Fennel

Plant family

Umbellifers (Apiaceae)

Season Overview

Details

Light requirement

Sunny

Water requirement

Wet

Soil

Light (sandy)

Nutrient requirement

Medium

Plant distance

20 cm

Row spacing

30 cm

Seeding depth

2 cm

Instructions

Beginning of February

Propagating

Beginning of March

Transplanting

Mid of March

Harden

Description

Fennel is a perennial herb of the umbellifer family that grows up to 2 m high. Fennel seeds, fennel leaves and the fennel bulb are used, each with the characteristic sweet scent caused by essential oils. A distinction is made between spicy fennel, bitter fennel and tuberous fennel. The latter forms a whitish storage bulb near the ground, which, if not harvested, ensures the new sprouting of the fennel plant in the following year.

Growing tips

Fennel is a dark germinator that requires an even supply of water and nutrients. It can be sown directly or grown in seed trays. Spice fennel is sown earlier (early April to early May) than vegetable fennel (mid-June to mid-July). Laying leaves around the bulb protects it from the cold in the fall. Tuber fennel can be harvested when the bulb is about the size of a fist, while fennel can be harvested when the fruitlets turn brown.