About Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare dulce)
To avoid confusion: there are three main types of plant called "fennel" (which they all
are): "Florence fennel", or finocchio, a type with a greatly enlarged bulb meant for
use as a vegetable; common fennel, a wild plant of little culinary use (sometimes called
"bitter fennel"); and "sweet fennel"--what we are dealing with here--a plant grown mainly
for its seeds used as a spice, but also, like all its Umbellifrae kin, edible from
top to bottom.
Fennel "seed"--which, as with several other "seed" spices is actually a fruit, not itself a
true seed--is one of that fairly large class of more or less anise (or "licorice") flavored
condiments (which include anise itself), and is used in many national cuisines.
Cultivars
Home-garden seed catalogues rarely distinguish sweet fennel cultivars save as "green" and
"bronze", distinctions which deal only with the appearance of the growing plant, not the
"seeds" (which are fruits). (So-called "bronze fennel" is sometimes listed as Foeniculum
vulgare 'Purpurascens'). One university source stated that the types--bronze, green,
and various cultivars of each--all taste much alike. But it's not like we have a lot of
choice anyway.
Planting
Timing
Fennel can be planted either in early spring or in the fall. The plant generally makes it
through winter with no trouble, so seeds can even be planted in late fall to get the plant
growing very early in spring. Fennel reportedly takes about 80 days before the stems reach
full size, then "a few weeks" more for the seeds to form. If we call that 100 days, we can
probably sow our fennel hereabouts anytime from early to late May for harvest around the end
of August.
The Bed
The general rule for herb and spice plants is that their soil needs are not demanding, save
that the soil must be very well-drained: few herb or spice plants can stand "wet feet".
The soil should not be particularly rich, most especially not for flavoring plants we
grow for their seed (or fruit), common mis-advice to the contrary notwithstanding: a rich
soil will lower the concentration of the "aromatic oils" that give the seed its
characteristic flavor, which is the very thing we are growing them for. Plants that are
slightly nutrient-stressed (which doesn't mean starved) give better-tasting seed.
Fennel generally follows that pattern; but the crucial thing to know about fennel is that
you do not want it growing close to any other plant, and most especially nowhere near
other members of the Umbellifrae family, which is a large one. It inhibits the
growth of most plants, and readily cross-pollinates with its kin to give useless results on
both plants. Grow it by itself off in a corner of the garden, or in pots placed well away
from the herb bed (and your carrots).
Be aware that fennel, like its close kin, develops a pretty long taproot.
Planting Out
Fennel is, for a seed plant, rather luxuriant in its growth, and needs more space than is
usual for such plants, though just how much is unclear. One source says 10 to 12 inches
apart, another says 18 inches, yet another says the plants can get up to a yard across. If
we were growing it, we'd plant at 12 inches and pull plants as needed if they start crowding
badly. (Fennel will, though, undoubtedly get tall, 3 or 4 or even sometimes 5 feet high.)
Just plant the seeds about ¼ inch deep in lightly moist soil. One gardener commented
that the stuff grows so freely and vigorously that it could probably crack through concrete
(a remark not to be taken literally).
Growing
As with virtually all seed-spice plants, keeping watering down concentrates the wanted
flavor in the seeds.
At harvest, fennel needs the usual care of seed-yielding plants: keep a close eye on your
crop and harvest plants individually, lest the heads shatter prematurely, or loosely secure
a permeable mini-bag (cheesecloth or old row-cover pieces) around each seed head to collect
any premature seed releases. When a plant is ready--the seeds have start to turn brown--cut
the plant. Hang cut plants to dry over a catch-cloth; when they are thoroughly dry, dump
them into a holding bag (which you will later use for threshing them).
When your crop is fully harvested, thresh the lot: beat the holding bag in which you have
collected them against a hard surface to dislodge the seeds. Sift the loose seeds through a
3-inch mesh hardware cloth to remove the chaff. Make absolutely, positively
sure the seeds are thoroughly dried before putting them away for storage (in the
usual manner for dried herbs and spices: an airtight container stored in a dark place,
preferably a cool one).
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