Chervil
How do you sow chervil outdoors?
Sow chervil outdoors from spring to late summer, according to local conditions. Choose a cool, lightly shaded spot with fertile, well-drained soil. Remove weeds and break up hard clods before sowing; hot sun encourages premature flowering.
Sow thinly about 1 cm deep in rows 30 cm apart, then water gently. Keep the soil moist without waterlogging it and thin seedlings to around 15 cm apart. Sow small batches every few weeks to extend your harvests. Check young plants for slugs and snails and use protection suited to the problem rather than relying on wood ash.
Prefer fresh seed, as chervil seed loses its ability to germinate relatively quickly, usually after about a year. Prepare a fine, level surface before making the drills so some seeds do not end up much deeper than others. Use a watering can with a fine rose to moisten the soil without washing the seeds away. Mark the row and note the sowing date to help distinguish your seedlings from weeds. If very hot, dry weather is forecast, choose a cooler position and pay particular attention to moisture until the seedlings emerge.
How do you plant chervil?
Plant young chervil in a cool, lightly shaded spot with fertile, well-drained soil that stays moist. Direct sowing is often convenient because chervil develops a taproot that dislikes disturbance. If you use bought plants or indoor seedlings, plant them while still young, around 5 cm tall.
Gradually harden off plants raised indoors. Keep the root ball intact and plant at the same depth as in the pot. Water gently after planting and maintain moisture without waterlogging. Avoid keeping young plants too long in small containers before moving them to their final position.
Moisten the compost before taking out the root ball so it stays together around the roots. Prepare the hole first: it should accommodate the root ball without squeezing or bending the taproot. Support the plant by its root ball instead of pulling on its delicate stems. If you plant several seedlings, leave about 15 cm between them so the leaves have room to develop. During the first few days, check moisture where the root ball meets the soil and protect the plants from intense sunshine. Steady establishment reduces stress that can hasten flowering.
How do you harvest chervil?
Harvest your chervil when the plants have enough leaves, often around eight weeks after sowing and from about 10 cm tall. Pick a few young leaves from each plant. For a larger harvest, cut the stems no lower than around 5 to 7.5 cm so that healthy plants can regrow.
Use the leaves soon after picking for the best aroma. Keep them briefly in the fridge or freeze them for longer storage. Harvests depend on successive sowings and growing conditions, rather than being limited to spring. Once plants flower, replace them with younger ones for better-quality leaves.
Choose tender, green leaves and discard yellowing or damaged parts when sorting your harvest. Picking lightly from several plants leaves more foliage to support further growth. When cutting several stems, use clean scissors and preserve the base of the plant rather than pulling it out. Rinse the leaves if needed and drain them gently without crushing them. To preserve their delicate flavour, add them to hot dishes just before serving. Flowering marks the end of the most productive period; repeated cutting cannot turn an ageing chervil plant into a long-lasting source of leaves.
Chervil
- Type : Aromatic plants
- Subtype : Leafy vegetables
- Botanical Family : Apiaceae (umbelliferae)
Characteristics
- Lifecycle : Annual
- Exposure : Partial Shade
- Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
- Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
- Mature height : 30 cm
Sowing & Planting
- Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
- Sowing Depth : 0.5 cm
- Plant Spacing : 10 cm
- Row Spacing : 20 cm
Maintenance
- Maintenance : Low
- Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
- Soil Type : Humus-rich
- Soil pH Preference : Neutral
- Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
- Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
- Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
- Pollination : Insect-pollinated
- Propagation : Sowing