Parsley is one of my favorite herbs, and I grow it from seed every year. I absolutely love having fresh parsley on demand whenever I want it, but I have encountered some problems when growing it, the most common of which is drooping leaves and stems.
I can tell you from experience that there is not just one isolated cause of drooping parsley but a range of reasons that we need to be aware of. In this article, I’ll share with you my experience of how to diagnose the specific reason why your parsley is drooping and how you can fix it in a step-by-step format…
Let’s skip to the chase, shall we…
Drooping parsley can be a reaction to intense heat, drought, saturated soil, a lack of regular pruning, or too much fertilizer. Parsley can also wilt as a sign of stress due to a sudden contrast in conditions when cultivated indoors and then planted outdoors.
Parsley requires moist, well-draining soil to grow properly, and it is one of the first herbs in a herb garden to wilt due to drought.
To be honest, whenever I am asked about this (I work in a garden center, so I get this query a lot), I find that dry soil due to underwatering, small pots, or pots that dry too quickly is usually the problem.
I’ve also seen people care too much for their parsley and use too much fertilizer.
However, we also need to be aware that if you have bought parsley as a young plant from a garden center or grown it from seed indoors, the contrast in temperature and soil conditions can cause it to droop temporarily as it adjusts to the new environment.
Don’t worry! Most often, I’ve revived countless drooping herbs, and I find drooping parsley is easily revived (depending on the cause).
Keep reading to understand what has caused your parsley to droop and what you can do to save it…
How to Save Parsley Wilting or Drooping in Pots
In my opinion, parsley grows better in pots due too the favorable drainage and the fact you can add a potting mix that’s tailored to their preferences. But of course, there are a few reasons for potted parsley drooping that I’ve personally encountered and revived:
- The pot is too small and therefore dries out too quickly which causes the parsley to wilt.
- The pot is clay or terracotta, which is porous are dries out much quicker than plastic or glazed pots.
- Parsley can droop because of water stress and root rot caused by a lack of drainage holes in the base of the pot.
To prevent parsley from wilting, I always tell people to plant either their plug plants or seeds in a pot that is at least 12 inches across. I have tested smaller pots, and parsley can grow in pots smaller than 12 inches, but you have to be extra diligent about watering.
If your pot or container is too small, there is less capacity for soil and, therefore, less capacity for moisture available for the roots of the parsley, which causes drooping.
The fundamental reason for this is that our smaller pots and containers also heat up much quicker in the sun compared with larger pots, which increases evaporation from the soil, and the parsley droops as a sign of stress.
How I Solve it:
If your potted parsley consistently wilts despite frequent watering, the first thing I would do is transplant it to a larger pot with lots of compost to help retain moisture.
How to Prevent Droopng-My Potting Soil Experiment
So, as I said, I’ve grown parsley for many years, and I have had a chance to test many different potting mediums. When I lived in a particularly hot climate, I researched the potting amendment that retains the most moisture, which is leaf mold (this is just composted leaves), which holds moisture like a sponge!
I even did a side-by-side mini-experiment where I planted 2 pots of parsley in normal potting soil and 2 in 50% potting soil and 50% leaf mold. All the other variables were exactly the same in terms of pot size, watering frequency, and location. I then waited to see how long it would take for my parsley plants to wilt.
The difference was astounding! I gave the soil a really good soak on the first day, and by day 4, the parsley in the normal potting soil (which was bought from a garden center) began to noticeably wilt (this was during late Spring, and we had several hot days in a row) whereas the parsley n thee leaf mold and compost mix lasted 7 days before wilting! (there was no rainfall in this time period)
My verdict…
If you are growing parsley in a hot climate, then I wholly recommend that you add around 50% leaf mold to your potting mix.
Leaf mold retains more moisture than compost yet still has a porous texture to allow excess water to drain away from the roots of your parsley.
The compost creates the right soil structure and provides nutrients so that your parsley grows well. I sometimes add some well-rotted manure to the mix for added nutrients to boost growth! I find this works really well!
Give your parsley a really good soak, and if it’s potted, protect it from the intense heat of the midday sun; the parsley should perk up again after a few days.
Whenever I am reviving drooping parsley, I always locate it in 6 hours of morning sun followed by shade in the afternoon. I do this as the parsley gets all the sun it needs and it’s protected from the sun at the hottest time of day to aid its revival.
Pro Tip: Struggling to prevent your parsley from wilting? I like to plant my parsley in plastic pots or glazed ceramic pots as they are impermeable and, therefore, retain lots more moisture, thus preventing your parsley from wilting.
I know we’ve been discussing parsley drooping due to dry soil, but I’m afraid it can droop as a result of a lack of water; it can also wilt (and turn yellow) as a sign of stress due to water-logged roots.
Why does this happen? Well, a common mistake I see people make when growing parsley is planting it in a pot without proper drainage holes in the base or placing the pot in a saucer or tray that prevents excess water from escaping.
If excess water cannot drain away from the pot after watering your parsley, then the soil quickly becomes saturated, which promotes the conditions for root rot and other fungal diseases, causing your parsley to droop.
(To learn more, read my article about how to save parsley that has turned yellow).
So when this happens, I transplant the parsley to a pot or container with drainage holes as an urgent priority and leave the soil to dry out somewhat before watering again.
The parsley is in a state of stress, so there is not much you can do other than wait to see if it recovers, which, in my experience, it often does if you move quickly. However, if your parsley has been in boggy soil for too long, then it is likely to be too difficult to save.
Is Your Parsley Wilting on Hot Days? (Despite Being Well-Watered)
It can be frustrating if your parsley is persistently drooping in Summer even though it is well-watered and growing in good conditions. This happens to me too. But don’t worry, there is an explanation!
Parsley droops temporarily on hot days in Summer as an adaptation to reduce transpiration from the leaves and conserve water. So this is just a sensible survival strategy. You can often see the leaves curl inwards a little too.
Think to yourself…has there been a recent heatwave? Then this is the reason your parsley is drooping and it’s typically nothing to worry about.
Your parsley should perk up again as the temperature cools or if you protect it from direct sun.
This temporary drooping due to hot weather does not harm the plant as such, but if it is drooping every day in response to intense heat and light, then I recommend protecting it from midday sun by moving the pot to shade for a few hours. As I mentioned earlier, I often grow my parsley in the morning sun, followed by afternoon shade, for this very reason.
Remember that Parsley can grow well in both full sun and partial sun, but I personally see the best results when it grows in some direct sunlight.
We need to strike a balance so that the soil around your parsley is moist (but not saturated) to help it recover from a drooping appearance.
Regular Pruning Prevents Parsley Drooping
One of the reasons I love parsley the most (and I’m sure you do too) is that you can trim it regularly for culinary use, and it responds by growing more abundantly than before.
However, if you take your eye off the ball and you don’t prune parsley regularly, then it can grow leggy and subsequently droop. (If you’ve gardened long enough, then we’ve all done this!)
During Spring and Summer, you may need to prune your parsley as frequently as once every 3 weeks to maintain a nice even shape and prevent it from drooping under its own weight.
But what do you do if you don’t need all the parsley right away? There are only so many salads, dips, and sauces featuring parsley you can eat at once, right?! What I like to do is put it in a freezer bag and freeze it. That way, in Winter, when the main crop has died back, I have lots of parsley leaves to enjoy cooking with.
Pruning parsley promotes more growth and a bushier plant so that you have a good supply of parsley for cooking throughout the Spring and Summer.
Personally, I wait until my parsley exceeds 8 inches before pruning, which I find prevents it from drooping.
Watch this YouTube video for a good visual guide to pruning parsley:
Excess Fertilizer Causes Parsley to Droop
So this reason has nothing to do with soil moisture but with soil nutrients. A common cause of a drooping parsley plant is high-nitrogen fertilizers or the use of soil amendments such as poultry manure (which is particularly high in nitrogen).
Have you been using fertilizer on or near your herbs? The nitrogen in fertilizer promotes extensive foliage growth, which can cause the stems of your parsley to become soft and sappy. This makes it more prone to drooping and vulnerable to insect pests such as aphids.
I’ve read several times on some other gardening websites that you can apply nitrogen fertilizer to boost the growth of your parsley, but in my real-world experience of growing parsley year after year, I’ve found that parsley planted in good compost does not necessarily require any fertilizer to thrive.
In fact, from my research, I’ve discovered that too much nitrogen can change the flavor and aroma of parsley so I recommend trimming back any excessively drooping growth and the parsley should grow back in 2 or 3 weeks in favorable conditions.
Interestingly enough, I also experienced a similar effect when I grew parsley in a potting mix that had a high proportion of chicken manure, which is very high in nitrogen. I do, however, sometimes amend my potting mixes with well-rotted horse manure, but after some testing, I found that 1/3 of the potting volume is manure (with the other 2/3 being compost and leaf mold). This strikes a balance between having lots of nutrients to fuel the growth of my parsley and yet not too much nitrogen so as not to lower the concentration of flavor in the leaves and prevent the particles from drooping.
Has your parsley stopped growing, and you suspect it’s due to a lack of nutrients? I have a great tip! I have been experimenting with a liquid seaweed fertilizer, and I’ve found this works great in terms of increasing the harvest of parsley but not providing too many nutrients so that the parsley droops.
I applied it every two weeks whilst watering my potted parsley from Spring to Summer. I prefer to use liquid seaweed as it is organic rather than a chemical fertilizer, and I always prefer to use organic fertilizer on any edible crop. Try it for yourself! You won’t be disappointed.
Why is My Parsley Drooping After Planting? (Transplant Shock)
Have you just planted your parsley, and you’re dismayed to see it drooping? It’s happened to me when I buy plug plants from a garden center or transplant my seedlings outdoors.
The Transplant shock can cause your parsley plant to droop as a sign of stress because of the contrast in conditions such as light, soil, watering frequency, and temperature in which it was grown to the conditions in which it has been transplanted.
We need to remember that the roots also have to adjust to new soil conditions, which may include different structures, nutrient profiles, and drainage conditions.
After transplanting parsley, there is a greater risk of drought as the roots are not established yet. The abundant leaves can lose a lot of water (through transpiration) on hot, sunny days, causing parsley to droop.
So, if you bought a parsley plant from the store or perhaps you have grown parsley from seed and you are transplanting it outside, you should try to mitigate transplant shock.
Here are my steps that I take to mitigate transplant shock and therefore limit the amount your parsley droops or wilts:
- Water the parsley every 2 to 3 days to ensure that the soil is consistently moist so the roots can draw up water quicker than they lose it through their leaves. I check the soil’s moisture with my finger to see whether or not it needs watering.
- Okay, so I admit this one is more prevention than cure, but plant your parsley in a potting mix of compost and leaf mold. As I’ve mentioned, these materials have an exceptional capacity for retaining moisture, and they are rich in nutrients. Ever since I started to use this potting for transplanting parsley I have managed to avoid it drooping. It’s really effective!
- Protect parsley from intense midday sun, which can increase soil evaporation and transpiration from the leaves. As I said before, I have had the best success when I grow my parsley in morning sun as the parsley has the sun at a cooler time of day without having to contend with the heat of the midday sun.
Don’t worry if this has happened to you, as it happens to all of us gardeners! As long as you are growing parsley in the right conditions, What I’ve found is that parsley adjusts to its new surroundings and recovers from its drooping appearance in about a week.
Dry Soil Causes Parsley to Droop
As we discussed, parsley requires moist yet well-drained soil and tends to droop quickly due to drought and dry soil.
I think it’s important that we remember Parsley is native to central and eastern Mediterranean and Balkan countries, but it is far less drought tolerant than a lot of other Mediterranean herbs such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, and oregano due to its abundant leaves that have a large surface area which results in more transpiration (water loss from the leaves).
I bring this up because I have spoken to some of the readers of this website, and they assume that parsley requires the same treatment as other Mediterranean herbs and are dismayed by a wilting appearance after a few days, which is understandable.
The secret to preventing parsley from drooping due to drought is to water your parsley as frequently as required to keep the soil moist.
In the height of Summer, potted parsley should be watered around once every 2 or 3 days and perhaps every day in exceptionally high temperatures.
If the weather has been somewhat overcast or there has been plenty of rainfall, then watering once per week is usually enough to prevent parsley from drooping or wilting, whether it is potted or planted in a vegetable garden.
Have you got any more questions about your parsley, insights, or experience with reviving parsley? If so, please leave a comment below, and I’ll reply! I love to hear from you all!
Key Takeaways:
- The most common reasons for drooping parsley are because of drought, a lack of regular pruning or parsley may temporarily droop to help conserve moisture on exceptionally hot days.
- Potted parsley often droops due to poor draining or because of small pots that dry out too quickly in the sun, which causes drought.
- High nitrogen fertilizer causes the parsley to grow quickly but with weaker stems that can droop under their weight.
- Transplanting parsley from indoors to outdoors can cause parsley to droop.
- Parsley should be pruned once it exceeds 8 inches in height which stimulates more growth and prevents the plant from drooping.