Latin Name: Foeniculum vulgare
Alternative Names: Florence fennel
Main Uses: Culinary, Medicinal
Days to Maturity: 80 days
Exposure: Full sun
Height: 120 - 150 cm (4 - 5 ft.)
Flower Color: Yellow (insignificant)
Flowering Time: Summer
Certified Organic: USDA Certified Organic

Germination: 7 - 14 days at 21° C.
Sowing: Direct-sow outdoors in fertile soil as soon as the ground can be worked. Keep moist until seedlings appear.
Seed Depth: 1/4”
Seeds Spacing: 2”. Thin to 8” - 12” when seedlings are 2” tall.
Row Spacing: 18”
Growing tips: When bulbs are about 2 1/2”, cover them with soil.

Growing in Containers: Not suited to containers.

Growing in Mixed Planters: Not suited for mixed planters.

Fertilizing (Garden): Plant in a garden bed amended with compost. No additional fertilizer is required.

Watering (Garden): Water daily for the first two weeks post transplanting, then only as conditions require.

Harvesting: Leaves may be harvested at any time. Bulbs are harvested when they are the size of a tennis ball.

Beneficials Attracted to this Plant: Fennel attracts a variety of beneficial insects including ladybugs, hoverflies, tachinid flies and beneficial parasitoid wasps. Aphids are said to be repelled by it.

Garden Companions: Fennel is said to be a companion plant to dill, improving the quality of the dill and vice-versa.

Suitability for Indoors: Not suited for indoors.