates and superphosphates.
Among the complex mineral compositions suitable for parsley, the following can be distinguished:
- "Agricola";
- "Kemira Universal";
- "Azofoska";
- "Bion Active" and others.
"Agricola" is a universal fertilizer suitable for most crops
Humic
Humic fertilizers include fertilizers that contain organic salts. Humates are valuable substances that enrich the soil with nutrients and beneficial bacteria that decompose organic matter and convert it into easily digestible compounds.
Main types of humic fertilizers:
- silt;
- brown coal;
- vegetable compost;
- rotted manure.
There are also ready-made preparations, for example, liquid potassium humate, Gumimax, Fitop-Flora-S and others. Humic fertilizers are applied twice per season using the root method only. If necessary, you can do a third feeding.
Folk recipes
You can prepare supplements yourself, using available means, for example, yeast, iodine or whey. Such compositions are used not only to enrich the soil with nutrients, but also to prevent diseases and pests. The most effective recipes:
- Whey 400 ml, pharmacy iodine 3 drops and 4 liters of water - for pest prevention.
- Zelenka 11 drops per 7 liters of water - treatment of seedlings and soil to accelerate growth.
- Infusion of fresh yeast 500 g in 5 liters of warm water with the addition of 500 ml of jam or syrup. The prepared solution is diluted with water 8 times and watered with parsley in the summer to increase yield.
- Ammonia - a tablespoon per 8 liters of water. Feeding is given to young shoots for rapid development.
- Hydrogen peroxide – 2 tablespoons per 1 liter. Apply 2-3 times at intervals of two weeks.
What is the difference between feeding before and after planting?
The compositions of fertilizers depend on when they are used. For convenience, we can distinguish two periods - before and after planting. On the first one, you need to prepare the soil by adding compost or humus. After planting, they are fed first with nitrogen compounds, then with potassium-phosphorus compounds.
Fertilizing parsley in spring in open ground
In the spring, nitrogen fertilizer should be added to open ground for parsley.To do this, use urea (carbamide) or ammonium nitrate in an amount of 15-20 g per 1 m2. You can use ammophoska or diammofoska. They are added in approximately the same quantities. Fertilizing is done after the mass emergence and thinning of seedlings.
For lush greenery, parsley is fed with nitrogen compounds
Fertilizer for parsley in summer
A month after the first fertilization, parsley is given complex products, for example, azofoska or Kemira Universal. They are dissolved in water and watered according to the instructions. If the crop is grown for root crops, it is necessary to add superphosphate (30 g per 1 m2) and potassium salt (25 g per 1 m2).
How to feed parsley in the fall
After cutting parsley in August or early autumn, you need to give another feeding. If the root crops have been removed and you plan to plant them for the next season, it is recommended to proceed as follows:
- Clear the area of plant debris.
- Dig thoroughly.
- Add compost or humus in an amount of 6-8 kg per 1 m2.
If the root crops are left for the winter after cutting the greens, you can apply the following fertilizing (one to choose from):
- superphosphate 30g and potassium sulfate 25g per 1 m2;
- superphosphate 30 g and potassium salt 20 g for the same area;
- wood ash - 200 g for a similar area.
Mineral fertilizers are dissolved in a standard bucket of water and given for watering. Wood ash can be evenly scattered on the surface and dug up.
If they are part of complex products, you shouldn’t add them either. It is better to leave it for spring and summer.
Features of fertilizing root and leaf parsley
Parsley is mainly grown for its greens, but it also happens that a root vegetable is obtained from it, which in appearance is very similar to carrots, but unlike it, it is colored white. It is used as a spice in broths and soups.
To get greens
Fertilizer for parsley when planting depends on the purpose for which it is grown. If only greens are needed, only nitrogen fertilizers are given, ignoring potassium-phosphorus compounds. As a rule, a single application immediately after thinning is sufficient. The second time, the composition is given after 2-3 weeks, but only if it is necessary (the seedlings grow poorly, there is little greenery).
The most effective and affordable nitrogen fertilizers:
- urea (urea) – granules are scattered in the amount of 5 g per 1 m2, then loosen the soil and give abundant watering;
- ammonium nitrate - the method of application is the same;
- infusion of fresh crushed nettle, diluted with water in a ratio of 1:5;
- mullein - need to be diluted 1:10;
- chicken manure solution – 1:20.
Mullein and droppings are infused for 7-10 days
When using organic matter, it is recommended to water the garden bed with plain water, then with infusion, and then again with clean water. This is done in order to remove any remaining liquid fertilizer from the parsley leaves. As a result, nutrients will quickly flow to the roots, and then to the greenery itself.
For the formation of root crops
Parsley is also grown to produce a root vegetable. It is used for food and even left to overwinter in the garden. It survives frosts well, and in the spring it produces the first greenery - it will be lush if fertilizing was previously applied to the soil.In summer, the plant will produce flower arrows, and if they are not removed in time, the formed seeds will spread by self-sowing. As a result, parsley can take over the entire area and crowd out neighboring crops.
The feeding scheme for growing root crops is as follows:
- In the spring, after thinning, nitrogen fertilizer is given, just as for greens (described above).
- In July, the plantings are dusted with wood ash and the soil is loosened. Instead, you can add potassium sulfate in the amount of 25-30 g per 1 m2. Another option is to use a complex fertilizer, for example, “Clean Sheet”, “Agricola”, “Kemira Universal”.
- In August, potassium monophosphate is added - 20 g per 10 liters. This volume is enough to water a small bed with an area of 2 m2.
Recommendations from experienced gardeners
Fertilizing for parsley is not carried out as often as compared to, for example, tomatoes, peppers or cucumbers. However, this is an important rule of care that should not be neglected. Fertilizing plantings is not very difficult, but in practice mistakes may occur that are best avoided. To do this, you can take into account the recommendations of experienced summer residents who annually receive good harvests of parsley:
- Carefully follow the indicated dosages, remembering that overfeeding is worse than underfeeding.
- Before application, loosen the soil well so that nutrients reach the roots as quickly as possible.
- Never use fresh manure - due to the high concentration of organic matter, the roots of the plants will be severely damaged, which will lead to their death.
- Before cutting, parsley is given mainly nitrogen fertilizers, and after - only phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. At this stage and until next spring, nitrogen should be completely eliminated.
- Along with fertilizing, regularly water the plantings, preventing the soil from drying out.
Fertilizers ensure productivity and prevent the development of diseases
Conclusion
You can feed parsley several times a season. The plant is unpretentious, so 2-3 applications will be enough. It is important to consider the purpose of cultivation. Most often, parsley is cultivated to produce greens, so the main attention is paid to nitrogen composition. If you grow root crops, you should intensively give potassium-phosphorus fertilizers.
