When to plant Parsley in Temperate Australia

Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Parsley has one of the most generous sowing windows in the temperate Australian garden: sow direct from August right through to March, at a depth of 4 mm. It is a hardy herb, untroubled by frost at either end of the season, so the window is limited more by patience than climate — germination is famously slow at 14–28 days. Once up, plants take 70–90 days to reach full harvest size and then crop for a year or more. Sow in rows 20–30 cm apart in decent soil with steady moisture, and one or two sowings a year keeps a household in parsley continuously.

Sowing calendar — temperate zone

Green months are your sowing window: August to March.

Growing notes

Frost barely registers with parsley. In temperate Australia it grows through winter, shrugging off the frosts that run from around May to mid-October, which is why an August sowing works while the tender crops are still weeks away. Spring sowings from August to October germinate as the soil warms; late-summer sowings in February and March establish in warm soil and then give lush picking through autumn, winter and the following spring. There is no bad choice here, only different harvest rhythms.

Give parsley reasonable soil, sun or part shade, and consistent water — it is one of the few herbs that genuinely prefers not to dry out. Sow 4 mm deep in rows 20–30 cm apart and keep the seedbed moist for the entire 14–28 day germination. That long wait is where most sowings fail: the bed dries out for a few days in week three and the emerging seed dies invisibly. Some gardeners soak seed overnight before sowing to shave a few days off.

Parsley is biennial, so plants that overwinter will bolt to seed in their second spring. That is not a fault, just the plant's clock running out — pull bolting plants and have a fresh sowing already underway. Picking outer stems regularly, rather than shearing the whole plant, keeps production steady.

Parsley at a glance

Companion planting

Grows well with

Tomatoes: Attracts hoverflies that prey on aphids attacking tomatoes

Asparagus: Traditional pairing; parsley said to repel asparagus beetle

Asparagus: Parsley deters asparagus beetle

Common questions

When should I sow parsley in temperate Australia?

Sow direct from August through to March. Parsley is hardy, so both spring and late-summer sowings work — autumn-established plants will crop right through winter.

Why is my parsley taking so long to germinate?

Parsley normally takes 14–28 days to germinate, so a slow start is not a failure. Keep the seedbed moist the whole time; soaking seed overnight before sowing can speed things up slightly.

Why has my parsley suddenly gone to seed?

Parsley is biennial and bolts in its second spring — it is the natural end of the plant's life. Pull it out and re-sow; a sowing every six months or so keeps a continuous supply.

Does parsley grow in winter in Australia?

Yes. Parsley is frost hardy and keeps producing through a temperate winter, making it one of the most reliable year-round herbs in the garden.

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