Spiced fennel: cultivation, care & overwintering

Spiced fennel has been used as a medicinal and culinary herb since ancient times. The large yellow flower umbels of the vigorous perennial are a real eye-catcher.

The filigree leaves of the spice fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce) give many dishes an aromatic taste. The seeds have also long been valued for their healing powers. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about the cultivation, care and use of the medicinal herb.

Spiced fennel: origin and properties

The spiced fennel or sweet fennel belongs to the umbelliferae family (Apiaceae). The natural range extends from Central Europe to North Africa to West Asia, but nowadays the plant can be found in many parts of the world. It is a biennial plant that forms large double umbels with many yellow individual flowers in the second year from July. Between October and November the seeds ripen, which are elongated and crescent-shaped. The leaves are also elongated, thin and pinnate several times. Since the individual spice fennel leaves are not particularly large, the plants produce many of them. Depending on the nutrients, water and space available, spice fennel plants are between 50 and 150 cm tall. In contrast to tuberous fennel, the spiced fennel does not form a thickened tuber at the bottom.

Spiced fennel has been used as a remedy by Egyptians, Romans and Greeks for over 4000 years. To do this, the seeds were boiled as tea. The filigree leaves can be used as a spice in the kitchen and are reminiscent of aniseed in taste.

The real fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is divided into three varieties, which differ mainly in the appearance and use of the plant:

• Spiced Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce): The seeds of the spiced fennel are used as a spice or made into tea. The leaves can be used as culinary herbs. A special kind of spiced fennel is Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce ‘Rubrum’, which is also called bronze fennel. The pinnate leaves are bronze-colored and an eye-catcher in every garden.
• Tuberous fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum): This variety is also known as vegetable or onion fennel. This is where the thickened tuber is eaten.
• Wild fennel (Foeniculum vulgare var. vulgar): Wild fennel is also called bitter fennel. This is the wild form that was used by the Romans as a medicinal plant in ancient times.

Growing spiced fennel: location and procedure

Spiced fennel is a sun-loving perennial that prefers a nutrient-rich and humus-rich soil. If you want to harvest the seeds, you will have to wait until late autumn of the second year. The soil should be rich in lime and have a neutral to slightly basic pH value. Since the young plants are still sensitive and are eaten by snails, it is advisable to move them forward on the windowsill from April. From mid-May, the seeds can also be sown directly in the open.

Tip: In order to maintain healthy plants, make sure that the crop rotation in the garden changes and do not plant spiced fennels after umbelliferous plants. These include, for example, dill, carrots, caraway seeds, parsnips or ground grass.

Sowing and growing of spiced fennel:

• Sow in pots from April; to do this, fill plant pots with cultivation soil; our Plantura organic herb & seed compost With its pH value of 6.1 to 6.9, it is ideal for growing young plants; Press the earth firmly into the pots.
• Place 1 - 2 seeds per pot at a depth of 5 mm and cover with soil.
• Water the seeds well; then set up in a bright place at around 20 - 25 ° C; Germination after about a week.
• After germination: move to a place with 15 - 18 ° C for healthy plant development; to harden on warm days, put in the shade at first by the hour, then longer outdoors.
• From mid-May: plant out in the field at a distance of 50 cm.
• Water well and provide enough water for the next few days as soon as wilt occurs.

Tip: Spiced fennel is also suitable for growing in a bucket. Use a loose soil that has a high water storage capacity. Our Plantura organic tomato & vegetable soil is, for example, rich in nutrients, peat-free and, thanks to the coconut pulp it contains, can hold water readily. Put the pot in a sunny spot. The plants need to be watered regularly, especially on hot days.

Spiced fennel in mixed culture: Fennel goes well with peas, cucumber, celery, leek or lamb's lettuce in the bed. Avoid tomatoes as direct neighbors.

Care of sweet fennel

The plants require relatively little care. Spiced fennel should be sufficiently watered during prolonged drought. Weeds should be removed regularly from young plants so that the fennel plants are not in sharp competition for water, light and nutrients. In the spring of the second year, dried shoots can be removed. In the case of nutrient-poor soils, fertilization when planting and one in early summer makes sense. A long-term fertilizer like ours is suitable for this Plantura organic tomato fertilizer, which, in addition to fennel, can also be used for many other vegetable crops. The nutrients in the organic fertilizer are released over a period of over three months and ensure good growth.

Is spiced fennel hardy? Young fennel plants and fennel in pots should be protected from frost. On the other hand, vigorous plants in the open do not need special protection. Most of the shoots die over the winter, but this is normal. The plant then sprouts again the following year.

Harvesting and using spiced fennel

During the summer, the tender leaves can be used as a spice in the kitchen. The taste of the leaves is reminiscent of anise and they are suitable for use in dips, sauces and salads. The seeds are used in naturopathy for digestive complaints, respiratory diseases and during pregnancy as a tea. The seeds are also used in the kitchen as a condiment or in bread. The seeds fully ripen in the second year between October and November. To harvest the fennel seeds, cut off the entire flower umbels when the first seeds fall on their own. You can tie the umbels into a bouquet and place them over a vessel. This is how you collect all the seeds in the container.

Tip: If you only want to process the leaves, you can regularly remove the flower umbels before they bloom. As a result, fennel plants stay in the same place for four to five years.

The tuber fennel, which is closely related to the spiced fennel, is particularly suitable for use in the kitchen. A variety selection and tips for Cultivation, care and harvest of fennel see this article.