10 Gardening Tips For Growing Your Own Fennel

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00:0010 Gardening Tips for Growing Your Own Fennel

00:04Start seeds indoors or direct sowing at the right time.

00:07Sow at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Start indoors four to six weeks early. Thin to 12 inches for strong

00:14roots and sturdy, floriferous plants. Encourage beneficial insects. Fennel umbels attract

00:20hoverflies, parasitic wasps, and solitary bees. Avoid broad insecticides and provide shallow water

00:27to enhance beneficial activity. Fertilize sparingly. Fennel prefers lean soil. Add light compost and

00:35avoid heavy nitrogen. If growth lags, side dress with balanced 555 fertilizer. Choose the right

00:42variety. Florence fennel forms bulbs and resists bolting. Common fennel offers fronds and seeds.

00:49Space bulbs 12 to 18 inches apart. Provide consistent moisture. Water deeply about one inch weakly.

00:56Mulch to retain moisture. Avoid soggy soil to prevent rot and discourage ground nesting bees.

01:03Control its invasive tendencies. Prevent rampant self-seeding by deadheading or harvesting seed

01:09heads. Favor Florence fennel and remove spent umbels promptly to contain spread. Thin seedlings for

01:15bulb development. Thin to 12 to 18 inches. Sniffing extras at soil level. Improved spacing boosts bulb size,

01:22airflow, and beneficial insect movement. Harvest leaves, bulbs, and seeds at peak times. Young fennel

01:29is best harvested early morning when oils are concentrated. For bulbs, wait until they reach

01:34two to four inches in diameter and dig out gently. Plant in full sun. Provide at least six hours of sun

01:42for sturdy growth and plentiful umbels. Containers near south walls can supplement light. Blanch bulbs for

01:48tender texture. Hill soil or mulch around enlarging bulbs to exclude light. Then uncover before harvest

01:55for sweet, crisp, delicately flavored fennel.