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Tall not fat Florence fennel bulbs

sally748sally748 Posts: 29
in Fruit & veg
My Florence fennel has bulbs which taste good but they are really tall, not the lovely fat bulbs I was hoping for. They were planted late (seeds sown directly into a raised bed in mid June). Could that be the reason?

Posts

  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,385
    They are day length sensitive so best planted after midsummer's day, otherwise they usually produce a flowering stem which takes all of the stored energy in the bulb, which shrinks and lengthens.  They grow very quickly so still reach a decent size when sown in July.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • sally748sally748 Posts: 29
    Thank you Bob. I am in Cumbria too so not as warm as further south but more hours of daylight so you may well have hit the mail
    on the head.
  • throughthe pagodathroughthe pagoda Posts: 10
    I sowed 2 rows of Florence fennel last year. All grew lovely tops but no bulbs at all. Where did I go wrong?
  • throughthe pagodathroughthe pagoda Posts: 10
    Hi me again, I live on the Cambridgeshire/ Suffolk border. I thought I had followed the seed packet instructions.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    edited January 2021
    Time of sowing; time of planting out; soil quality; moisture levels.  Are you sure you sowed Florence fennel and not herb fennel which grows differently?

    Have a read of this - https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own/vegetables/florence-fennel 
    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)."
    Plato
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    1 thing I've found as a relatively newbie (4th year with a big garden) is that the dates on seed packets are very wide in there sowing dates. I have sown many seeds according to the instructions then had a failure when posting on here people have quickly said it was too early/late. Experience helps and also asking on here gives you a vast amount of experience to use.
  • raisingirlraisingirl Posts: 7,093
    It's not an easy one to grow. I usually sow a row of 8 or 12 and am happy if I get 3 or 4 decent bulbs out of it. They seem to very sensitive to food and moisture - too much or too little of either and they bolt or sulk and they also don't like wind rock. Bit of a princess plant. 
    Gardening on the edge of Exmoor, in Devon

    “It's still magic even if you know how it's done.” 
  • sally748sally748 Posts: 29
    raisingirl said:
    It's not an easy one to grow. I usually sow a row of 8 or 12 and am happy if I get 3 or 4 decent bulbs out of it. They seem to very sensitive to food and moisture - too much or too little of either and they bolt or sulk and they also don't like wind rock. Bit of a princess plant. 

    but really good to eat if you can get some to grow :)
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