Grow a taste of Florence
Attractive feathery foliage and flavoursome white bulbs make this statuesque Mediterranean veg a surefire winner
Florence fennel has lashings of icy glamour, with its curved white aniseed bulbs and feathery green leaves. Such stonking good looks and slightly enigmatic nature makes it a seductive challenge for the home grower.
This Mediterranean vegetable is very clear about its likes and dislikes. Give it warmth, moisture and good drainage and you’ll be rewarded with large crisp ‘bulbs’ formed from overlapping layers of swollen leaf bases. They’re delicious cut raw into salads, baked or braised, where the lively aniseed flavour is softened and sweetened by cooking, and goes particularly well with fish, pork and oranges (see p76). ➤
Best planted later in the season, Florence fennel makes an attractive addition to the veg patch
Success with fennel
There are two keys to growing bulb fennel well: smooth growing conditions, and sowing in summer (mid-June to early August). Sow it too early (eg spring) and it has a tendency to run to flower rather than producing that luscious swollen base, especially if temperatures suddenly drop.
These plants like warm weather and a sunny site with fertile, moisture-retentive but well-drained soil. Add plenty of well-rotted organic matter to help your soil hold onto moisture and l Florence fennel – Foeniculum
– has a large white bulb at the bottom improve drainage with extra grit if you garden on heavier clay. Add some general purpose fertiliser before sowing. Crucially you’re aiming for steady, smooth growth with no checks at all whether from drought or sudden swings in temperature. One check Florence fennel really dislikes is root disturbance, meaning sowing into seed trays and pricking out is risky. Instead, sow direct (see step-by-step) or use modules, thinning to a single seedling and planting out as l Herb fennel – Foeniculum vulgare – has fluffy aromatic foliage, but doesn’t produce bulbs soon as the roots have filled their container.
Although specific in their growing requirements these plants are pleasantly pest and disease free, just be on your guard for slugs and snails damaging young seedlings.
Keep plants well watered and weed free and make sure there’s at least 30cm (12in) between neighbours. Don’t forget to eat any thinnings.
It takes around three months to make a good fat bulb, so later sowings will need protection with cloches or f leece. Or, if its late August heading into September, sow into modules and plant out under cover of a greenhouse or polytunnel for winter or spring crops.
You can harvest the bulbs at any size. If your garden is exposed, earth up the developing bulbs to stop them being toppled in the wind, this also helps whiten and sweeten the base but isn’t essential. Slice across the bulb at ground level and carry your prize straight to the kitchen. If you leave a slight stump behind and continue to water, you’ll find new shoots emerge, delicious added to an autumn minestrone. ✿
QCan Florence fennel be damaged by frost?
Florence fennel can cope with a little light frost, but anything severe will turn them brown. It’s best to use the bulbs quickly once temperatures fall. In the meantime, insulate them with extra fleece or put up cloche tunnels to keep off heavy rain.
QWhat is eating the seedlings? A
Fennel attracts slugs and snails and the newly emerged seedlings are a particular favourite snack. Try not to water in the evenings and remove any potential nearby slug and snail hiding places as well as clearing away any old foliage promptly. Lay organiccertified slug pellets (or grapefruit halves or melon skins as traps to lure them in) and then dispose of them.