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Chervil
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Posted by Marie_K SA Aust (My Page) on Wed, Oct 8, 03 at 0:42
| Several times now I have tried growing chervil from seed and never had any luck. I direct sow at cooler times of the year (like now) and keep just moist but nothing ever germinates. Any tips?
I would like to know at least once what it tastes like! |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Chervil
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| Treat it just like parsley, which has to go to the devil seven times and back before it germinates! But whereas parsley is a biennial, chervil is a short-lived annual. Try sowing successive crops for a continual supply. Sow slow-germinating seeds in early spring or summer, about 5mm deep at an ideal temperature of 13-18C. They need light to germinate. Germination usually occurs in 14-21 days but can take longer. Best sown in situ as seedlings do not transplant well ? they sometimes bolt when transplanted. The night before sowing, pour boiling water over seeds and leave to soak overnight. Soil needs to be fertile and fairly moist. Chervil is not heat-tolerant, and is best grown in partial shade, in rich, moist soil. May bolt to seed when subjected to heat. A fast grower, it can mature within 6 weeks. It will grow indoors. Once established, chervil self-seeds readily. Chervil has a delicious, delicate flavour, somewhat nutty, but otherwise like a mild-flavoured parsley. To preserve the flavour, add very near to the end of cooking time. It doesn't dry well, losing its flavour, but can be frozen like parsley. If you can get those seeds to germinate, you're in for a treat! |
RE: Chervil
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| I planted maybe 10-20 seeds from memory in a gap in the herb border surrounding my outdoor veggie patch. I got three plants, slow to get going, now about tee-cup sized. On that score I would say they haven't the best germination rate. So be generous with sewing. Good luck. Thought flavour was like mild aniseed, though I will confirm that in next few days when I nip a leaf or two. |
RE: Chervil
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| Thanks for the tips, I did pretty much what Daisy said except I didn't use boiling water. Maybe that is the secret. Anyway I was impatient and planted some out this morning without reading the instructions here. I was pretty generous with the seed! If none has germinated in a couple of weeks I'll try the boiling water. Funnily enough I've never had a problem with parsley seed! |
RE: Chervil
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| Did a taste test for you on the weekend. Definitely tastes lightly aniseedy to me, almost like fennel. |
RE: Chervil
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| If it's a bit aniseedy I suppose I could use dill instead if the seeds are a failure. |
RE: Chervil
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| Had a big whack of it in my salad last night. Sweet, slightly aniseed flavour with hint of coriander. I think dill would work okay as a subs. |
RE: Chervil
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| Marie, if you can grow parsley with no trouble from seed then you must be wicked! Apparently, you have to be wicked to grow parsley (or so one of my herb books says). Also, parsley is sown on Good Friday to increase germination rate because the devil is supposed to be absent from the world on Good Friday. Weird, but that's superstition for you. Saintin |
RE: Chervil
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| Parsley has to go to the devil 9 times and back before it will germinate. Parsley grows best in a household where the woman 'wears the pants'. It also grows well when the woman of the house is pregnant, and the plant will die once the child is born. You should never give parsley away - it must be paid for - unless you want the recipient to become pregnant very soon. If you want to become pregnant, you must spread parsley all over the marriage bed. And if you want to stay sober, wear a crown or wreath made of parsley on your head. And so it goes......... |
RE: Chervil
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| Those are very interesting stories about parsley - I'm not going to say whether it' s true or not! My chervil seeds have still done nothing, so I had a look at the packet of seeds and it said use by Aug 2002. So i think I'll try again with fresh seed. |
RE: Chervil
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| Marie, my chervril is now flowering and running to seed. So it seems short lived, kind of like coriander. Must like the heat. |
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