Parsley is a flowering herb that belongs to the Apiaceae family. French parsley, or commonly known as curly parsley, is often used as a garnish in various dishes. It tastes stronger than the flat-leaf variety.
When growing curly parsley on aeroponic towers, we begin by taking the agricultural rockwool (which comes with the tower when you purchase it) and soaking it in water for about 20 minutes until it is fully wet. Rockwool is a soilless substrate made from basalt, which is the most common volcanic rock on Earth. It is frequently used in aeroponics and hydroponics. Although agricultural rockwool is safe to use, we still recommend handling it with gloves.
Once the rockwool is ready, we put six curly parsley seeds in each hole of the tray, and there are 98 holes in total. We carefully choose the right type of parsley to plant depending on the season. In winter, we go for curly parsley because it can handle the cold climate. In summer, we choose flat-leaf parsley as it thrives in the warmer environment. We match the parsley variety to the season to help us get the best growth and harvest.
We then add vermiculite on top of each hole. Vermiculite is a naturally occurring mineral that gives the perfect water-to-air ratio for optimal growth of the seedlings.
To keep everything organized, we label the trays so we can easily identify the seedlings.
When growing curly parsley outside, we water them twice a day to help them germinate well. The germination takes approximately two weeks, a bit longer compared to other leafy greens and herbs. After about two more weeks, the seedlings will become ready for transplanting on the aeroponic tower. It can then take another six weeks of growth until the curly parsley is fully grown and ready for harvest.
The video below shows how we grow curly parsley on an aeroponic tower without the use of soil:
