Fennel Sweet Florence

Fennel has a unique sweet liquorice-like flavour with some citrus notes. Sweet Florence is an old traditional variety of Fennel.

Fennel grows a white ‘bulb’ at ground level made up of the overlapping bases of the leaf stalks. Leaves have hollow stalks with fine feathery foliage.

Difficulty: Easy

Soil: Rich, Fertile, Well-Draining

Sowing: Early to mid Summer

Germination: 10-14 Days

Days to Maturity: 90-100 Days

Position: Full Sun

Spacing: 30 x 30 cm

Sow Depth: 5mm

Height: Up to 2m high and 60cm wide. Bulbs are generally 3-5cm wide and 10-15cm high.

Growing notes:

Fennel grows well in warm climates with rich, fertile, moist but well draining soil. Fennel can also grow in containers at least 40cm wide with a rich compost and soil mixture. Make sure water can properly drain as Fennel does not like waterlogged soil.

Water regularly and do not let the soil dry out too much. This will help plants grow strong.

Bulbs can take 3 to 4 months to mature. However, one can harvest at any size. Small bulbs can be harvested as early as 6 weeks. Mature bulb sizes are generally 10 to 15cm. Be sure to harvest before bulbs grow flower stems. When plants are left to bolt, the bulbs will become woody.

Uses:

Fennel has a sweet liquorice flavour that gos really well with fish. Fennel is also use in Chicken, Lamb and salad dishes.

Origins:

Fennel is said to originate from the Mediterranean. However, the Sweet Florence variety was only developed in the 17th Century in Italy. India is the world leader in Fennel seed production.

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