FennelFoeniculum vulgare

Fennel

Fennels

1. Anethum foeniculum
2. Foeniculum officinale
3. Foeniculum capillaceum
4. Meum foeniculum

1. Sweet Fennel
2. Common Fennel
3. Garden Fennel

1. Finocchio

1. Frauenspiegel
2. Brotamen

1. Fenichal

1. Bulb Fennel
2. Florence Fennel

1. Fenel

1. NameFenchel

   Languagede

   Shared with

   1. Fenchelporling (Gloeophyllum odoratum)

   Clarification

   This entry refers to the vegetable plant, not the fungus.

1. Fennel
2. Foeniculum vulgare

1. Tracheophyta
2. Angiosperms
3. Eudicots
4. Asterids

Carrot family

1. Anethum graveolens
2. Carum carvi
3. Daucus carota

1. Bulb
2. Leaves
3. Seeds
4. Stems

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a versatile plant valued as a crunchy vegetable, an aromatic herb, and a medicinal plant.

Native to the Mediterranean, fennel has been used since antiquity as a spice and medicine, spreading across Europe via monastery gardens.

1. Tasksowing_indoor

   Label

   Indoor pre-culture

   Priorityhigh

   Months

   1. 3
   2. 4

   Conditionindoor_warmth

   Estimated effortmedium

   Notes

   Sow individually in pots; fennel dislikes transplanting.

1. Taskharvest

   Label

   Main harvest

   Priorityhigh

   Months

   1. 9
   2. 10

   Conditiondry_weather

   Estimated effortmedium

   Notes

   Cut bulbs just above the soil line.

Fennel does not get along well with tomatoes and other Apiaceae.

1. Sucking insects
2. Caterpillars

1. Powdery mildew
2. Leaf spot fungi

1. Consistent water supply
2. Maintain crop rotation
3. Avoid stress

Pay close attention to the base of the stems and the heart of the plant for rot.

1. Slugsclerotinia_rot

   Severityhigh

   Conditions

   1. High humidity
   2. Tight spacing

   Affected parts

   1. Bulb
   2. Stem base

   Prevention

   1. Wide spacing
   2. Avoid waterlogging

   Organic control

   1. Remove infected plants

1. Symptom

   Bulb turns soft and brown

   Possible causes

   1. sclerotinia_rot
   2. waterlogging

   First checks

   1. Check soil moisture
   2. Look for white fungal mycelium

1. Leaf discoloration
2. Bulb growth arrest

1. Germination
2. Leaf development
3. Bulb formation
4. Bolting (under stress)
5. Inflorescence emergence
6. Flowering
7. Fruit development
8. Seed ripening

Bulb fennel is usually harvested before flowering; herb/spice fennel is grown until seeds ripen.

July to September

Yellow

Compound umbel

July to November

September

Single harvest per plant (bulb); continuous (leaf greens).

1. Bulb has reached a diameter of 8-12 cm
2. Bulb feels firm and compact
3. Before flower stalks begin to emerge

Trim roots and long leaf stalks; optionally wrap leaves in a damp cloth.

Short to medium-term storage

1-2 weeks in the refrigerator; several months in moist sand in a cellar.

1. Drying (seeds and herbs)
2. Freezing (briefly blanched)
3. Pickling in vinegar or oil

Fresh vegetable, spice, and medicinal tea

Anise-like, sweet, aromatic

1. Raw in salads
2. Baked or gratinated
3. Steamed as a side dish
4. Seeds as bread or fish spice

1. Bulb
2. Leaves
3. Seeds
4. Stems
5. Pollen

1. Roots (inedible/woody)

Avoid fennel oil in high concentrations during pregnancy.

Very suitable; especially tender when young.

Crosses easily with dill and other fennel varieties.

Harvest umbels when seeds turn brown and detach easily.

Allow umbels to after-ripen, thresh, and separate from chaff using sieves.

Fennel is a herbaceous plant; the term 'woody' does not apply botanically, although stems can become tough and fibrous during seed ripening.

The umbel flowers are a magnet for hoverflies and parasitic wasps, which are important beneficial insects in the garden.

1. Never plant next to tomatoes.
2. Keep consistently moist to prevent bolting.
3. Earthing up makes the bulbs more tender.

Be careful with early sowings; cold leads to bolting.

Main growth period; watch for pests like aphids.