RHS Growing Guides
How to grow chervil
Our detailed growing guide will help you with each step in successfully growing Chervil.
Getting Started
Chervil is a culinary herb grown for its leaves, which look similar to parsley but have a more subtle flavour with a hint of aniseed. This short-lived herb is a
You can start harvesting young chervil leaves about eight weeks after sowing
Chervil has been used since Roman times and is popular in French cuisine. The delicate anise flavour does not withstand cooking, so leaves are added to salads and to hot dishes, especially those containing egg, chicken and fish, just before serving. As chervil isn’t widely available in supermarkets, it’s well worth growing your own.
Month by Month
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Choosing
Recommended Varieties
Anthriscus cerefolium – the leaves have a parsley-like flavour with warm, subtle aniseed tones.
Curled chervil develops attractive, slightly curled leaves with the same flavour as flat-leaved chervil.
Sowing
Seeds are narrow and slender, about 5 mm long, making them easy to handle and sow
Sowing indoors
You can sow chervil seeds on a sunny windowsill or in a greenhouse from early spring. Sow in modular trays if possible, to minimise root disturbance when transplanting outdoors later (see Planting below). Germination should take 5–10 days. If you sow in pots or seedtrays, move seedlings into individual pots as soon as they’re large enough to handle. Keep the seedlings in good light and water regularly until ready to plant outdoors.
Sowing indoors provides a head start in spring, and the delicate seedlings are protected from harsh weather. However, chervil plants should be moved to their final growing position as soon as possible, before their tap root starts to form. For more sowing tips, see our guides below.
Sowing outdoors
Sow chervil seeds outdoors from April to August, ideally in a lightly shaded area. Before sowing, weed the ground thoroughly then fork it over to break up any hard lumps. Remove any stones and rake to a fine texture. Alternatively, if you’re practising no-dig, mulch the surface with a layer of well-rotted, fine organic matter and sow directly into the mulch.
Make a shallow drill, about 1cm (½in) deep, water along the base, then sow the chervil seeds thinly. Space rows 30cm (12in) apart and thin out seedlings to 15cm (6in) apart. Chervil seedlings can take up to three weeks to emerge, depending on outdoor temperatures.
Sowing in containers
Chervil sown in a pot can be moved into a shadier area in hot, sunny weather
Planting
Plant indoor-sown chervil and bought plants into their final growing position from mid-spring onwards, once they’re about 5cm (2in) tall and before their long tap roots start to grow. Harden them off first, slowly introducing them to outdoor conditions. Chervil is best planted in light shade, especially in summer, as hot sun can cause premature flowering (bolting). Plant them at the same level they were previously growing and try not to disturb the roots.
Plant Care
Chervil leaves become less palatable when the plant starts to flower
Watering
Aim to keep the soil/compost consistently moist but not waterlogged. In hot, dry weather, chervil is prone to bolting, but regular watering can delay this. Plants in containers need particular attention, as the compost can dry out very quickly in warm weather. For water-wise tips, see our guides below.
Protecting your crop
For harvests into autumn and early winter, sow seeds in late summer and cover with cloches, or keep them in a coldframe or greenhouse. Plants still growing well in containers can be moved into a greenhouse in autumn.
Propagating
Chervil will readily self seed when given suitable growing conditions. If you leave some plants to flower and set seed, you can either collect the seeds to sow yourself or let them drop and grow where they like. If you collect your own seeds, sow them within a year, as they don't store well or stay viable for long.
Harvesting
You can cut back all the stems, ideally no lower than 5cm (2in), if you need a lot of chervil
Problems
Chervil is prone to bolting in hot dry weather, so water regularly, especially if growing in a container, and sow summer crops in a cool, partly shaded spot. Chervil is a short-lived plant and will naturally flower fairly quickly, which curtails leaf production. Sow new batches of seeds every few weeks to ensure a fresh supply over several months. Chervil’s delicate foliage is vulnerable to aphids – see Common problems below.
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