As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The leaves and fronds should be laid to dry too. Receive the Gardenista newsletter in your inbox daily. It's great to help balance the strong taste of fish, especially salmon. Being a diuretic, Fennel is also an aid for water retention. Required fields are marked *. It’s a fantastic herb that every cook should have in his or her potager garden! You will want to keep the soil moist until they sprout, too. After they are fully hardened, I plan to use them as sticks in the garden to support plants. You will need to water more often during hot, dry periods. The volatile oils and chemicals responsible for the tastes and smells of herbs can also have notable health benefits. It can also attract certain predatory insects, like parasitic wasps and ladybugs. Therefore, I plant my fennel by seed. Not only are the two plants closely related, but it is possible for cross-pollination to leave your fennel tasting strange and unappetizing. I am hoping like crazy it will come back this upcoming summer as strong as it was last summer! The predators will feed upon the pests without you having to do any work on your part. Common fennel produces large branches that can reach up to five feet in height. If you have this herb growing near you, you are so lucky! When it comes to diseases, you may notice a few fungal issues, but these are rare, especially if you follow good spacing recommendations and watering hygiene. When you do, you'll get access to the free password protected Resource Library with free eBooks, checklists, guides, and more! Flavoring herbal tea with fennel … I’m excited to see how well my fennel does this year in the garden. SOURCEBOOK FOR THE CONSIDERED HOME In addition, it's a great urinary tract support herb and also helps with constipation. Leave them there for a few days, then shake the heads. Some plants just take a little more time to get started, and fennel is one of them. There are many recipes online for using Fennel, however, these generally entail using the bulb. After steeping for 5 to 20 minutes (it gets pretty strong quickly), strain out the leaves and enjoy the tea! Fennel prefers slightly acidic soil, so consider amending your garden soil ahead of time, before you plant. You may also be interested in reading these related foraging articles: Tips for Foraging and Wildcrafting Herbs Safely & Successfully, and LOTS more foraging articles on the blog! Meet our editorial team, see our book, and get the inside scoop on upcoming Gardenista events. The soils should remain consistently moist. There is Fennel Candy available or you can even easily make your own: I found this recipe from the website, "Food52" and it is by Poppies and Papayas. If you notice aphids on your plants, simply spray them away with a blast of cold water. It's great as a breath freshener too! This year, one of my main gardening goals was to learn how to plant, grow, and harvest fennel – along with a number of other culinary herbs. If you want, after you chop up the leaves, you could just store all the parts together in an airtight container---or keep them separate---it's up to you. Above: Most of the seeds will dry and drop off the flowers. The best time to harvest Fennel is in the early morning, when the plant is freshest. All rights reserved. You’ll follow the same sowing procedures mentioned above, except you should do this by sowing thinly in seed starting trays. Once the weather really warms up and summer kicks into full force, I have no doubt that I’ll be harvesting tons of fennel in no time. Once blossoms appear on your plant, you can either punch them off to prevent the flower from going to seed, or leave them be – the plant will attract beneficial insects once it has flowered. Fennel smells lovely. Otherwise, fennel isn’t a great companion plant for other plants in your garden in a traditional sense. It will be hard for you to transplant without disturbing the roots. There are essentially two main ways you can grow fennel – you can start it from seed or you can grow it as a division. It has tiny delicate fronds (somewhat like Dill) as well as leaves and a more woody stalk that holds the plant upright. Some of my other herbs (especially the lemon balm) have done quite well, and although my fennel is still holding its own, it hasn’t quite gone through the explosive growth process that the other herbs have as of yet. You will need to water more often during hot, dry periods. You can also use insecticidal soap, but this isn’t usually necessary. You can also deadhead it for seed harvest. Above: Stalks of fennel with dried out flowers. My favorite way to preserve Fennel is to infuse the dried fronds/seeds in Vinegars. Instead, I like to use this herb as a seasoning for fish and eggs. The tea is also excellent for lactating mothers who want to improve their milk flow. Above: Clip the top of the stalks with the flower heads and place them on a tray in a dark place to dry. You can use Fennel to make a medicinal tincture OR you can use it as a drink! Leave comments in the comments section! You will want to make sure you choose a pot that is large enough, as fennel produces a large taproot that requires lots of depth. Weed, anyone? You will want to transplant when your plants are less than six weeks old and four inches tall. SOURCEBOOK FOR CONSIDERED LIVING This takes just a couple of minutes. Starting from scratch or upgrading an outdoor space? What are some of the ways you use fennel? The Homesteading Hippy is a participant in the Amazon Services L.L.C. Carefully cut the flower umbrels and lay them flat. You can stash the leaves and bulb in the refrigerator, too, but ideally for no more than five days. You will know that your leaves are ready for harvest when they are green – you can harvest leaves throughout the entire growing season. The definitive guide to stylish outdoor spaces, with garden tours, hardscape help, plant primers, and daily design news. P.S. I say, "Explore!"

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