Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• 15 to 20 well-formed bulbs
• support poles and string
• overwintering strategy
POLLINATION NOTES
Fennel is an outcrosser whose tender, yellow umbels are visited by countless
insect pollinators, the most effective of these being the hoverfly. Self-pollination can also occur.
GROWING FOR SEED
Florence fennel
is grown as an annual for food but is a biennial when growing for seed. It is hardy to
zone 5. Fennel is a long-day plant that easily blossoms in the spring. Bolt-resistant varieties allow
more time for the bulb to develop; these varieties can go to seed in the first year, if the growing season
is long enough. In wine-growing climates, early sowings of fennel can also go to seed in the first year
and can be selected for bolting vigor. Seeds take a long time to ripen, and a cool, damp late summer/
autumn can ruin them. To prevent this, cut stalks back to 8 in. (20 cm), pot the plants, and overwinter
them in a frost-proof yet dry environment (root cellars are too damp; bulbs rot quickly). Second-year
fennel plants bolt quickly, which allows plenty of time for seeds to completely ripen.
Fennel seeds
