Fennel. Harvesting and Storing Florence Fennel. They are there but flat! we have minus 30 celcius winters and a friend has a huge plant , they tell me its a perenial and gave me some seeds they harvest every year, the plant is about 5 ft tall and did not see any bulbs. How to grow fennel Cultivation. ", "Can Fennel be grown as a perenial in Edmonton,Canada? Sow the seeds 1/8 to ¼ inch deep. Thank you", "Thanks for sharing that Maryann. Herb fennel is probably the type you have, given that it has grown to 6ft tall. It would be nice to lend a helping hand. I use them sliced up in stews or under neath roasts. What do you think? By midsummer the soil will have warmed up more than adequately and success will be all but assured. Despite its sun-kissed origins, however, bulb fennel will not tolerate dry conditions.

Beware the thick canopies of the potato, which exclude all but the heaviest downpours of rain. Florence fennel is grown as an annual - sown in the spring/early summer and harvested before it gets cold in the fall. I have been sent the Caillard's Fenouil Fino Race Zefa bulb seeds from Europe and hope to grow them for seeds and bulbs. I do wonder however, if the prolific roadside fennel (with seeds for cooking) will contaminate the new European bulb seeds if the bees keep up their good work?. New shoots follow from the base in spring. As it grows reasonably quickly I'd be inclined just to start afresh next year by sowing a new crop. Container Growing . Water in well and keep moist. Florence fennel also called Sweet Fennel and Finocchio in Italy is one of my absolute favourite plants to grow. ", "Wow Lynette, that's a brilliant idea! Florence Fennel Varieties to Grow. Sow the seeds into weed-free soil that’s been raked to a fine texture, setting seeds about 1cm (0.5in) deep. When I make it I sneak a few onion slices in and she doesn't suspect a thing. There’s no hurry to lift them out for the compost bin. How do I tell please?

Fennel in full flower is a stunning sight and you could even put the case that your fennel is acting as pollinator/pest predator provider!

If one or two plants do stretch to flower, don’t despair. Living in S.A. in Adelaide Hills. e=mail me at alobo01@hotmail.com", "Can fennel be grown as a perrenial in Edmonton,Canada?

Can I Grow Fennel From Cuttings? Water plants as necessary to keep them growing away strongly. Fennel require soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0, so you may need to add lime to raise the pH. Yes, fennel should grow in Okanagan. But you could certainly give it a go. Swallowtail butterflies need fennel to host their caterpillars on. I tried 2 bulb fennel plants this spring and they are still in the ground. Add your own thoughts on the subject of this article: You will notice side shoots springing up in a few weeks. I live in Whanganui New Zealand with a very temperate climate so I'm choosing early summer planting. ", "My wife dosn't like onions. Common fennel does not produce a bulb. Both grow best in a fertile, moist but well-drained soil. At this time of the year we pay close to $US10.00 for one mature bulb from the retailers. Water during any dry spells and apply a mulch of grass clippings or similar around the plants to lock it in. It is grown for its delicate leaves, which are used as a herb. ", "its also delicious as a salad.thinly slice fennel in a bowl with orange segments with membrane removed, olive oil, salt and pepper.

... Fennel grows fairly tall – up to 5-feet – so plan accordingly. Fennel germinates quickly in soils that are well-drained and in a sunny location. Florence fennel grows best during warm summers and needs an open, sunny site. Our gardens and farms would begin disappearing very the years. However you use your bulb fennel you’ll be pleased you made the sowing. (We won't display this on the website or use it for marketing), (Please enter the code above to help prevent spam on this article), Recent Innovations in Vegetable Varieties, Growing Blueberries from Planting to Harvest. The bonus take of feathery shoots is both delicious and delicate. Look out for them. Its about 6ft tall. The yellow umbels that follow not only look fantastic but are a powerful draw for all manner of beneficial insects. Soil that was manured for a previous crop and that’s topped with a mulch of organic matter will stand a better chance at retaining that all-important soil moisture. Modern varieties are proving ever more resistant to bolting. Let us know how you get on. Having lifted all of your spuds the soil that’s left has a tendency to be dust-dry. Plant it in the back of the herb garden or in your vegetable garden. I live in the Fraser Valley of BC. Ot try fennel, cukes, cabbage.....just use what you have that is crunchy! While a moisture-starved soil isn’t necessarily bad for the plant itself, it’s not great news for us; dry soil encourages plants to run to flower prematurely at the expense of those juicy bulbs. Thank you for your answer.

As long as you take great care to lift up as much of the root system undisturbed as possible, you should be fine. our winters are really cold and a friend harvests seeds from his plant each year. Fennel self-sows easily, so it's likely that if you plant it once, you'll see fennel popping up in your garden each spring thereafter. ", "I am in Oklahoma and the summers here can get very hot and dry. Grow fennel in full sun.

Florence fennel is grown for its swollen bulb and eaten as a vegetable, whereas common (or sweet) fennel is a tall (up to 180cm) perennial herb grown for its seeds and feathery foliage and is often used as a substitute for dill. Foliage and seeds have an anise-like flavor. If you are sowing fresh seed then they will go on to produce bulbs.

am going to try them. Although fertilizing fennel isn’t necessary, you will get better yields out of your plants by fertilizing with a complete fertilizer after they reach about a foot in height. You can plant fennel in the ground or in containers. Is there any point to grow them in the winter in pots in my small glasshouse and replant them in spring to the garden? ", "is it possible for me to grow this in a long pot on my kitchen window sill? You should be fine growing fennel where you are - just make sure to keep plants well watered so that they are not under any water stress.