Hello @burgess8bs - I have had success with the fennel I planted in September! Dug up the first one today - a bulb was on the end!! Hooray!! Not only that, it is crisp and not at all stringy. So much for sowing them according to the packet: from June to September. From now on I will sow them in September.
tuckwhai34 Thanx for the post, will try doing the same go for September it was the right seed may have planted a little early. Enjoy the fruits of your garden.
Thanks @BobTheGardener for your encouraging remarks. I use the fronds when steaming fish too. Unfortunately, only 6 came up from the row I planted (about 18/20) but 6 goodies!
@burgess8bs Depending on where you are in the UK you may need to sow earlier than September. I am in the South of France so still very warm in September. We also had a very warm October this year. Weird changing seasons.
For my Belgian garden I could buy the plugs from April to mid June and then there were no more available so I assumed they are sensitive to heat and dryness. Haven't tried them here yet as have never seen the plugs available but I'll try an early spring sowing to beat the heatwaves and then another later one in September.
I do love fennel and the stuff sold here can be a bit stringy and nothing beats the flavour of freshly picked fennel, cooked or in a salad.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Those timings look good for your local climate, Obelixx. In the UK, we need to make use of the weather during the height of summer and they are best sown in July/August. As long as it is after midsummer's day, then the day-length will be shortening, so they won't automatically go to seed as those sown before June 21st will. Early sowings in April onwards will produce bulbs but you have to harvest them before the flower stalk starts to grow as the 'bulb' rapidly diminishes in size when it transfers all stored food into the flower.
A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
Interesting comments, thankyou. I have about 4 tiny fennel plants still in the ground on my allotment, and similar no in small pots that I never got round to planting out... I wonder if it's worth growing them on or should i just give them to the compost and start again?
@sthlndngrower Nothing grows in winter. Plants develop from September to November. After that, forget it unless you have a poly tunnel or plastic tunnel in which you could reap the benefits in spring. Silver beet seems to grow really slowly.
Posts
Thanx for the post, will try doing the same go for September it was the right seed may have planted a little early. Enjoy the fruits of your garden.
I do love fennel and the stuff sold here can be a bit stringy and nothing beats the flavour of freshly picked fennel, cooked or in a salad.
I have about 4 tiny fennel plants still in the ground on my allotment, and similar no in small pots that I never got round to planting out... I wonder if it's worth growing them on or should i just give them to the compost and start again?