Chocked full of Vitamin C , Potassium , Phosphorus and a full cooking stove of the B Vitamins , growing fennel is an edible gardener ’s pipe dream - ejaculate - dependable .
Below you will find a verbal description of the fennel works , including its summit , hardiness , and flower ; light , wet , and soil requirements ; cultivation point for continue your growing fennel healthy and tasty ; our favorite variety for fennel leaf and fennel bulb ( they are unlike ! ) ; and some ideas for how to use finocchio bulb and finocchio fronds in your domicile .
limited bonus section : bottle up fennel go wild , a must - take section for those of you in Mediterranean climates ( California , et al ) .
Description
A cousin-german of Queen Anne ’s Lace , dill , and the baseborn carrot , common fennel has a like lacy quality to its foliage and the same umbel ( umbrella - like ) flush , this time in bright yellow .
Fennel can accomplish 6 feet in height , particularly when in bloom , and returns each year after die back , making it an herbaceous perennial .
Fennel and aniseed : are closely related , but are not the same . Botanically , anise is Pimpinella anisum .
I ’ve discover it argued that anise plant is the herb , and fennel a vegetable . No matter what your posture on that , save anise seeds for Henry Sweet and for some Asian dishful ( anise plant is a member of the Chinese Five Spice ) . Use fennel for savory foods , like sausage - y looker and stuffings .
Light, Moisture, and Soil Requirements
Did you know ? This is the flora with which Prometheus is said to have used to steal fervour from the graven image ! This Greek and Roman heritage also prefigure its idealistic cultivation :
Light : warm summer sun , 6 hours or more a day is idealistic .
wet : restrained to dry wet
dirt : comparatively loose , gritty soils . You in the Great Compromiser country ? Dig in last year ’s leaves and lots of sand . In fact , consider a batch .
While some soil nutrition is necessary , this is n’t a works that will beg you for the mercifulness of side - dress fertilizer . Save that labor for the more thankful .
Cultivation Tips for Growing Fennel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLfm8uQTXEE
Starting from cum , seedling , or a root abbreviate all works , with root division possibly being the easiest .
Speaking of source , you ’ll want to snip off the ( comestible ! ) flowers before they go to seed . You also ask to place fennel far from dill in your yard , as the two will intersect pollenate and create an odd tasting germ that will NOT better your pickling recipes .
Growing Florence fennel : Given the “ invasive if the soil is right ” ( California ) and “ need major sand and gritstone add-on if the soil is wrong”(east coast clay ) stance of this plant , it ’s a fair bet for a large container .
Varieties to Try
For Fennel Bulb : the best bulbs add up from varieties labeled finocchio orFlorence . These more or less stockier plants hold a sweet taste in the thick , high-sounding foliage bases .
For Fennel Fronds : ‘ Purpureum ’ fennel , also known as ‘ bronze - bequeath ’ or ‘ smoky ’ Florence fennel put up purple , copper , and bronze - toned foliation with the original vivacious yellow-bellied flowers . Not just moderately , these super tasty varieties are great in salads . The color is helpful in the kitchen when you ’ve reap a basket full of herbs and need to distinguish it from the Anethum graveolens .
Uses of Fennel
common fennel seeds and leaf are a main - stay in cuisine from the Mediterranean to the Amerind sub - continent . Personally , I never leave an Indian eating place without seize a handful of cum on my way out . reckon them a digestif .
Fennel bulb can be eaten cooked or raw ; it was an acquired sense of taste for me , but my friend Julie take to it like a duck’s egg to water . We ’ll get some recipe up here soon to help you braise it properly .
Is Your Fennel Running Amok?
Here ’s some tips , plus a link to the California Invasive Plant Council page on fennel .
– do n’t cut it while it ’s in seed . That just scatters them further .
– like most other invasive plant , fennel dashes into upset smear and typeset up shop super quick . This is a huge argument to not abandon upset soil . Get in there and go around your preferable tight germinating seeded player ASAP . This last for herbicide use of goods and services too . Never just Round - up and walk away , reseed within hours . Nature abhors a vacuum and will sate that if you do n’t .
– if you do find you need to spray it , early spring is the clock time . afterward in the summertime it ’ll take far more atomiser to be anywhere nigh as in effect . spoiled for the planet , bad for your wallet .
– digging it up by hand is the most effectual . It is also the most labor intensive . See if your fun team will count this as exercise time for your team - broad seaworthiness challenge .
