Soil
Fertile, well drained soil.
Position
A sunny spot where fennel’s tall branches will not cause unwanted shade.
Frost tolerant
A short-lived hardy perennial, fennel will survive winter temperatures to 0F/-17C.
Feeding
Not usually required.
Companions
Cosmos. Cucumber, squash, melons, pumpkin and other low, vining plants.
Spacing
Single Plants: 1′ 1″ (35cm) each way (minimum)
Rows: 11″ (30cm) with 1′ 3″ (40cm) row gap (minimum)
Sow and Plant
Start seeds indoors in early spring, or plant them outdoors while the weather is still cool.
Notes
Fennel flowers attract numerous small beneficial insects.
Harvesting
Gather fennel fronds as you need them in the kitchen. Fennel can reseed to the point of weediness. Gathering and using the blooms as cut flowers will prevent excessive reseeding.
Troubleshooting
Prune back fennel plants in mid fall, before cold weather turns the plants to mush.
