Less commonly grown than parsley, chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is a delicate aromatic herb worth keeping near the kitchen. With its aniseed flavour, chervil is best used fresh to season salads, fish terrines, omelettes or soups. Like many umbelliferous herbs, chervil can only be propagated by sowing seeds in spring, ensuring a supply throughout the growing season. Our guide will help you successfully sow chervil!

how to sow chervil in pots or open ground
Chervil has finely divided foliage and a delicate flavour

When to sow chervil?

Successive sowings every month or fortnight from February to September will provide a harvest 5 to 8 weeks later and fresh leaves almost year-round. Chervil is a biennial plant grown as an annual: you'll need to resow every year, unless you let it self-seed.

Where to sow chervil?

It can be sown directly in the herb garden, or in containers or pots on a balcony.
Chervil dislikes dry soil, preferring well-drained ground rich in organic matter. If sowing directly in the vegetable patch, ensure the soil remains moist.
The secret to successful chervil sowing lies in exposure! Chervil is a partial shade herb. Seeds sown in full sun will struggle to germinate. Keeping chervil cool helps prevent premature flowering. Once transplanted, it can tolerate full sun, but in this case, plant it near vegetables, flowers or other herbs that will provide shade during the hottest months and prevent early flowering.

How to sow chervil?

Sowing in open ground

Equipment needed for direct sowing

  • Fresh chervil seeds (they have a very short germination period, maximum 1 year)
  • Labels to mark your sowings.
  • Soil preparation: loosen the soil with a cultivator, rake level and make 1cm deep drills.
  • Drill sowing: sow thinly, every 3cm, at 0.5-1cm depth. Space rows 20cm apart. Cover with a thin layer of soil.
  • Firm down with the back of a rake.
  • Water gently with a watering can rose.
  • Remember to place a plant label to mark your sowings.

Seeds germinate in 8 to 10 days depending on weather. When seedlings have 4 true leaves, thin them out, leaving one plant every 20cm. When flower buds appear, pinch them out (or keep one or two stems to harvest future seeds).

  • Harvest: always pick before flowering. Cut leaves while still young and tender - this delays flowering and encourages new growth.
    In severe winters, protect plants with a cloche or horticultural fleece (chervil is hardy to -5°C).

Protected sowing

Equipment needed for indoor sowing

How to sow chervil under protection?

  • Fill containers 3/4 full with seed compost
  • Cover seeds with 0.5-1cm of seed compost
  • Firm down gently with your hand or a board if using trays
  • Water lightly with a spray bottle
  • Place containers under cover in a greenhouse or conservatory at 18-20°C, in good light but out of direct sun
  • Prick out: when seedlings are well developed and about five centimetres tall, transplant them into 8-10cm pots or plant them outside in the vegetable patch when temperatures rise sufficiently, around April-May.
sowing chervil under protection