Fennel

[Spikeybell]

Hi does anyone have any experience of growing fennel, I have been asking around and no one seems to know if it grows above or below ground, do I need to push the soil up like with leeks and stuff

[Earthbabe]

Hi Spikeybell and welcome to the vine.

I presume you mean florence fennel. I believe it grows on top of the ground as it is the swollen stem of the plant.

I don't think they need earthing up.

[Flummery]

Lesley grows it and rates it highly. I reckon she'll be along soon to let you know. I don't think she earths up.

Welcome to the grapevine, source of all knowledge (some of it quite surprising!)

[dexterdoglancashire]

I grew it last year for the first time - no problems, although it was (methinks) very late for sowing it - around late July (you can just see the seedlings in Dexters photo).
Sow mid spring to mid summer. They should germinate after 2 weeks at 10C. If sowing outside thin to 12" apart (rows 6" apart). They take 10 - 12 weeks to maturity.
Otherwise plant out when the seedlings have 3 - 4 leaves and water regularly. Mulch is good. Harvest when the bulb is the size of an apple, cutting it to leave a 1" stump to produce leafy sideshoots for flavouring. Good luck! Do give it a try! Bernie

[Spikeybell]

thanks for the advice I look forward to what lesley has to say

[Spikeybell]

Lesley
Thanks so much for the advice, I put the seeds in a few weeks ago and luckily not that many came up but I did thin then last week and was a bit worried that they would die, but they seem to be coming on great, after trying root vegetables last year I found the antisipation of waiting to see what was going on underground too much... I tended to pull everything too early... so to keep me from pulling up veg too soon, I wanted to grow above ground veg, so glad to hear that I will be able to see what is going on with the fennel.

On the pulling veg too soon thread, how do you know when to pull up potatoes?

[Snadger]

Grew it once, it all matured at the same time(must have been an F1 variety)

I had loads and didn't know what to do with it.


As Lesley says, it needs the soil to be warm but is very quick growing. If it has a check in growth in any way it has a tendency to run to seed!

[queen of the cobs]

what feed do you use Lesley? I'm growing fennel for the first time this year.

[chickenjane]

I used to frow it in the old days. Pretty easy once it gets going.

This year I started them in a seed bed, not pots (fool) & didn't have the space to move them til a couple of days ago

Anyone out there had experience of transplanting them?

do they all bolt or have a got a chanceof some decent bulbs?