Growing Parsley Root (Hamburg Parsley): A Complete Profile
By Growing Home Greens Team · August 10, 2026
Parsley root, also called Hamburg parsley, is grown for its long, white, parsnip-like root rather than its leaves, though the foliage is edible too and tastes just like standard parsley.
Patience during germination
Direct-seed only, sown in early to midspring after frost danger passes, a quarter to a half inch deep, 1 to 2 seeds per inch in rows or bands 12 to 18 inches apart. Germination takes a long time, 14 to 30 days, so keep the seedbed consistently moist and don’t assume a bare bed after two weeks means the sowing failed. Thin to 1 to 3 inches apart depending on the root size wanted.
Cold-hardy in the ground
This plant handles cold well and can withstand some freezing while still in the field, making it a reasonable crop to leave in the ground into the colder part of the season rather than rushing the harvest.
Harvest and storage
Loosen the soil with a spading fork and lift roots once they’ve reached the desired size. Trim the tops and store at 32°F and 95 percent relative humidity, the same conditions as other winter storage roots.
Parsley root has no well-established companion pairings, and nothing it needs to be kept away from. At 9 plants per square foot, it fits well in a root-crop row in the Garden Designer, planned alongside carrots and parsnips that share similar germination patience.
Source: Root Parsley: Key Growing Information, Johnny’s Selected Seeds.
Companion planting guide for Parsley Root (Hamburg Parsley) · Find your planting dates
Typically viable in USDA zones 2-11. Not sure your zone? Look it up by ZIP code.
Mature height: 0.5-1 ft
Method: Direct sow: Direct-sow outside. It doesn't transplant well, or doesn't need the extra time indoors.
When to plant parsley root (Hamburg parsley), by zone
Every zone parsley root (Hamburg parsley) grows in. Pick your zone in the header and it will be highlighted here. Each zone links to its full page.
| Zone | Start indoors | Sow or plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2a & 2b | Not usually | May 20–May 27 | Aug 18–Aug 25 |
| 3a & 3b | Not usually | May 30–Jun 6 | Aug 28–Sep 4 |
| 4a & 4b | Not usually | May 15–May 22 | Aug 13–Aug 20 |
| 5a & 5b | Not usually | May 10–May 17 | Aug 8–Aug 15 |
| 6a & 6b | Not usually | Apr 25–May 2 | Jul 24–Jul 31 |
| 7a & 7b | Not usually | Apr 10–Apr 17 | Jul 9–Jul 16 |
| 8a & 8b | Not usually | Mar 25–Apr 1 | Jun 23–Jun 30 |
| 9a & 9b | Not usually | Feb 15–Feb 22 | May 16–May 23 |
| 10a & 10b | Not usually | Jan 30–Feb 6 | Apr 30–May 7 |
| 11a & 11b | Not usually | Jan 1–Jan 8 | Apr 1–Apr 8 |
Harvest dates are about 90 days after the sow or plant-out date.
Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.
See exact start-indoors, direct-sow, and harvest dates for your zone →
How many Parsley Root (Hamburg Parsley) plants fit per square foot?
Spacing: 9 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 0.5-1 ft.
Varieties worth considering
- 'Arat' parsley root: Johnny's Selected Seeds recommends this as producing long, straight, white roots that lend parsley flavor to soups and salads, their primary parsley root offering. (source)
Why each variety is listed comes from the source shown next to it. We haven't grown these ourselves yet, so treat this as a research-backed starting point, not a personal endorsement. The buy links are separate from those sources: they go to seed suppliers that sell that exact variety, and we may earn a commission on some of them.
Where to buy parsley root seeds
None of the seed suppliers we list carries parsley root seeds right now. A local garden center or a specialty seed house is the place to look.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Some links on this page also go to other retailers we may earn a commission from as an affiliate, at no extra cost to you. We only recommend products with a clear consensus of positive, independent reviews, or ones we bought and use ourselves. Each item on our gear page says which.
See it growing
Search YouTube for "growing parsley root (Hamburg parsley)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)
%3A%20Grown%20for%20its%20long%2C%20white%2C%20parsnip-like%20root%20rather%20than%20its%20leaves%2C%20though%20the%20foliage%20is%20edible%20too%20and%20tastes%20like%20standard%20parsley.)
Pin this for later
Growing Parsley Root (Hamburg Parsley): Grown for its long, white, parsnip-like root rather than its leaves, though the foliage is edible too and tastes like standard parsley.
Save to Pinterest