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How to Grow Chervils UK | Regional Planting Calendar

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How to Grow Chervils UK | Regional Planting Calendar guide thumbnail

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium)

Chervil in flower with white umbels — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium var cerefolium) blühend--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons

7 sources cited · Verified

The short answer

Plant
Early March to early June
Ready in
56–63 days
Site
soil pH 6–7

In the UK, chervils go in the ground early March to early June, and are ready to harvest 56–63 days after planting.

Chervils (Anthriscus cerefolium) — annual.

Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional sowing windows, ranging from early March in Southern England to early March in Scotland.

Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.

Regional Planting Calendar

A potted chervil plant — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) Topfpflanze--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) Topfpflanze--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Region Sow
Southern England early March to early June
Midlands early March to early June
Northern England early March to early June
Scotland early March to early June
Southern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring and early summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Midlands - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring and early summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Northern England - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring and early summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Scotland - detail & sources

RHS recommends sowing in spring and early summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.

Quick Facts

Chervil in flower with white umbels — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium var cerefolium) blühend--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium var cerefolium) blühend--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Factor Value
Soil pH 6 - 7
Optimal growing temp 7-21C
Minimum survivable temp 4C
Time to harvest 56-63 days
Drainage Well-drained
Lifecycle annual
Edible parts leaves

At a Glance

Chervil in flower with white umbels — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium var cerefolium) blühend--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium var cerefolium) blühend--Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Anthriscus cerefolium Chervil Aphids Slugs Snails Caterpillars PESTS

Soil & Growing Conditions

Detail of chervil leaves and flowers — “20150423Anthriscus cerefolium2” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“20150423Anthriscus cerefolium2” by AnRo0002 is licensed under CC0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Soil pH range

6 7

Span reflects genuine variation between the cited authorities, not a single agreed figure.

Growth Stages

Lacy chervil foliage — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) mit Echter Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall, Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) mit Echter Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall, Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.
Stage BBCH Notes
Sowing 0 Sow seed in spring and early summer in a cool, lightly shaded spot (RHS).
Transplanting 3 Move to final growing position as soon as possible, before the tap root forms (RHS).
Leaf harvest 6 Harvest lacy, aniseed-flavoured leaves regularly to encourage continued fresh growth (RHS).
Flowering 9 Flowers quickly, especially in hot weather, ending the leaf-harvest window (RHS).

Harvest & Storage

Dried chervil leaves — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) getrocknet, Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) getrocknet, Josef Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

When to pick: RHS: leaves ready for harvesting "in about eight weeks from sowing"; choose "soft young leaves" once plants reach "at least 10cm (4in) tall", taking only a few from each plant, or remove all stems down to 5-7.5cm for larger harvests; "leaves become less palatable when the plant starts to flower". UMD: "Pick leaves just before the buds break. Cut and dry the green, tender leaves."

Storage

Best used fresh; can be dried

Pests

Lacy chervil foliage — “Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) mit Echter Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall, Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons
“Kerbel (Anthriscus cerefolium) mit Echter Mehltau (Erysiphe heraclei) Befall, Schlaghecken” by Schlaghecken Josef is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Aphididae (various spp.)

Slugs

Gastropoda (slugs, various spp.)

Snails

Gastropoda (snails, various spp.)

Caterpillars
low

Lepidoptera larvae

RHS names this directly.

References

  1. country=INTL

  2. country=INTL

  3. country=UK

  4. country=UK

  5. Directly fetched and verified. RHS explicitly does not recommend pesticide use against aphids; recommends tolerance, manual squashing, and encouraging/purchasing natural predators (ladybirds, hoverflies, lacewings, parasitoid wasps, earwigs) as biological control, especially under glass.

  6. Directly fetched and verified (canonical URL differs from requested URL /biodiversity/slugs -> redirects to /biodiversity/slugs-and-snails). RHS explicitly advises against slug pellets (even organic) due to wildlife harm, and cites RHS's own controlled trial finding no damage reduction from physical barriers (copper tape, bark mulch, eggshell, grit, wool) -- while also noting some other studies have shown copper barriers to repel slugs, a preserved disagreement rather than a silently resolved one. Details Nemaslug (Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita) biological control including application temperature range and its lack of effect on snails specifically.

  7. country=USA

7 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.

Frequently Asked Questions

When should I sow chervils in the UK?

In Southern England, from early March. In Scotland, wait until early March. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.

When do I sow chervils?

Sow early March to early June.

How long do chervils take to grow?

Typically 56–63 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.

What soil pH do chervils need?

A pH of about 6–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.

Plan next season before the problems start

Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.

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SoilCommander Editorial Team

UK vegetable growing guides · Checked against RHS & Met Office guidance

Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real UK growing conditions, and reviewed against Royal Horticultural Society growing advice and Met Office climate data before publication.

Vegetable Growing Guides UK

Last verified 2026-08-29

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