How to Grow Fennel

Category: 

Vegetable

Planting Time:

Late Spring (Indoors) to late Summer

Harvest Time:

Approx. 12 - 14 weeks

Difficulty:

Moderate

Planting & Care Instructions:

Fennel is best started in late Spring (May) indoors in cell trays
Fill your pots or cell trays with compost and press down lightly to firm the soil
Water the soil prior to sowing your seeds
Create small wells approx. a quarter of an inch deep and sow 2 seeds per cell at least an inch apart
Cover the seeds with compost and gently pat down to firm, giving the soil another light watering
Once the seedlings are a few inches tall, they can be transplanted outdoors to a soil bed
Space the fennel plants approx. 6 - 8 inches apart when planting
Fennel bulbs will start to emerge at the base of the foliage stems
The bulbs can be harvested at any point once they have reached at least 3 inches in diameter
Pull up the whole plant at the bulb to harvest, cutting away most of the foliage and just above the roots
Fennel bulbs are sweeter when harvested smaller