Chaerophyllum bulbosum
chervil root
Common names: root chervil, earth chestnut
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Spacing
- 15 cm, rows 25 cm
- Lifespan
- Biennial
- Sowing
- Oct–Nov
- Harvest
- Jul–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy down to −15 °C
- Water need
- Medium
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's Medizinal-Pflanzen · Public Domain · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Chervil root (Chaerophyllum bulbosum) is a nearly forgotten root vegetable from the Apiaceae family that was prized in 19th‑century domestic gardens. Its small, roundish tubers taste sweet and chestnut‑like when cooked, with a delicate sweetness. The seed requires several weeks of cold to germinate, so sow in autumn rather than spring. The plant retreats in summer while the tubers continue to develop underground, ready for harvest the following year.
Care instructions
Sow the seeds in October or November directly into the garden; they need winter cold to germinate. Choose a loose, humus‑rich soil free of standing water, preferably a site that has not previously grown other Apiaceae. Keep the area weed‑free in spring once the fine leaves appear, as young plants grow slowly. Water moderately and allow the soil to dry out between waterings; the tuber does not tolerate waterlogging. Harvest from July when the foliage turns yellow and wilts; dig up the tubers and store them in a cool, dark place until the next sowing.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
SowingOct–Nov
HarvestJul–Aug
Germination
- Soil temperature
- from 0 °C, ideally 5 °C
- Days to sprout
- 60 to 150 days
- Light
- Needs darkness to sprout
- Sowing depth
- 1 cm
- How to start
- Sow straight into the bed
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
well-drained, humus-rich, loamy, nutrient-rich
Turnip-rooted chervil likes deep, loose soil in which the small tubers can develop unhindered. Humus-rich, well-drained soil with even moisture produces the finest roots. You are best off avoiding waterlogging and heavy, compacted soils, otherwise the tubers rot in winter.
Do not grow turnip-rooted chervil directly after other umbellifers such as carrot or parsnip; this prevents soil-borne diseases. A break of about 4 years on the same site has proved its worth.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Months
Mar–Apr
In early spring, work ripe compost shallowly into the top layer of soil; that is enough for turnip-rooted chervil for the whole season. You do not usually need an additional application, as the plant is undemanding anyway in soil with remains from the previous year. You should not use fresh manure directly before sowing, as it encourages leaf growth rather than tuber formation.
Overwintering
Turnip-rooted chervil is sown as seed in autumn and spends the whole winter outdoors in the bed, because it needs the cold as a germination trigger. A light mulch layer of leaves or straw protects the soil from chilling and from being washed into a crust by winter rain. In spring, as soon as it gets milder, the seeds germinate by themselves and the tubers begin to grow.
Propagation
Methods
- From seed
Turnip-rooted chervil is propagated only from seed, which needs a period of cold to germinate. Sow the fresh seeds directly outdoors between October and December, about 1 cm deep in rows 25 to 30 cm apart. Old, dried seeds hardly germinate any more, so use fresh seed from the current year wherever possible. After sowing, wait patiently, because actual germination only begins as spring temperatures rise.
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 Head lettuceFrench marigoldCalendulaSunflowerButterhead lettuceCommon coneflower and 73 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 cabbageKohlrabiRadishKalebroccolicauliflower and 41 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 root yourself
Gartenkern tells you when frost is coming, when to sow and when to harvest, for your location.
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