Home » Misc » Grow fennel in container

Grow fennel in container


Growing Fennel in Container | How To Grow Fennel in a Pot

Search

Fennel can be quickly grown in pots in a limited space and do not require a lot of maintenance. Continue reading about

Growing Fennel in Container!

Fennel is quite popular for its sweet, aromatic dill-like leaves, seeds, and bulbs. This flavorful herb can be paired with a variety of dishes and herbal teas, making it one of the most used culinary herbs! If you too want to enjoy it fresh, then keep reading this article on Growing Fennel in Container!

Botanical Name: Foeniculum vulgare

USDA Zones: 5-10 

Check out our article on growing sage in containers here! 

Types of Fennel

There are two types of fennel to grow in containers: Florence fennel, which is grown for bulbs and herb fennel, which is grown for leaves and seeds and used as a herb.  

Herb Fennel Types

Bulb Fennel Types

Choosing a Container

Fennel plant can grow up to 3-5 feet tall, depending more on the variety. As its roots grow widespread, select a container that’s at least 12-14 inches deep with drainage holes at the bottom to avoid waterlogging.

When to Grow?

Start sowing seeds indoors, 4 weeks before the last expected date of frost in your area. You can also sow them directly in your patio or balcony after all the predictions of frost are passed and the temperature starts to hover around 60 F (15 C).

For consecutive planting, sow seeds every 3-4 weeks. Do your last sowing of fennel seeds in fall, this should be at least 2 months before the first frost date.

For warm climates, USDA zones 9b-11, you can plant fennel year-round in containers, except the peak summer months. However, the best time is fall! You can grow it till winter and spring and in summer as well, if you’re provide shade from afternoon sun and keep the soil evenly moist.

Want to grow turnips in containers? Click here! 

How to Grow Fennel in Pots?

While growing fennel in container seeds are the best option. You can get seeds from a garden store or online. Asian grocery stores are also an excellent place to find them. Or, get them from your spice rack!

Requirements for Growing Fennel in Pot

Location

Fennel does well in 6-7 hours of sunlight a day. It’s also important to keep the container at a location where it receives plenty of air circulation to avoid diseases. For growing them indoors, a South or West-facing window is the optimum spot.

Soil

For growing fennel in pots, use a well-draining, loamy soil. It is also a great idea to mix 20 percent aged manure or compost into the potting mix to enrich it.

During the mid growth, you can turn your soil by means of trowel to aerate it. But be extra careful to avoid any damage to your fennel plant.

Watering

If you’re growing the plant in a sunny and well-ventilated location, the soil is going to dry out faster. Be sure to keep the soil slightly moist.

While growing the plant indoors, water the plant only when the topsoil is dry to touch. Also, avoid wetting the foliage and always water at the base.

Here’s everything you need to know about growing Swiss Chards in containers! 

Fennel Plant Care

Pruning

Like other herbs, pinch back the growing tips when the plant reaches a height of 5-7 inches. This will allow a bushier growth. If you are harvesting the plant regularly, it won’t require pruning.

Fertilizing

Adding 20 percent compost is sufficient for the fennel plant. Later on, you can side-dress the plant two more times with aged manure or compost, during its growth period.

OR

Once the plant is more than 4 weeks old, fertilize using a balanced liquid fertilizer, providing half of the prescribed dose recommended on the product’s label. Feed the plant once every 4-6 weeks.

Blanching

Once the bulbs start to form at the base of the stem, cover them with soil, making an uphill pattern. This will prevent them from turning green, preserving the sweet flavor. Skip it if you’re not growing the bulb fennel!

Pests & Diseases

Pests like armyworms, cutworms, and aphids can kill the plant. They can be handpicked or washed away with a stream of water. You can also use insecticidal soap.

Diseases like leaf spot, powdery and downy mildew can be detrimental for this herb. Avoid wetting the foliage and provide good air circulation to prevent.

Harvesting and Storage

Start harvesting Herb fennel once the plant reaches a height of 8-10 inches. Use a pair of scissors to cut the leaves, when you need. Do ensure that you are not harvesting more than 1/3 growth of the plant at a time.

For harvesting Bulb fennel, wait till the bulb grows to a size of a ball or 2-4 inches in diameter. Using a sharp knife, cut the top leaves and stalks. Now, pull the bulb upwards using your hands and slice it away from the roots. Wash with water and use right away as it tastes best when fresh!

Fennel tastes best when it fresh. But if you want to store, keep the leaflets in an airtight container. You can also refrigerate the picked leaves for some time.

Benefits of Fennel

Join our 2.8 Million Followers

Social Followers

2.5MFollowers

Pinterest

219kFans

Facebook

36kSubscribers

YouTube

How to Grow Fennel

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a perennial herb grown both for culinary purposes and for its ornamental value. Its feathery, branching, aromatic, yellow-green foliage and tall stature can be attractive as border plantings, in cottage gardens, and more. It is also a good choice for butterfly gardens, as swallowtail caterpillars use it as a food source and pupal site. The plant sports small yellow flowers in the summertime, followed by aromatic seeds that can be harvested along with the foliage. It has a flavor similar to anise or licorice. Fennel is typically planted in the spring, and it has a fast growth rate.

Common Name Fennel, sweet fennel, common fennel
Botanical Name Foeniculum vulgare
Family Apiaceae
Plant Type Perennial, herb
Size 4–6 feet tall, 1.5–3 ft. wide
Sun Exposure Full sun
Soil Type Moist, well-drained
Soil pH Acidic (5. 5–6.8)
Bloom Time Summer
Hardiness Zones 4–9 (USDA)
Native Area Mediterranean

How to Plant Fennel

When to Plant

Plant fennel in the spring after the threat of frost has passed. It takes between 60 and 90 days for most fennel varieties to mature. 

Selecting a Planting Site

A sunny planting site with good soil drainage is key. Besides planting in the garden, raised beds and containers also are options. Fennel should not be planted in the same area as dill or coriander, as cross-pollination can occur and affect the flavor of the seeds. In addition, be sure to take the fennel variety's mature size into account at planting time, so it doesn't shade nearby plants. Also, it can inhibit the growth of tomatoes and beans, so avoid planting near either of those crops.

Spacing, Depth, and Support

Plant seeds roughly 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, and plant nursery starts at the same depth they were growing in their previous pot. Plants should be spaced around 6 to 12 inches apart, and they typically won't need a support structure.

Fennel Plant Care

Light

Fennel prefers full sunlight, meaning at least six hours of direct sun on most days. Shady conditions will make it leggy and floppy.

Soil

Plant fennel in moist, fertile, well-drained soil. It prefers a slightly acidic soil pH.

Water

Fennel likes evenly moist but not soggy soil. Water whenever the soil feels dry about an inch down, but don’t allow the plant to become waterlogged.

Temperature and Humidity

Fennel is a perennial plant within its growing zones, but gardeners outside of its zones often grow it as an annual. The plant is sensitive to frost and cold temperatures. Plus, hot and dry conditions can cause it to bolt and go to seed. Gardeners in mild climates are sometimes able to plant in the late summer for a fall harvest as long as the temperature remains fairly warm. The plant grows best in temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit and in moderate humidity levels. 

Fertilizer

Fennel generally doesn't need fertilizer. But it will appreciate compost worked into the soil at the time of planting, along with a layer of compost added around its base every few months during the growing season.

Pollination

Fennel plants are self-pollinators.

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

The Spruce / Michelle Becker

Types of Fennel

There are two main types of fennel to grow in your garden, depending on how you plan to use it. Florence fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum) is used more like a vegetable, grown for its bulbous stem. The main species plant, common or herb fennel, doesn't produce much of a bulb and is typically grown for its foliage.

Florence fennel cultivars include:

Herb fennel varieties include:

Fennel vs. Dill

At first glance, fennel and dill foliage can look quite similar. The leaves are feathery, bright yellow-green, and branching. However, fennel leaves tend to be longer than those of dill. And the herbs have distinct flavors. 

Harvesting Fennel

Harvest fennel leaves as needed throughout the growing season for fresh use. It's used in both raw and cooked dishes. Frequent harvesting will promote a bushier growth habit and consequently more harvestable foliage. But don't trim off more than a third of the plant at once. Bulbs can be harvested as soon as the base of the stem becomes swollen. Pull up the plants, and store the bulbs unwashed in the refrigerator for up to five days before use.

How to Grow Fennel in Pots

You can easily grow fennel in containers. In fact, this can be a good option to prevent the plant from self-seeding in your garden where you don't want it. The container should be at least 10 inches deep with a similar width, and it should have drainage holes. An unglazed clay container is ideal to allow excess soil moisture to escape through its walls.

Pruning

If you wish, you can pinch off flowers as they appear to prevent the plant from going to seed. This keeps the foliage growing and tasting its best for as long as possible. It also stops the plant from freely self-seeding in your garden. However, if you want the seeds for harvesting or self-seeding, allow the flowers to bloom.

Propagating Fennel

Fennel has a long taproot and thus doesn't divide very easily. The better method is to propagate by seeds. This is both an easy and inexpensive way to get new plants, especially if you live where fennel can only be grown as an annual. Here's how:

  1. Watch for seed heads to form on a mature fennel plant at the end of its growing season.
  2. Shake the heads over a sheet or tarp to collect the seeds within.
  3. Spread the seeds in a single layer in a cool, dark, dry spot to fully dry them for a week or two.
  4. Store the seeds in an airtight labeled container, and plant them in the garden the following spring.

How to Grow Fennel From Seed

Soak seeds in water for a day or two prior to planting to speed up germination. Fennel seeds direct sown in the garden will germinate in a week or two. Keep the soil evenly moist but not soggy as you wait for germination. Seeds also can be started indoors about four weeks before your last projected frost date in the spring under grow lights. Be sure to gradually acclimate indoor seedlings to outdoor conditions before planting them in the garden after the weather warms.

Potting and Repotting Fennel

An all-purpose, well-draining potting mix is typically fine for fennel. For container growth, aim to choose a pot that will accommodate the plant's mature size right from the start to avoid having to repot. Fennel doesn't like its roots disturbed. So that means using biodegradable pots for seedlings that can be planted directly in the soil.

Overwintering

If frost is expected in your area, go ahead and harvest the rest of your fennel plant. Otherwise the foliage will likely be damaged or killed. In mild climates, fennel plants can be overwintered for a second growing season, but they usually degrade after that. If unseasonably cold weather is expected in those climates, cover the plants with row covers or another form of protection.

Common Pests and Plant Diseases

Fennel rarely suffers from serious pest or disease problems, though caterpillars might chew on the leaves. This is best handled simply by picking them off the plants by hand. Most often, they are parsley worm caterpillars, which evolve into black swallowtail butterflies, beneficial pollinators for the garden. You can, therefore, choose to ignore these green caterpillars with black and yellow bands if they're not causing a major issue.

Aphids also can sometimes be an issue, but they can be treated by strong sprays of water to dislodge them. Avoid using chemical pesticides on edible herbs.

In soil with poor drainage, root rot can occur. If you have heavy soil, try a raised garden bed or container to achieve optimal soil conditions.

How to grow fennel at home - AgroFlora.ru

Few people grow fennel as a herb or vegetable, although the leaves, seeds, and root are used in cooking. In addition, this plant is used in salads at the seedling stage as an ingredient in microgreens. If you are interested in such an unusual plant, we suggest growing fennel at home, in your backyard.

How to Grow Fennel

Fennel grows well in rich, well-drained soil with a pH of 5. 5-6.8. Keep in mind that this is a Mediterranean culture and will grow best in a sunny location.

Fennel tolerates slight frosts in winter, but will only survive the winter at a temperature of 17-20°C. Frosty, severe winters endure very badly. The plant tolerates heat and cold, but matures best in cool weather. In harsher climates, fennel grows as a biennial plant.

How to grow fennel at home

Naturally, the climate also affects the sowing of seeds - they can be sown in early spring, mid-spring, late summer or early autumn.

Also be aware that fennel itself can be a problem: in California, fennel is a weed plant.

Varieties and varieties of bulbous fennel

For the successful cultivation of bulbous (vegetable) fennel, you need to choose the right variety.

Early varieties of vegetable fennel (known as Italian or Florentine):

Some varieties are best sown in autumn.

For spring planting (you can also try for autumn planting), the ROMANESCO variety is suitable (technical maturity at the age of 85 days). With enough moisture, you will get a bulb with thick, tightly wrapped stems.

Varieties of bulbous fennel

Sowing

In order for fennel seeds to germinate successfully, we germinate them in the dark with a soil temperature of 16-20°C. If the soil is dry during sowing, we shed the furrow first. Seeds are sown 3 cm apart. Cover the seeds with a thin layer of soil.

Shoots will appear in 7-10 days.

To improve germination, seeds can be soaked and pre-germinated for a few days.

Vegetable fennel can also be sown outdoors, but only when the danger of hard frost has passed. The plant is sensitive not only to the length of daylight hours, but also to a sudden change in temperature.

Transplanting Fennel Seedlings

Young tender fennel plants do not like extra transplants, so when transplanting seedlings, be very careful with the roots. Experts advise before you start transplanting, it is good to spill the seedlings with warm water.

Planting fennel seedlings

Planting seedlings at a distance of 25-30 cm from each other. Don't thicken the bulbous plants as this will cause the top of the fennel to grow vigorously.

If growing fennel is new to you, experiment with several varieties and planting dates that suit your weather conditions.

How to Grow Properly

Rich, well-drained soil, regular watering and cool temperatures produce top quality bulbs. The plant grows best when the daytime air temperature is 15°C.

With this care, the bulbs will be ready for harvest in about three weeks.

Harvest

The bulbs are harvested when they reach the size of a small tennis ball. If you leave them to grow seeds, the taste of the bulbs will quickly become bitter. That is, by growing seeds, we cannot get a tasty vegetable.

Use a sharp knife or secateurs to harvest vegetable fennel. Both for sale and for storage, we cut the leaves above the bulb at a distance of 10-15 cm.

Harvesting fennel

Fennel onions can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the basement for 2 to 3 months.

Cooking fennel bulbs

Fennel bulbs can be eaten raw, thinly sliced, in salads or in sauces. Try grilling them (you can just pan-fry them with olive oil) or steam them. After heat treatment, fennel is served with cheese sauce or simply by pouring olive oil.

Cooking fennel bulbs

Benefits of fennel

Fennel green

Fennel has slender stems and beautiful bronzed feathery foliage, suitable for flower arrangements as well as salads and plate decor. It takes about 65 days from sowing to harvested size.
Fennel leaves have a sweet anise flavor and are a delicious addition to salads and dressings, either fresh or dried.

Fennel greens

To dry the fennel leaves, you need a dry, well-ventilated area. To dry the greens, the leaves are cut off, they are cleaned of the hard parts of the stem, leaving only the thinnest ones. Cutting the leaves before drying is not recommended to prevent the essential oils from evaporating.

Fennel is laid out to dry in the shade on paper or on a cloth. The absence of direct sunlight, that is, natural drying, allows you to preserve the bright green color and aroma of dried fennel. Check the leaves for dryness once a week for two to four weeks until they become brittle, then scatter into jars and store in a cool, dark place.

Fennel seeds

Fennel seeds are used in teas and tinctures as a digestive, expectorant and tonic.
To dry fennel seeds, wait until the seed pods turn brown. Spread freshly harvested seeds in one layer on a horizontal plane. It is better to dry in natural conditions, but not in the sun (in the shade). Seeds should be completely dry (brown-green) in about two weeks.

Store fennel seeds in a cool, dry place.

Fennel seeds

As you can see, growing fennel at home is a very simple process. You just have to want, and this unique and tasty plant will make your menu more diverse.

sowing for seedlings, planting and care in the ground, personal experience and advice

Fennel: description and useful properties

Of the two forms - ordinary fennel (pharmacy) and vegetable (sweet) - common fennel is more common.

  1. Vegetable fennel has a fleshy thick trunk, fennel has fragrant fluffy stems.
  2. Fennel is popularly known as sweet anise or aniseed dill, because it looks like dill with its umbrellas, and tastes and aromas like anise, but is sweeter and more pleasant.
  3. Fennel is a perennial plant, but depending on natural and climatic conditions, it can be cultivated as an annual or biennial crop.

Fennel has long been cultivated as a medicinal plant. Valued for its medicinal properties and strong pleasant aroma of leaves and seeds

Fennel is harvested for medicinal raw materials in October.

Fennel is consumed fresh, dried, canned. Young green leaves and cabbage heads are used for food.

  1. The most useful are leaves that have grown to 20 cm - they are the most tender and fragrant.
  2. The taste of sprouts resembles parsnips, they can be stewed, fried, baked.

Fennel is good in salads, as a seasoning for soups, meat dishes, various vegetable preparations. You can even eat the roots stewed or boiled, and the seeds are added to preservation.

Conditions for growing fennel

It is quite capricious about watering and strongly depends on the length of daylight hours when forming dense heads.

  1. The culture is thermophilic, winters badly.
  2. Prefers open, well-lit places.
  3. It reacts to the application of organic fertilizers with a powerful development of the vegetative mass, so you need to be more careful with organic matter.
Soil for fennel

To grow fennel, you need fertile cultivated soils, sandy loam or loam, with a deep arable layer. It would be even better if the soil is limed and made easily permeable so that the soil is loose and moist.

Temperature for fennel

Fennel is a heat-loving but cold-resistant crop.

  1. The optimum temperature for germination of fennel seeds is between 20 and 30 °C.
  2. Seedlings will begin to sprout already at 6-8 °C.
  3. At a temperature of 15-16 °C and sufficient moisture, the seeds will hatch 4-5 days after sowing.
Wintering of fennel

Fennel does not winter well without shelter in the Russian climate, and it does not endure frosty, and even more severe, winters.

Thus, fennel can overwinter in the conditions of the Middle lane

In colder regions, fennel is also dug up in autumn and stored until spring in a dark place at a temperature of 1-2 °C.

  1. If fennel is dug up with its roots and buried in a warm place (for example, in a winter greenhouse), you can enjoy fresh herbs until late autumn.
  2. In spring, the plants are again moved to open ground.
Fennel fertilizer

With an excess of organic fertilizers, fennel begins to fatten and ripen more slowly.

  1. It is undesirable to apply fresh manure when planting fennel, it negatively affects the maturation of seeds.
  2. Organics in the amount of 6-7 kg per 1 m² are recommended to be applied in advance - under the previous crop.
  3. It is better to prepare beds for fennel in autumn, digging up the soil on a shovel bayonet.

When preparing a site for fennel, the soil is filled with mineral fertilizers immediately before sowing: nitrogen, phosphorus and potash in the ratio: 30:20:10 g/m².

For example:

When sowing, it is recommended to add mineral fertilizer superphosphate at a rate of 5 g per 1 m².

Being not only a useful vegetable crop, but also a valuable medicinal plant, fennel has special requirements when applying mineral fertilizers

Propagation of fennel

When growing fennel in a perennial crop (in the south), it can be propagated vegetatively:

- the bush is divided so that 2-13 buds remain on each part.

But more often seed propagation is used. In addition, fennel often gives self-seeding.

  1. Seeds can be sown directly into the ground or fennel can be grown through seedlings - depending on the region of cultivation and the desired yield.
  2. Most often, you can get a head of cabbage (the so-called “root”, “tuber” fennel) only by seedlings.
  3. For cutting greens, the crop grows well in the open field and produces many crops per season.

Fennel planting

Fennel planting is possible with seeds in open ground or through seedlings. For the cultivation of early products, film shelters, greenhouses, and greenhouses are used. When planting, follow the recommended planting pattern.

Planting dates are quite extended:

Place for planting fennel

Fennel is a long daylight crop.

  1. Therefore, it is better for him to choose a well-lit place with low groundwater.
  2. Fennel will not like it in lowlands and marshy areas.
  3. Fennel can be cultivated in one place without replanting for 2-3 years.

When choosing a place for planting fennel, crop rotation should be observed and proximity to other crops should be taken into account

Crops that are applied with organic fertilizers will be good precursors for the spice:

Can be planted after green manure and where annual grasses have grown.

  1. In joint plantings, fennel feels good together with peas, kohlrabi cabbage.
  2. But fennel should be kept away from tomatoes and beans - they are incompatible.
Planting fennel in open ground

Growing on greens

Cultivation of sprouts

To obtain a fennel tuber, it is sown in open ground at the end of June, when daylight is waning and bloom in July-August.

  1. In the south, summer sowing of fennel with dry seeds is also possible in July-August.
  2. Winter sowing of fennel seeds is also possible.

Seed preparation

Before sowing, fennel seeds need to be prepared -

Planting scheme

When sowing fennel seeds in open ground, observe the distance between plants:

  1. between rows leave a distance of at least 40 cm,
  2. seeds are sown in furrows every 15-20 cm,
  3. are planted to a depth of 1-2 cm on heavy soils, 2-3 cm on light soils.

When sprouts appear after 10-15 days, the fennel is thinned so that a distance of at least 10-15 cm remains between the seedlings

Planting fennel seedlings bulb, head of fennel, and not just green shoots.
The seedling method is suitable for growing in regions with short cold summers. It is best to grow seedlings in greenhouses or greenhouses.

Terms of sowing fennel for seedlings

Terms of sowing fennel seeds for seedlings will depend on the natural and climatic conditions of the region and the timing of planting seedlings in the ground.

Sowing seeds

To grow fennel through seedlings, seeds are sown in seedling boxes or pots. Peat-humus pots, plastic cassettes or seedling plastic individual containers are preferable because fennel does not tolerate transplanting.

  1. The seeds are not buried deep.
  2. At a temperature of 20-25 °C shoots usually appear a week after sowing.
  3. At the age of 3 weeks, the seedlings dive (preferably into peat-rotten pots) and grow at a temperature of 8-10 °C.

Fennel seedlings are planted in the ground when the threat of return frosts has passed:

Caring for fennel

Caring for fennel plantings consists in loosening row spacings, weeding, light hilling, and watering.

  1. It is necessary to loosen 2-3 times per season, starting immediately after emergence.
  2. Mineral dressings are applied once per season.
  3. Water regularly and plentifully.
  4. As soon as a thickening begins to form at the base of the stem, the plants are spudded so that the sprouts are tender and ripen well.
  5. Once the tuber has grown to 10 cm in diameter (thickness), it is ready to harvest.
Fennel top dressing

1. The first complex top dressing with mineral fertilizers is carried out in the phase of 3-4 true leaves: 1 m².

2. If you need seeds, you need a second feeding. It is carried out when peduncles appear:

3. The third top dressing is also aimed at fruit ripening:

Fennel watering

As a guest from the Mediterranean, fennel is drought tolerant, but requires sufficient moisture, and does not tolerate waterlogging. He needs watering infrequent and plentiful, especially in the period from sowing to the formation of an outlet.

  1. In dry, hot weather, watering is mandatory.
  2. If soils are light, watering can be done more frequently.

On average, the rate of watering fennel will be 2-4 times per season, 15-20 liters per 1 m²

Insufficient moisture can cause early flowering (due to which the tuber will not form), therefore, in the absence of precipitation, fennel must be watered .

Diseases and pests of fennel

Fennel does not have resistance to diseases and pests.

Phomosis fennel

Phoma blight is especially dangerous when growing fennel for seeds.

The fight consists in observing the correct agrotechnics, because during the ripening period of greenery, chemical treatment with insecticidal preparations is unacceptable:

  1. remove plant residues in a timely manner,
  2. adhere to the planting pattern,
  3. do not violate the cultivation technology.
Collection and storage of fennel

Fennel begins to bloom in July, the harvest is in September-October. Fennel seeds can only be obtained for 2-3 years.

Well developed sprouts grow to the size of a medium apple, 8-10 cm in diameter.

  1. Fennel tubers will keep well in damp sand.
  2. Fennel greens for winter storage should be thoroughly dried and stored in tightly closed containers. They retain their aroma and spicy taste for a long time.

Varieties of fennel

For 2019, 12 varieties of vegetable fennel, suitable and recommended for cultivation in the country, are included in the State Register. All of them are suitable for cultivation in all regions:

  1. Amicante (2018, early maturing hybrid of Italian origin, sprout weight ca. 500 g, yield just over 1 kg/1 m²)
  2. Aroma (2002, matures in 75-85 days, recommended for growing herbs, yield 2-3 kg/1 m²).
  3. Casanova (2011, mid-season variety for greens, yield - almost 4 kg/1 m²).
  4. Corvette (2005, forms a sprout in 115-127 days, weight approx. 300 g or more, green yield slightly more than 1 kg/1 m², sprouts - approx. 2 kg)
  5. Leader (2003, produces greens in 40-50 days, yields over 2 kg/1 m²).
  6. Luzhnikovsky semko (2000, mid-season variety, forms a head of cabbage in 55-65 days, weighing more than 200 g, yield is slightly more than 1 kg / 1 m²).
  7. Autumn Beauty (2003, greens in 40 days, yield just over 1 kg/1 m²).
  8. Preludio (2015, mid-early Dutch hybrid, forms dense sprouts weighing 300 g, yield 3 kg/1 m²).
  9. Rondo (2009, mid-early hybrid of Dutch selection, forms a sprout weighing 250-350 g, yields greens up to 5 kg/1 m², sprouts - up to 3 kg/1 m²).
  10. Soprano (2003, forms a sprout in 115 days, weight approx. 100 g, green yield 4 kg/1 m², sprouts more than 2 kg/1 m²).
  11. Udalets (1996)
  12. Phenomenon (2015, mid-season variety, yields slightly more than 1 kg of sprouts with 1 m² weighing 210-220 g).
Description of varieties of vegetable fennel (sweet)
  • Autumn handsome man

The variety will ripen quite quickly - in a month and a half from the emergence of seedlings. In height reaches one and a half meters. Greens, cut before flowering, have a gentle, less pungent smell. Productivity - more than 1 kg per 1 m².

  • Lider

Fast-growing variety of vegetable fennel, which yields greens up to 2 kg per 1 m² in 40-50 days from germination. Greens harvested before flowering will perfectly complement the taste of soups, meat and vegetables.

  • Luzhnikovskiy Semko

The mid-season variety will ripen in 2 months from emergence to the formation of a head of cabbage. The plant reaches a height of just over half a meter, a head of cabbage is formed with a mass of 200-220 g. The crop yields 1 kg per 1 m². Good for use on greens in fresh and dried form, and cabbage heads, and leaves, and shoots, and seeds are used as food.

  • Udalets

Mid-season variety, forms a head in 1.5-2 months. Gives a good stable birth, is valued for its resistance to stalking (forms a head of cabbage even in long daylight hours).

  • Aroma

The variety will need 2.5-3 months to mature from full shoots. The plant is powerful and tall up to 2 m in height. Greenery harvest can be obtained up to 2-3 kg per 1 m². Perfect in fresh and dried form as an addition to soups, meat and vegetable dishes.

  • Soprano

The variety is late, will give a harvest not earlier than in 3. 5-4 months. At the same time, the result will be impressive: the plant will stretch up to 1.5-2 m, you will collect up to 4 kg of greenery from 1 m². The variety produces good dense white 100-gram sprouts, the total mass of which per 1 m² will be at least 2-2.5 kg

  • Corvette

Another late-ripening variety, it will please with a harvest in 115-125 days from full shoots. The plant is not tall - a little over half a meter, but the "head" is dense and weighty at 250-350 g. 2.5 kg.

Description of varieties of common fennel (pharmaceutical)

Common fennel is grown as a medicinal, spicy-aromatic and essential oil plant. Differs in the high content of essential oil, fat in seeds.

  • Bachata

A relatively new variety, included in the State Register in 2015. It is distinguished by high winter hardiness and resistance to pests and diseases (cercosporosis, brown spotting, rust).

  • Mercisor

This early maturing variety is suitable for growing in warm climates - Krasnodar Territory, Rostov Region, Stavropol Territory, Crimea, Adygea, Dagestan, Ingushetia, Kabardino-Balkaria, Alania, Chechnya. It is used to obtain a large early harvest in farms.

  • Santorino Sixty

This early maturing hybrid is more suitable for commercial cultivation. He needs mild climatic conditions in the south and central part of Russia, thin-film shelters. It is good for cultivation in the Bryansk, Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Ryazan, Smolensk, Tula regions, the Krasnodar Territory and the Rostov Region, in the Crimea, etc. The sprout grows dense, weighing 1-2 kg with excellent taste.

Experience of growing fennel through seedlings in the open field

Anna Chumak, a regular author and reader of the Country Club magazine, from the Altai Territory, shares her experience of growing fennel.

Always excited to add something new to my herb garden. So I decided to grow vegetable (Italian) fennel. The Hellenes believed that the plant was able to endow the warrior with incredible physical strength, energy and fearlessness.

How do I sow fennel seedlings

I was interested in getting bleached sprouts. In the first year of sowing, she did not achieve success, but was not disappointed. I bought new seeds, and in the second year everything worked out.

I always grow my fennel from seedlings. I take the soil store for seedlings.

  1. Dry seeds are sown at the end of March in small cups, usually 2-3 seeds per cup. Fennel seeds are quite large.
  2. I water the crops, cover with foil. I take it off after the emergence of shoots (after about 1.5-2 weeks).
  3. When the seedlings grow up, I leave one in each glass. I usually grow 8-10 plants.
  4. I water the seedlings very carefully, because they are very delicate, thin in fennel.
Fennel can be sown directly into the ground:
  • seeds germinate at a temperature of 6–8 °C,
  • seedlings appear at the same time,
  • can withstand temperatures as low as -8 °C
How do I plant seedlings fennel in open ground

The time of planting fennel seedlings in the Altai Territory falls on the first ten days of June:

  1. I carefully transfer seedlings from cups to holes,
  2. I water well,
  3. I mulch with humus,
  4. I definitely shade for a few days.

Distance between plants - 50 cm.

How do I care for fennel

Fennel loves sunny places, fertile soil and timely watering.

  • During the summer, 1 time (in June) I feed fennel with a complex fertilizer for vegetables.
  • I regularly water, weed and loosen the soil near the bushes.

With good care, vegetable fennel can reach a height of 2 m!

Fennel grows

Against the backdrop of a blooming June garden, young fennel plants look like slugs. But two weeks will pass - and the fennel will move to growth, will begin to grow lush hair of emerald carved leaves, similar to dill, but only with an anise scent. Fennel bushes are especially beautiful after rain, when all the leaves are covered with droplets of moisture shining in the sun.

How do I harvest and harvest fennel seeds

In the phase of the beginning of the formation of fleshy thickenings at the bottom of the stem, I spud the plants, but not with earth, but with clean sand (or tie them with thick paper).

Learn more