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Florence Fennel

Veg Type:

Bulbs

Growing Location:

Outdoors

Why Grow It

A delicious, white, aniseed-flavoured bulb that will be ready to eat in four months. Worth growing for its pretty foliage alone. It’s a little tricky to grow, but definitely worth a try.

Recommended Variety

Romanesco
Rondo F1

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Sowing

Florence fennel is a Mediterranean crop that needs warm growing conditions, so it should be grown in the summer.
If exposed to fluctuating or low temperatures it will be at risk of bolting.
Florence fennel can be sown in modules for later transplanting or directly into soil.
If sowing in modules, sow one seed per module from late April to July.
If sowing direct, sow from late May till July, 1cm deep, thinly, in rows 30cm apart.

Growing

Plants will be ready for transplanting when they around 10-15cm high.
Space 30cm apart in rows 30cm apart and thin direct sown crops to the same spacing.
Don’t allow the soil to dry out as this can encourage bolting
Florence fennel will grow in any reasonably fertile soil.

Harvesting

Expect bulbs to be ready 14-16 weeks after sowing (the bulb should be 7cm across).
Cut the bulb off at ground level. Further, feathery shoots will appear, which can be used as celery/dill-flavoured seasoning in the kitchen.
Snip the leaves off the bulb – if you leave them on, they draw the moisture out of the bulb.

TIPS

Urbanites rejoice, for fennel can be grown in 13cm-deep pots.
The bulb, the celery-like stalks and the feathery leaves can all be eaten.

Problems

Slugs are a problem at seedling stage. For more info on dealing with pests click here.