How to Grow Fennel (Seed/Herb)

Planting Fennel (Seed/Herb)

Fennel (Seed/Herb) is a warm season herb in the Apiaceae family. Getting the timing right is the difference between a strong stand and a disappointing one, so the windows below are given relative to your own last spring frost and first fall frost rather than a generic calendar date. Look up your local frost dates and count back or forward from there.

Sow Fennel (Seed/Herb) directly into the garden 0–1 weeks after your last frost, once the soil has warmed.

Spacing and Planting Depth

Give Fennel (Seed/Herb) room to mature. The figures below come from verified extension and seed-supplier data for typical varieties.

Days to Maturity

Fennel (Seed/Herb) reaches maturity in 90–115 days from sowing.

Fennel (Seed/Herb) is ready to harvest after about 103 days. Harvest before the first fall frost, which will end the plant's productive season.

Conditions and Care

As a warm-season herb, Fennel (Seed/Herb) needs warm soil and settled weather to thrive, and is set back or killed by frost. It is half-hardy — it withstands light frost but should be protected from a hard freeze.

Fennel (Seed/Herb) needs full sun — give it at least six hours of direct light a day for the best growth and flavor. Sow seed about 0.25 inches deep — small seed is sown shallow and barely covered, then keep the soil evenly moist until seedlings establish.

Fennel (Seed/Herb) belongs to the Apiaceae family; rotating where you grow members of this family each year helps limit the build-up of soil-borne pests and disease. Fennel (Seed/Herb) is generally grown as a single planting each season rather than succession sown.

Companion Plants

Pairing Fennel (Seed/Herb) with the right neighbors can improve growth and deter pests; a few combinations are best avoided.

Keep away from: Tomato, Green Beans (Bush), Cilantro

Growing Notes

Grown for seed and foliage; allelopathic like other fennel.

Sources

• Cornell Extension