Growing food in Aerogardens is easy, efficient and offers many health benefits.
Parsley does not need a lot of space to grow and can even thrive in the Herbie Aerogarden’s smallest model.
Considering the little space we have, how do we contain the growth of the plant?
First of all, parsley is one of the fastest growing herbs. Regular pruning is key to keeping new leaves growing while keeping the leaves bright green and fresh.
Pruning will also prevent your parsley from growing too tall for your Aerogarden.
You must prune the parsley properly without damaging the plant so that the stems and leaves can regrow.
So, without further delay, here is what you need to know about how to prune parsley aerogarden correctly.
Why Should You Prune Parsley Aerogarden?
To Increase Its Yield
If you don’t prune your parsley, it will not grow well.
That’s exactly why it’s important to prune some of the leaves of the parsley so that it can continue to grow.
It feels counterproductive to cut off some of the leaves, but the pruning actually benefits the health and shape of your plant, and even increases production.
You can grow your parsley aerogarden continuously for up to a year while also harvesting.
Prevent It from Flowering
After a few cuttings, the parsley will start to flower.
If you allow the plant to start seeding, it will stop producing leaves and, generally, die off. Also, the leaves will cheaply lose flavor and start becoming bitter.
Your Choice: Pruning will help the parsley retain its sweet taste and prolong its life.
Young Parsley to Access Light
Light is a key element in growing any plant.
As the parsley grows, the stems usually overlap each other and compete for the grow lights.
Cut back any long stems and leaves that will block the LED light from getting to the younger parsley stems.
Prevent Fungus
Each time parsley becomes overcrowded, humidity builds up around the plant.
The humid environment is perfect for fungi to establish and spread.
Regular pruning will limit fungi and pathogens in your crop, and without pesticides!
How to Prune Parsley Aerogarden
Deadheading
Deadheading is the removal of flowers as soon as you see them emerge.
One way is to cut the flower heads at their infancy before they pollinate and set seed.
Or, you can cut the flower’s branch where it meets the main stem and it will not grow back.
When you remove the parsley flowers, all that good energy and nutrients that could have gone into seed-making, are now directed into leaf production.
After you cut off the blossoms you will notice that the parsley grows more vigorously.
Things to note: Since it’s a biennial plant, it will start in its second year to put out leaves that lose it’s flavor, become more bitter, at that point you would want to allow the plant to seed.
Have you noticed: While the leaves will be edible, they won’t have the deliciousness and nutritional value.
Deal with Imperfections
Assess the foliage and remove any leaves that look dead or diseased.
Signs of leave illness typically manifest in the form of yellow, brown, rotting, and curled-up leaves. A curled-up leaf would only concern yourself if you planted the flat-leaf or Italian parsley variety (P. crispum neapolitanum).
You will also want to be on the lookout for weak or damaged stems. These will typically not bear any leaves but will take up space and nutrients from healthy branches.
Take Action: You will want to remove these either by hand, or pruning shears, once you spot the weaken or diseased leaves – they are taxing on the plant.
Prune Horizontally
The outer stems and leaves are the oldest portion of the parsley.
Therefore, you will want to prune the outer stems first, concentrating on the outer plant section, before moving into the center of the plant.
This will promote new growth and allow them to get enough light for photosynthesis.
Avoid cutting all the leaves off the stem of the parsley. Leave some segments of leaves on the leaf stem, perhaps three segments at least, or you will slow the growth of the parsley.
If possible, don’t trim more than 1/3 of the parsley at a time.
Always Prune at the Stem Joint
Gardeners often make the mistake of pinching off the leaves, rather than cutting off the stem segment, when pruning parsley.
If you pluck off the individual leaves, the stem will dry up, will not regrow, and the productivity of the plant will be effected.
To properly prune the leaves of the parsley plant, cut the leaves right at the point where the leave(s) are joined to the stem. This will encourage your parsley to produce more stems and leaves.
Go gentle: You can either snip off the leaves one by one so that you do not damage any other leaves and stems that you want to stay.
When to Prune Your Parsley
You will have fully grown parsley after they germinate for four weeks.
The plant should be about 6 inches tall and show 3 or more leaves on each stem. It is now time to prune your Aerogarden parsley for the first time.
Afterwards, you can continue to prune the parsley at least once a month to keep them from getting long leggy.
This will promote continued healthy growth of bushy parsley which will enable multiple harvests off one plant.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should you lower the Aerogarden lights after pruning your parsley?
Aerogarden suggests keeping the grow lights at around four to six inches above the parsley plant for optimal growth.
Usually after performing the heavy pruning, the remaining stems and leaves are well below the recommended height and period were left with our grow lights to be adjusted or to have their intensity turned up.
Do you need to clean your AeroGarden after pruning the parsley?
Absolutely. You should always keep the kit clean.
You should clean up any pruned leaves or stems in the Aerogarden and inside the water to prevent the spread of infections.
Also, they might rot inside the water and the workspace will be stinky in the room.
Can you use a table knife to prune parsley?
While they are not the ideal tool for the job, they are a more than adequate substitute for pruning scissors.
They should be sharp, clean and with a considerably thin blade to allow for accurate cuts. This will prevent unwanted tears, which can ultimately dry out and kill the plant.
Don’t give in to the temptation to use your bare hands.
Is it worth it to use an Aerogarden to grow parsley?
The kit is fairly pricey, compared with other ways to grow plants indoors.
But you can grow your parsley at any time of year with very little upkeep needed.
Final Words
Fear not to trim your parsley as much as you need to trim.
You should be okay with any amount of leafage left and the plant will usually restore full growth two to three weeks after trimming.
After trimming you will want to make sure to put some more fertilizer on, especially ones high in nitrogen.
This will help replace the energy lost when trimming off the leafage, thus speeding up the regrowth of the foliage.
Finally, please read your instruction manual, and follow all the instructions to the letter. The instructions are very easy to follow, and suitable for novice individuals, as well as advanced gardeners.