Anthriscus cerefolium
chervil
Common names: true chervil, soup chervil
At a glance
- Light
- Partial shade
- Spacing
- 10 cm, rows 20 cm
- Lifespan
- Annual
- Sowing
- Mar–Aug
- Harvest
- Apr–Oct
- Hardiness
- Cold damage below −8 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Derzsi Elekes Andor · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Chervil is a delicate spring herb with finely feathery foliage and a mild anise, parsley aroma. It is a classic ingredient in Frankfurt's green sauce and tastes best when used fresh, as its subtle flavor quickly dissipates during cooking.
Care instructions
Sow chervil directly in the garden in a semi‑shaded spot, as intense summer sun can cause it to bolt. Keep the soil consistently moist and re‑sow every few weeks from March onward. This allows a continuous harvest of fresh greens from April through October.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingMar–Aug
HarvestApr–Oct
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 5 °C, ideally 15 °C
- Days to sprout
- 10 to 21 days
- Light
- Needs light to sprout
- Sowing depth
- Press in, don't cover
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
humus-rich, well-drained, moist, nutrient-rich
Chervil likes loose, humus-rich soil that stays evenly moist but has no waterlogging. Deep soil is ideal, so that the roots can draw nutrients from deeper layers. Loosen heavy, compacted soils beforehand with ripe compost.
Feeding
Light feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
Before the spring sowing, work in a thin layer of ripe compost shallowly; on lean soil you can mix in some horn shavings. Chervil is a light feeder. Too much nitrogen encourages foliage at the expense of flavour, so stay sparing. For summer sowings, the basic compost supply from spring is usually enough.
Overwintering
Chervil is an annual and does not overwinter as a plant. It flowers, sets seed and dies. For fresh chervil in the winter half-year, sow it again in late summer/autumn directly in the bed or in a pot on a bright, cool windowsill.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
You propagate chervil only by direct sowing; potting on or pricking out is not worthwhile, because the delicate taproot easily breaks. Sow the seeds from March to August (for a winter harvest also September to October with cold frame protection) directly in the final position, because chervil quickly forms a fine network of roots that you should not disturb. Chervil is a light-germinating seed: only press the seeds down lightly and cover them with at most 0.5 cm of soil. Keep the soil evenly moist until germination (around 7 to 14 days). Choose a spot in partial shade; in strong sun, chervil quickly bolts and loses its flavour. For an uninterrupted harvest, sow again every two to four weeks. If you let a few umbels go to seed, chervil reliably self-seeds and comes back by itself the next year.
Companion planting
Good neighbors
amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
Umbellifers and alliums confuse each other's pests (carrot fly, onion fly).
For example GarlicOnionLeekChivesWild daffodilRocambole and 12 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
daisy family (Asteraceae)
Calendula and Tagetes next to carrots keep the carrot fly away with their scent.
For example French marigoldCalendulaSunflowerButterhead lettuceCommon coneflowerIceberg lettuce and 72 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
cabbage family (Brassicaceae)
You can pair celery and dill with all Brassicaceae because they repel the cabbage whitefly with their scent, a proven companion.
For example White cabbageKohlrabiKalebroccolicauliflowerBrussels sprout and 40 more species in the catalogue
Source: Bio-Gärtnerei Mixed-culture Practice
legume family (Fabaceae)
Peas and beans provide carrot and celery with nitrogen and grow as shallow-rooted plants without competition next to each other.
For example PeaBush beanPole beanBroad beanSnow peaWrinkled pea and 36 more species in the catalogue
Source: classic companion planting (DACH-Gartenpraxis)
Companion planting is partly traditional gardening lore. Where the reason is known, it is given.
Some of these explanations were machine-translated.
For your garden
Grow chervil yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
Free, no time limit
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