How to Grow Hamburg Parsleys USA | Complete Growing Guide

At a Glance

Quick Facts

Factor	Value
Soil pH	6 - 7.5
Sunlight	5-5 hours direct sun
Soil texture	chalk, clay, loam or sand, loose and deep for the taproot (RHS)
Drainage	well-drained
Lifecycle	biennial grown as an annual
Edible parts	leaves, root

Soil & Growing Conditions

Water: moist but well-drained (RHS)

Soil pH range

6 7.5

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Stage	BBCH	Notes
Sowing	0	Sow after the last frost in spring or in late summer for a fall harvest; notoriously slow to germinate, 14-28 days even under ideal conditions (Savvy Gardening).
Thinning	1	Thin seedlings to about 20cm spacing (RHS).
Root development	4	Develops a parsnip-like taproot in loose, deep, well-drained soil, alongside parsley-flavoured leaves (RHS).
Frost-resistant root harvest	8	Harvest roots through autumn and early winter; frost-resistant, largest roots taste best (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

When to pick: Roots harvested through autumn and early winter; frost-resistant, and notably the largest roots taste the best, sweetest and tastiest when cooked (RHS).

Diseases

Parsley leaf spot (causal agent not yet confirmed)

low

RHS names this directly: leaf spot.

Pests

Aphids

low

Aphididae (various spp.)

RHS names this directly: aphids.

Slugs

low

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

RHS names this directly: slugs.

Carrot fly

moderate

Psila rosae

RHS names this directly: carrot fly.

Celery leaf miner (celery fly)

moderate

Euleia heraclei

RHS names this directly: celery leaf miner.

Hamburg Parsley, a Two-For-One Root Vegetable

A parsnip-like root

RHS: the root, reaching about 15cm long and frost-resistant, tastes like a cross between parsnips and parsley or parsnips and celery -- sweetest when cooked.

The largest roots taste the best

Roots are harvested through autumn and early winter -- unusually for a root crop, the largest roots taste the best.

Leaves just like ordinary Parsley

Shares its species with the already-published Parsley -- the leaves are similar in appearance and taste, usable the same way.

Flowering ends the harvest

Grown as an annual -- if the plant is allowed to flower, the leaves become inedible and the plant then dies.

Notoriously slow to germinate

Seeds can take 14-28 days to germinate even under ideal conditions -- germination-inhibiting compounds in the seed coat must break down first.

References

1. RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) - Petroselinum crispum var. tuberosum | Hamburg parsley

   Leaves similar to parsley in appearance and taste; edible roots resemble parsnips, reaching about 15cm long, frost-resistant, tasting like a cross between parsnips and parsley or parsnips and celery, sweetest and tastiest cooked. Not native to GB/Ireland, introduced to England in the 18th century, still popular in Germany. Hardiness H6 (-20 to -15C). Full sun or partial shade. Soil: chalk, clay, loam, sand; moist but well-drained; acid, alkaline or neutral pH. Height/spread 0.1-0.5m. Time to maturity 1-2 years. Propagate by seed, thinning seedlings to about 20cm spacing. Pests: carrot fly, aphids, celery leaf miner, slugs. Diseases: leaf spot, plant viruses. Roots harvested through autumn and early winter; the largest roots taste the best. Grown as an annual; flowering renders the leaves inedible.

1 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.