Permapotes

Fennel

Fennel: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Florence fennel is a vegetable valued for its fleshy base, crisp texture and gently aniseed flavour. It brings a distinctive character to salads and warm dishes without the sharp taste of an onion. Its fine, airy foliage contrasts with the white or greenish-white bulk of the edible part. This combination gives it a recognisable outline in a vegetable garden, quite different from crops with broad, solid leaves.

It belongs to the species Foeniculum vulgare and the Apiaceae family, alongside carrots and celery. This vegetable form is also known as bulb fennel or finocchio. The so-called bulb consists of thickened, overlapping leaf bases. It is neither a swollen root nor a true bulb like an onion. These fleshy layers share a common base and extend upwards into leaf stalks, explaining the layered structure visible in the vegetable.

The leaves divide into very fine segments, giving the upper part of the plant a feathery appearance. They also have an aniseed fragrance and can be used as a herb. Florence fennel is generally grown as an annual vegetable, although the species can live longer. Once it flowers, the plant develops a taller stem carrying small yellow flowers in umbrella-shaped clusters called umbels.

Varieties differ in the shape, size and speed of development of their fleshy bases. Orion, Romanesco, Rondo, Solaris and Victorio are among the names available. Differences also include their tendency to bolt and the seasons to which they are suited. Early flowering changes the development of the vegetable. Cold, drought and root disturbance can contribute to this transition from leafy growth to reproduction.

Raw fennel offers a firm, juicy texture in dishes with citrus fruit, apples or olives. Cooking makes it softer, and its fragrance complements fish, poultry, soups and mixed vegetables. It also features in gratins, braised dishes and roasted vegetable combinations. Its appeal comes from both its distinctive aroma and the change in texture between raw and cooked preparations.

Herb fennel belongs to the same species but does not develop the same swollen base. It is mainly valued for its leaves and fruits, commonly called seeds. Anise is a separate plant altogether, so a similar flavour does not mean that the plants are botanically identical.

Fennel
Fennel
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Annual
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Frost Resistant
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Medium
  • Mature height : 60 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Not Required
  • Sowing Depth : 1 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 15 cm
  • Row Spacing : 40 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Moderate
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing