Last Updated on September 17, 2026
How Many Parsley Plants per Square Foot?
4 parsley plants per square foot, spaced 6 inches apart in a 2 by 2 grid. That spacing is the same whether you grow curly parsley or Italian flat-leaf, even though a mature flat-leaf plant is a much bigger, lankier plant than a curly one.
The spacing pattern
| Per square foot | 4 plants, in a 2 by 2 grid |
|---|---|
| Inches apart | 6 inches, plant to plant |
| 4 x 4 bed (16 squares) | up to 64 parsley plants |
| 4 x 8 bed (32 squares) | up to 128 parsley plants |
| 3 x 6 bed (18 squares) | up to 72 parsley plants |
That is the number on my square foot gardening chart, and the Plan My Garden planner spaces parsley the same way, 4 plants to each 1 x 1 foot cell. A single 2×4 raised bed (8 squares) fits up to 32 plants, plenty for fresh eating and drying.
Curly vs Italian flat-leaf: same spacing, different plant
The chart and the planner do not split parsley by variety, so 4 per square applies to both kinds in a seed catalog. University of Minnesota Extension spells out the size difference: curly parsley (Petroselinum crispum) forms dense clumps 8 to 14 inches tall, good for borders and containers, while Italian flat-leaf (P. neapolitanum) grows 2 to 3 feet tall, gangly, with a stronger, sweeter flavor. University of Wisconsin Extension explains why: curly leaf types carry much less essential oil than broad-leaved types, so flat-leaf tastes more pungent, and flat-leaved types may overwinter better.
Four per square gives an upright curly clump plenty of room at 6 inches apart. A flat-leaf plant sprawling 2 to 3 feet tall will crowd its neighbors by midsummer at that spacing, so for a few full, bushy flat-leaf plants instead of a dense hedge, plant 2 per square and give the rest of the bed to something else.
Why parsley seed is so slow to sprout
Parsley germinates slower than almost anything else in a seed packet. The OBG germination temperature chart, citing the University of California Master Gardener Handbook, lists parsley’s minimum soil temperature at 40°F, optimum at 65 to 85°F, and maximum at 95°F. Even inside that optimum range, its second table shows how many days it actually takes to emerge:
| Soil temperature | Days to emerge |
|---|---|
| 50°F | 29 days |
| 59°F | 17 days |
| 68°F | 14 days |
| 77°F | 13 days |
| 86°F | 12.3 days |
University of Minnesota Extension gives a similar range for the whole seed lot, two to five weeks depending on seed freshness, and recommends soaking seed in warm water for up to 24 hours first. University of Wisconsin Extension calls parsley germination erratic and low even under optimum conditions, warns it can take several weeks longer in cool, wet soil, and also recommends an overnight soak before sowing.
Planting the square
- Sow seed about 1/8 inch deep, the depth University of Minnesota Extension gives for parsley, after soaking it in warm water for up to 24 hours (or overnight) to help it along.
- Sow directly once the danger of spring frost has passed, University of Minnesota Extension’s timing. Keep the soil moist and mark the row, since germination is slow enough that seedlings are easy to miss or mistake for weeds.
- Thin or transplant seedlings at 2 to 3 inches tall, to 4 evenly spaced spots per square, 6 inches apart each way.
- To start indoors instead, the planner starts parsley 10 to 8 weeks before your last frost, for transplants set out 1 to 2 weeks after.
When to plant parsley
These are the windows the Plan My Garden planner and my seed starting calendar use, counted from your average last spring frost. Turn the weeks into dates with the seed starting calendar, or enter your zip code on Plan My Garden.
| Start indoors | 10 weeks before to 8 weeks before your last frost |
|---|---|
| Transplant out | 1 week after to 2 weeks after your last frost |
| Direct sow | No separate week in the planner. University of Minnesota Extension sows directly outdoors once the danger of spring frost has passed. |
| Days to maturity | about 70 days on my vegetable days to maturity chart |
| Frost tolerance | Semi-hardy on my vegetable frost tolerance chart, which is why parsley goes into the bed before your last frost and still gets a cover on a hard freeze night |
Harvest outer stems, not the top
University of Minnesota Extension gives a specific method: snip stalks off close to the ground, starting with the outside stalks, and the plant keeps making new growth all season. Cut just the tops off while the leaf stalks remain, and the plant is less productive. University of Wisconsin Extension says leaves can be picked any time once there is enough growth to spare, either pinching sprigs or cutting the whole plant for a larger quantity or an end-of-season harvest.
A biennial that bolts its second year
Parsley is native to the Mediterranean and, per University of Minnesota Extension, has a biennial life cycle, though most gardeners grow it as an annual because the plants often die over a cold winter. University of Wisconsin Extension calls it a hardy biennial: the plant spends its first year as a leafy rosette, then flowers and sets small, ridged seed in its second year, and flat-leaved types may overwinter better than curly types.
A plant that survives winter resprouts in spring, University of Minnesota Extension says, and you can keep harvesting until it sends up a seed stalk and dies, completing the cycle. Second-year leaves taste more bitter than the first season’s, so use a surviving plant up quickly rather than count on it for the season.
Seed
Wood Prairie carries both types, each 75 days: organic Italian Flatleaf, a packet of 300 seeds that plants a 20 foot row, and organic Krausa curly, about 100 seeds plants a 25 foot row and tolerates both heat and cool conditions. Code PMG5 takes 5 percent off.
Quick questions
How many parsley plants fit in a 4×8 raised bed?
Up to 128 plants at 4 per square, 6 inches apart. A 4×4 bed holds up to 64 and a 3×6 bed holds up to 72.
What is parsley spacing in square foot gardening?
4 plants per square, 6 inches apart, in a 2 by 2 grid. The Plan My Garden planner spaces parsley the same way.
Is curly or flat-leaf parsley bigger?
Flat-leaf. University of Minnesota Extension lists curly parsley at 8 to 14 inches tall in a dense clump, while Italian flat-leaf grows 2 to 3 feet tall with a gangly habit. Both still fit the same 4-per-square spacing, so give flat-leaf a bit more room if you want full, bushy plants.
Why does parsley take so long to germinate?
Cool soil. The OBG germination chart puts parsley at 29 days to emerge in 50°F soil, dropping to about 12 to 13 days at 77 to 86°F. University of Wisconsin Extension calls parsley germination erratic even at the best temperatures and recommends soaking seed overnight.
Does parsley come back a second year?
Sometimes, and then it stops producing leaves for long. University of Minnesota Extension says parsley is a biennial that often dies over winter; a plant that survives resprouts, sends up a seed stalk, and dies, and its second-year leaves are more bitter than the first year’s.
Let the planner place them
Plan My Garden is free to start: enter your zip code, draw your beds, pick parsley and everything else you want to grow, and it places each plant at square-foot spacing and builds a planting schedule from your frost dates.
Related: Square Foot Gardening Chart · Vegetable Seed Germination Temperature Chart · Seed Starting Calendar · How Many Basil Plants per Square Foot? · How Many Cilantro Plants per Square Foot?
