Fennel is a beautiful and useful herb for the garden. The feathery, fern-like appearance adds color and texture to your planting. It also has a strong, licorice-like taste. Fennel is a tender perennial that can survive the winter in warm areas, but is sensitive to cold. Most gardeners grow it as an annual plant. With oursYou will definitely get tipsBe successful when growing fennel!
What types of fennel are there?
There are two main types of fennel – the traditional herb variety, Foeniculum vulgare,with feathery green or bronze leaves, and the closely related fennel bulb (Florentine fennel), which is harvested whole.
Both are worth adding to your list of kitchen garden ideas because they enhance so many dishes, from fish and vegetables to curries, soups and sauces.
Growing fennel: instructions
Growing fennel using seeds is the best option for this perennial plant. The seedlings do not like to be transplanted, so it is best to sow them directly in the place where you want the plants to grow.
- Choose a location with plenty of sun and well-drained soil.
- Plant fennelnot near dill, otherwise the herbs will cross-pollinate each other, which has a negative effect on the taste.
- Sow seeds as soon as the soil can be worked early in the season.
- Work plenty of organic material into the soil.
- Sow the rows 40cm apart and sow the seeds thinly and cover them with soil.
- Water the soil and keep it moist, but do not overwater it. Germination should take 1-2 weeks.
- When the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them to about 5 inches (12 cm.) apart.
- Re-sow every few weeks until late summer to ensure a continuous supply of tubers.
- Once plants are established, tuber doesn't require much care - just water as needed, especially in hot weather, and fertilize occasionally.
- Remove dead stems at the end of the growing season.
- Although fennel is a perennial herb, it needs to be replaced after 3-4 years.
Plant fennel bulbs
Fennel bulbs – also known as Florentine fennel – aren't quite as easy to grow as herb fennel, but they're worth the effort because they can be eaten raw or cooked. Even for experienced gardeners, Florentine fennel is a challenge.
The problem with fennel bulbs is that they tend to fade, meaning the plant flowers too briefly and goes to seed too quickly. To prevent fennel bulbs from bolting, choose a bolt-resistant variety, do not sow seeds too early, do not transplant the seedlings, and keep the soil moist.
- Growing fennel in the garden is suitable in mid to late spring.
- Sow the seeds directly where you want the plants to grow.
- You can also use fennelgrow on the balcony. Sow only one seed per small pot or module.
- Plant the seeds about half a centimeter deep in rows about 15 centimeters apart. Sow the seeds thinly and cover them with soil.
- When the seedlings are large enough to handle, thin them to 12 inches (30 cm.) apart.
- Keep the soil moist throughout the growing season to minimize the risk of bolting.
- You can cover the bulbs with soil as they grow, which will protect them from late frosts.
- Feed the plants every two weeks with a high-potash fertilizer.
- You can harvest the onions from late summer to autumn.
The necessary care of fennel plants
In order to grow fennel properly, you mustprovide appropriate care. Here are our tips:
Licht
Fennel prefers full sunlight, meaning at least six hours of direct sun most days. In shady areas it becomes limp.
Boden
Plant tuber in moist, fertile, well-drained soil. It prefers a slightly acidic pH value.
Water
Fennel likes soil that is evenly moist but not too wet. Water whenever the soil feels dry to a depth of about an inch, but do not allow the plant to become waterlogged.
Temperature and humidity
The plant is sensitive to frost and low temperatures. Additionally, hot and dry conditions can cause the tuber to bolt and the seeds to drop. Gardeners in mild climates can sometimes plant the plant in late summer and harvest it in the fall as long as temperatures remain reasonably high. The plant thrives best in moderate humidity.
Fertilizers
Knolle enjoys compost worked into the soil at planting and a layer of compost spread around the plant every few months during the growing season.
Growing Fennel: Pest and Disease Control
Fennel can sometimes be bred by herbivores,pests and diseasesbe accompanied.
Some pests to watch out for include:
- Aphids
- Snails and slugs
- Swallowtail caterpillars, also called parsley worms
- Thripse
To combat aphids and thrips, a strong jet of water from the hose can be sufficient. For large outbreaks, an application of organic neem oil may be a useful treatment. You can set traps for snails and slugs and dispose of the caught specimens. The swallowtail caterpillar will likely feed on the aphids, but it will also eat the foliage. You can remove them by hand.
