With a sweet anise scent. But gardeners have chosen another vegetable fennel (sweet, Italian). Its external difference is in the thickening at the beginning of the aerial part, formed by the beginnings of the petiole leaves. They call it "kochanchiki". The heads have an aniseed taste, but not as strong as other parts of the plant, which makes vegetable fennel quite interesting for cultivation.

Appearance of the plant

Vegetable fennel is a plant that is characterized by high demands on soil quality, as well as its moisture. This is a common one/biennial plant from the celery family. Externally, fennel resembles dill, which is why it is often called.

Interest in its cultivation arose due to its spicy, medicinal, and vegetable properties. Fennel is very widespread in India, China, Italy, France, Spain, and Romania.

This is vegetable fennel (photo):

Usually this bush has a round, smooth stem, with a visible bluish bloom, and branches at the top. Its height reaches 180 cm. A fleshy thickening is formed at the base of the bush, as well as several shoots with narrow leaves.

The leaves are peculiar, dissected into thread-like parts, forming a petiole at the base. They are used in food before the flowering of this spice. They taste sweetish, pleasant and refreshing.

The inflorescence is represented by an umbrella with yellow flowers. The seeds are oblong (divosemyanki), which can easily split into 2 parts, the color is grayish-green. 1000 seeds weigh only 4-5 grams.

Common varieties for planting

The most common types of fennel are:

1. Aroma. This is a mid-season variety, the yield of which reaches 2-3 kg/m2. It takes about 75-78 days from the first shoots to seed ripening.

2. Leader. An early ripening variety, the height of which reaches 170-180 cm. The stem is abundantly covered with large leaves. It takes about 40-50 days from the first shoots to the ripening of the seeds.

3. Daredevil. This is a mid-season variety, the height of which reaches 50-60 cm. A plant of this species forms a head of cabbage in the presence of a long day. The weight of such a head reaches 115-120 g, characterized by average density, as well as the presence of slit-like voids.

4. Luzhnikovsky Semko. This is a mid-season variety, the head of which reaches 200-220 g. The head of cabbage is characterized by a white color, good density, and the presence of small slit-like voids. It takes about 75-80 days from the first shoots to the ripening of the seeds.

5. Autumn handsome man. This is an early ripening variety, the height of which reaches 150-180 cm. It takes about 37-40 days from the first shoots to the ripening of the seeds. It is characterized by a gentle and less pungent green scent.

We sow fennel, we begin growing from seeds

It should be sown as seedlings in boxes in early spring (March). With this method of propagation, fennel blooms at the end of summer. To speed up the process of spitting fennel seeds, it is necessary to germinate them for 2-3 days; the recommended temperature is + 20 Celsius. During these couple of days, the essential oil is removed, which blocks moisture absorption and seed germination.

If you sow seeds in boxes for further planting of seedlings in the garden, you need to thin out the young shoots. The recommended distance between bushes is 20 cm.

Fennel “gone outside” - planting in open ground

How to plant fennel seedlings in the ground?

Planting of seedlings is carried out 30 days after germination. At this time they are already decorated with 2-3 leaves. Recommended distance between bushes: 20x40 cm. If you plant them too close to each other, the stronger bushes will oppress the weaker ones.

How to plant fennel seeds in the ground?

You can plant seeds directly into the ground - 1 gram per 1 sq. m. They ripen well with sufficient sunlight and heat. Seeds that have ripened in your garden or dacha can self-sow. New seeds will germinate with the onset of warm spring days. The first month there is weak growth of the plant, but later, if there is sufficient moisture, growth accelerates significantly.

To sow, dig up the bed with a bayonet and rough up the soil. It is better to sow seeds in the ground at the end of June, when the daylight begins to wane. This is due to the fact that with earlier planting, plants can skip the growth phase of heads, quickly form shoots and stretch out. When planting, make a row 1.5-2 cm deep and sow the seeds in it so that there is 20 - 25 cm between the rows. We fill the sow with soil from the edges of the row. Lightly squeeze and water from a watering can. After planting, cover the ground with film for a month. After thinning the row, the distance between plants should be 11 cm.

If you plan to get your own fennel seeds, you need to grow it in early spring (through seedlings). Or sow seeds in the ground in the third ten days of April. In warm areas, the plant can overwinter in the ground and then produce quality seeds in the second year of life. If the conditions of your region do not allow the plant to survive winter in the ground, then a fennel bush with developed heads of cabbage with a small lump of earth is placed in the basement in late autumn for storage. There the roots are additionally sprinkled with sand. As a result, the fennel plant will be ready to plant in the garden in the spring and continue to grow. To obtain fennel seeds, plants need to be planted closer together than usual.

Growing conditions

Priming

The soil for planting fennel needs to be fertile, loose, well-cultivated and moist. It prefers sandy or loamy soil, as well as a place open to the sun (maybe slightly shaded). Fennel grows well in areas rich in lime.

Temperature

The preferred temperature for growing this spice is 16-18 Celsius. If the temperature is above 24 C or below 7 C, the spice will slow down its growth.

Top dressing

Before sowing, add one bucket of humus per 1 square meter, add 2 liters of prepared sawdust. They are prepared like this. Prepare a bucket of sawdust. Add 1 tablespoon of urea and only 1 glass of wood ash (the word was used for a reason). Add 2 tablespoons of nitrophoska and 1/2 liter of slaked lime there.

What does fennel like, how does it care in the open ground?

Caring for this spice pleases with its simplicity. In order for the plant to please your eyes with its healthy appearance, you must:

Compliance with timely watering;
Application of organic fertilizers. During the entire growing season, it is necessary to fertilize the plant with a diluted infusion of chicken manure or ash;
Periodic removal of flower stalks to avoid seeding;
Loosening the soil between waterings.
Weed weeds in a timely manner;

This decorative spice requires hilling, which is carried out during the formation of thickening of the stem. Hilling must be carried out several times to ensure the meatiness and tenderness of the “heads of cabbage”.

Harvesting seeds

The seeds of this spice are harvested at a time when the umbrellas acquire a grayish-ashy tint, and the fruits of the central inflorescences become greenish-brown. The middle umbrellas are removed first. Final harvesting is carried out after the seeds on the lateral inflorescences have browned. Seeds collected in the first year (sometimes they “ripen” in appearance) are not suitable for cultivation.

Fennel as a decoration in your garden

Fennel is ideal for decorating your garden. Its powerful, highly branched bush, decorated with densely thread-like leaves, is an ideal ornamental plant. It looks very attractive during the flowering period, when many umbrella inflorescences stand out against the green background of the bush with delicate yellow flowers.

Now new varieties of this plant are popular, which look more elegant thanks to their colored leaves. Among them are:

Purpureum. It is characterized by a bronze-purple color of young leaves, which become bluish over time.

Giant Bronze. It is characterized by a copper tint of young leaves, which over time change color to brown-bronze.

If you want your bushes to be more lush, you need to pick off the emerging inflorescences. This also prevents unwanted self-seeding of the plant in your area.

Gorgeous, large fennel bushes with a huge number of openwork leaves will look great in the background of your flower garden. This lush plant can be used as a hedge, with which the garden is divided into small areas.

You know how to grow fennel in the country or in the garden. If so, then grow it from seeds and decorate your garden with this ornamental plant. It will delight your eye throughout the summer with its lush, spicy greenery and bright yellow umbrellas. It can be the center of an original spicy composition in your flowerbed. Just imagine it, and then bring it to life!

Fennel is a perennial heat-loving and light-loving crop; it does not tolerate cold weather, and in areas with harsh winters it freezes. Therefore, in the non-chernozem zone the plant is grown as an annual. Fennel has been known since ancient times as a spice and medicine on the table. In everyday life, it is familiar to many as a pharmacy. The plant does have some similarities with dill, its only difference being its specific anise aroma. In addition, fennel is very healthy and has a large complex of vitamins.

Fennel is not so popular among modern gardeners, because there is a lot of hassle with growing this crop, and the harvest is small. In addition, fennel has a bad effect on carrots and. Therefore, it is better not to plant fennel next to them. For the sake of its sweetish and very aromatic seeds, it is practically not planted in gardens, since it is easier to buy the plant in a supermarket or pharmacy. However, thanks to glossy gardening magazines, fennel has received the title of a fashionable vegetable crop for the ornamental garden.

Fennel bulbs

Culinary properties of fennel

Due to its beneficial and aromatic properties, fennel is also quite well known to culinary experts in Europe. In the kitchen, fennel leaves, young shoots, large white heads and petioles are used. The leaves are used as dill by adding fresh herbs little by little to your food. Fennel heads are baked in the oven, stewed or fried. Sometimes they are consumed raw, added to salads. The petioles are perfect for pickling in jars for the winter. Fennel seeds can also be added to dishes to add flavor to soups, wine, puddings and breads.

Preparing fennel for planting

One of the main features of growing vegetables is the correct selection of necessary seeds for planting. On the shelves of gardening stores you can find seeds of two varieties: common fennel (also called dill), and vegetable fennel (sometimes called Italian fennel). The first type of this crop is bred to produce greens and seeds, and the second variety allows you to grow dense white heads of cabbage for use as food.

Fennel on the plot

Sowing fennel in open ground in spring

Vegetable fennel seeds are usually planted in the ground in early spring to a depth of 2 cm. In southern regions with mild winters, summer residents can sow seeds before winter. Like all crops of the celery family, fennel seeds germinate slowly due to the high content of essential oils, which block germination. Gardeners should soak fennel seeds in warm water 2-3 days before planting. Then cover the soaked seeds with burlap. After this, the fennel seeds must be dried and sown in the ground. The bed for sowing must be prepared in advance. The soil is fertilized with humus (put one bucket of humus per 1 m² of land), then fill the soil with a two-liter jar of sawdust and add two tablespoons of superphosphate. If necessary, lime the soil. During sowing in the spring (in the middle zone from April to May), the area is insulated with foam to preserve moisture. 5-10 days after sprouts appear on the surface, it is necessary to thin out the beds. The distance between plants should be approximately 20 cm, as the fennel head can grow up to 10 cm in diameter. After this procedure, the vegetable crop must be strengthened with fertilizing, since the above-ground part of the plant develops quite slowly. Mullein infusion can serve as a good fertilizer.

Caring for fennel in the garden

Hilling fennel

At the end of May, fennel crops need to be lightly hilled. Some gardeners suggest hilling the plant several times. This will whiten the developing head. However, as experience shows, frequent hilling leads to contamination of the white bases of the petioles. Precisely because, in order to avoid contamination, around the beginning of June, the lower part of the crop should be fenced off. You need to take a two-liter plastic bottle and cut out two wide rings measuring 20 cm. Place the ring on the plant, slightly pressing it into the soil. Hill up the fennel, taking into account the height of the plastic ring. Another option for protection against contamination is a plastic strip. It is threaded loosely around the plant and carefully attached.

Fennel seeds

Feeding fennel (fertilizer) and watering

During the ripening of the plant, fennel is strengthened several times with fertilizing. Fertilize with mullein infusion or fermented grass, and in dry weather carry out regular watering. Throughout the summer, right up to flowering, you can collect greens from fennel, and by autumn the plant’s heads ripen. After the diameter of the petioles at the base of the rosette reaches 8-10 cm, the heads of cabbage are removed. With the onset of autumn, the fennel can be completely dug up, lowered into the basement and buried in the sand. Thanks to this, the plant will remain fresh for a long time.

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Fennel and dill are two plants that are widely used in cooking and folk medicine.

Many people confuse them and do not understand what the difference is. It’s not surprising, because they have a similar appearance and aroma.

Dill is dill, and fennel is fennel, and this is not the same thing at all, the only thing they have in common is that they belong to the Umbrella family.

Dill (also known as Anethum graveolensm) is a plant that has thin stems and long, thin leaves and yellowish flowers.

Leaves and seeds are used in cooking in countries such as Germany, Sweden, Greece, Finland, Poland, Russia, Norway, Central Asia.

It is used in dishes such as soups, marinades and sauces, and the seeds are used as a spice. Dill seeds contain a large amount of oils, so its extract is used in cosmetology.

Fennel – Foeniculum vulgare.

The plant grows up to 2.5 m, in contrast to dill (up to 90 cm).

Fennel seeds are dry and long. Fennel is used to treat hypertension, improve vision, and increase milk supply in nursing mothers.

The leaves are added to soups and curries and eaten raw in salads.

There are also several other significant differences: Fennel has a sweeter and more pleasant taste, dill has a sharper taste. Fennel leaves are larger and longer, and their taste is different.

Dill is an annual plant, but fennel can bloom and produce seeds for several years. This is why fennel has such a powerful root, unlike dill. Fennel has more beneficial properties, which is why it is widely used in medicine.

Fennel: cultivation, care features

Fennel: cultivation, care features Fennel is a useful aromatic plant that is often used for medicinal purposes and is included in many dishes. You can grow this crop yourself on your own plot. We will tell you how to plant and grow fennel in this article.
Description of the crop and common varieties Fennel is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Apiaceae family. Despite the fact that the crop is a perennial, gardeners in our country prefer to grow it as an annual. The most popular variety of this plant is considered to be vegetable fennel, which has tasty fruits that are widely used in cooking.

The culture is a tall species; its erect stem can grow 2 m in height. Distinctive features of the plant are a powerful rhizome, dense branching and the presence of a whitish coating on the green part of the bush. Fennel foliage resembles dill leaves in appearance and has a bright green hue. During the flowering period, the culture produces umbrella-type inflorescences covered with small yellow flowers.

As for the most common varieties of fennel, Russian gardeners prefer to grow the following types:

1. The “Aroma” variety refers to mid-season crops, the seeds of which ripen approximately 75-78 days after planting the bush. The yield of the variety is 2-3 kg of fruits per 1 m² of planted area.
2. "Leader" is an early ripening fennel variety. The height of its stem is 170-180 cm, the seeds of the crop ripen 40-50 days after planting.
3. The variety “Udalets” belongs to mid-season and medium-growing crops, growing up to 60 cm in height. The weight of one fennel fruit of this variety is approximately 120 g.
4. Among the mid-season varieties, fennel “Luzhnikovsky Semko” can be distinguished. Its fruits are quite large and weigh up to 220 g. The seeds of the plant ripen 75-80 days after planting.
5. “Autumn Beauty” is an early ripening fennel with a ripening period of 37-40 days. The height of the stem of this plant reaches 1.5-1.8 m. The green foliage has a delicate, pleasant aroma.

Features of growing fennel

When cultivating fennel on your site, it is important to know some of the subtleties of growing this crop:

1. In the garden or vegetable garden, it is better to place a bed with fennel separately from other plants. The culture should be well moistened and all care rules should be followed. If fennel does not have enough moisture or nutrients in its area, it will stretch its roots to beds with other plants.
2. When growing fennel, it is important to know that it reproduces well by self-sowing.
3. The crops with which fennel will be adjacent also matter. For example, it is undesirable to plant it next to legumes, tomatoes, peppers, cumin and spinach, since fennel will oppress its neighbors. But it has a beneficial effect on the growth of cabbage and cucumbers, repelling aphids with its smell.
4. When planting fennel near cucumbers, be sure to water both crops frequently.
5. Fennel is considered a useful plant not only for the human body, but also for the garden. The aroma of this plant during its flowering attracts pollinating insects to the site.

Growing fennel from seeds A popular method of propagating fennel is sowing seeds. The germination of the seed of this crop is quite good and is 2-3 years after collection. Sometimes fennel is bred by root division, but this method is used extremely rarely due to its greater complexity and poorer survival rate.

You can plant fennel seeds in the soil twice a year: in early spring or autumn. The first planting occurs in April-May, the second in August-September. When planting, seeds are deepened into the ground by 2 cm. Fertilizers are first added to the soil: humus and slaked lime. The proportions of nutrients are approximately as follows: about 1 bucket of humus is added per 1 m² of land. You can also add mineral compounds to the soil, for example, 2 tbsp. superphosphate per 1 m² of land.

After sowing seeds in spring, cover the bed with plastic wrap and leave it like that until sprouts emerge from the soil. The film will help provide the seedlings with greenhouse conditions and sufficient humidity.

To grow fennel on a plot, it is important to choose high-quality seed material. You can buy seeds in a specialized store, where they most often offer two varieties of fennel: ordinary and vegetable. Ordinary or pharmaceutical fennel is grown for its seeds or herbs, while the vegetable variety has the most valuable heads of fruit, used for culinary purposes.

Fennel seeds germinate approximately 10 days after planting. Young shoots must be pruned, removing excess plants, then the remaining heads of cabbage will develop fully and the harvest will be of high quality.

After picking, the plants should be located at least 15 cm from each other. Sprouted stems need to be fertilized with mullein solution.

Fennel care

Timely and abundant watering is one of the most important conditions for growing such a crop. Fennel loves water and prefers well-moistened soil. If there is not enough moisture in the ground, the plants will begin to take root in neighboring beds, taking water away from other garden crops. It is also recommended to periodically loosen the soil around the fennel plantings, and to prevent water from evaporating from the soil too quickly, mulch the soil.

Soprano variety

In order for fennel fruits to actively develop, at the beginning of summer the stems are periodically hilled, giving the roots access to oxygen. It is also recommended to fertilize fennel from time to time; a liquid solution of mullein or an infusion of green herbs is good for this purpose.

Growing fennel using seedlings Some gardeners prefer not to sow seeds directly in open ground, but to first grow seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out at the end of February or at the beginning of March. With this method, the emerging sprouts do not need to be pruned, but many gardeners advise carrying out at least one thinning immediately before planting the sprouts in open soil.

For vegetable fennel, the seedling method is considered the best option, as it allows you to get an excellent fruit harvest later. When planting seeds directly into a garden bed, fennel sometimes cannot form heads of cabbage because the daylight hours are not suitable for it. In greenhouse conditions, this factor can be adjusted independently, the plant will receive a sufficient amount of light, and the fruits will come out large.

When transplanting vegetable fennel seedlings into the garden bed, you need to maintain a distance of 40 cm between the sprouts. The principles of care in this case are no different from those described above. Fennel needs high-quality watering, loosening, and periodic feeding.

Fennel pests

If the summer is cold and rainy, fennel may be susceptible to gray mold. Fennel often suffers from attacks by caraway or carrot moths. Around May, the moth lays its larvae on plants, and by early summer they turn into caterpillars. The caterpillars actively eat the green parts and fruits of fennel, and also entangle the inflorescences with cobwebs. To get rid of moths, it is better to uproot damaged parts or even whole plants and burn them. Pest prevention can be achieved by regular weeding, timely collection of seeds and treatment of plantings with special solutions.

Use of fennel for practical purposes

Fennel is often used in medicine due to its good medicinal properties. It is considered an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal agent and can act on the body as a diuretic and antioxidant. Among other things, fennel is used to treat helminthiasis, and its analgesic properties allow the culture to be used for a variety of diseases accompanied by pain and inflammation.

Fennel as part of complex therapy is used to treat bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. It is used for flatulence and intestinal colic in infants. Fennel helps dilate blood vessels, remove bile, treat urolithiasis, improve appetite and digestive tract function, eliminate constipation, diarrhea and dysbiosis.

People with gum disease and bad breath can gargle with fennel infusion. The aroma of this plant has a relaxing effect, relieves stress, calms the nerves, improves memory and concentration, tones the body and improves brain activity.

Women during lactation take fennel to increase the amount of breast milk, and men use this plant to combat potency problems. The restorative properties make it possible to use fennel in cosmetology, where it is included in anti-wrinkle products.

The plant has found wide application in cooking, where it is used almost without waste. Fruits, flowers, seeds, foliage and stems of this crop are added to dishes. Fennel is considered a good spice and goes well with fish and meat dishes. You can find fennel in vegetable salads, side dishes, soups, canned food and marinades. It is often included in baked goods and confectionery products.

Fennel seeds are processed into oil, which is considered very healthy. Fresh stems and leaves are added to dishes as greens.

It should be noted that only greenery grows from the ordinary one and, later, it blooms and sets seeds that can be collected. Thickening occurs only in special vegetable varieties. By the way, they appear on sale in seed stores.

Jan 30, 2016 Galinka

Many amateur gardeners are interested in growing vegetable fennel from seeds. Vegetable fennel is a southern crop, and planting this plant in the ground has its own specifics. When to plant fennel? It should be planted when the soil has already warmed up well. In the conditions of the Russian central zone, it is most reliable to grow plants from seeds at home (on a windowsill) or in a greenhouse.

However, with proper care it will grow well in open ground. The main thing is to properly prepare the seeds intended for cultivation for planting. Caring for the first shoots requires a lot of time and effort, since fennel develops rather slowly in the first days.

What does fennel look like?

People call it “pharmacy dill”. Indeed, this plant is a close “relative” of dill and also belongs to the large umbelliferous family. However, fennel is not actually similar to dill. Many amateur gardeners refuse to grow it because its greens have a very specific sweetish taste. However, this is a big mistake, because it is a real storehouse of vitamins.

You can distinguish this plant from other garden greens by the following features:

• Characteristic sweetish aroma of leaves and seeds;
• Well-developed umbrella inflorescences with oval oblong seeds;
• High growth;
• Elastic strong stems.

But the most important thing is how fennel differs from other green plants - unusual root system. Instead of a fibrous or tap root system, there are small tubers resembling heads of cabbage. It is from these tubers that green shoots with umbrella inflorescences grow.

Vegetable fennel is not very popular among Russian summer residents, since growing it from seeds and caring for the plant in open ground is quite a troublesome task. Also, Russian summer residents have very mixed opinions about the taste. Many people do not see the point in planting this crop from seeds because they do not like the sweetish taste and specific aroma. Indeed, despite the external resemblance to dill, the taste and smell of vegetable fennel are completely different.

Vegetable fennel actively used in cooking back in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It is especially popular in the Caucasus and Central Asia. It is consumed both fresh and dried; both separately and in combination with other seasonings. Traditionally it is used during cooking:

• Meat dishes;
• Fish dishes;
• Vegetable salads;
• Home canning.

Due to the large number of fragrant essential oils, it is also used in the industrial production of certain alcoholic beverages and confectionery products.

In the Caucasus, this plant is traditionally used for marinating meat to make shish kebab. Fennel promotes longer storage of meat and prevents the growth of pathogenic bacteria in it. Previously, when people did not have refrigerators, and the issue of proper food storage was very acute, many housewives added it to ready-made dishes to extend the shelf life of food.

It must be kept in mind that fragrant essential mass, which are contained in the plant, can cause an allergic reaction. This does not happen often, but such cases have been reported. In this regard, allergy sufferers should use fennel with great caution. Medicine is also aware of cases of individual intolerance to the components that make up the plant. However, most often it is well absorbed and does not cause rejection, although not everyone likes its specific smell.

Fennel in the cosmetic industry

Recently, fennel has been actively used in the beauty industry. The essential oils contained in the plant have an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effect, so they are often included in medicinal cosmetics: creams, cleansing lotions and tonics. Outstanding perfumers of our planet have long adopted a strong and bright aroma of "pharmacy dill". Fennel essential oil is often found in perfumes and eau de toilettes. Perfumery products containing the essential oil of this plant are usually distinguished by their long-lasting aroma.

Fennel is actively used in aromatherapy. The essential oil of the plant has a tonic effect, increases the body's resistance and endurance, helps increase appetite and normalize metabolism.

Fennel as a medicinal plant

Fennel is one of the most famous medicinal plants. Both the leaves and stems of the plant and its seeds have medicinal properties. This plant is also called “pharmacy dill” precisely because its seeds traditionally used by apothecaries for the preparation of various medicines: tea, infusions and decoctions.

Fennel tea has the following properties:

• Reduces the intensity of the inflammatory process;
• It thins mucus and is an effective expectorant;
• Relieves spasms;
• Normalizes digestion, reduces gas formation and fights bloating.

Many pediatricians still recommend giving “dill water” to small children suffering from intestinal colic. In fact, the so-called “dill water” is tea made from fennel seeds, which has a carminative effect. This tea can be purchased at the pharmacy in packaged form, or you can make it yourself at home. To do this, pour a glass of boiling water over a handful of fennel seeds, cover with a lid and leave.

When the broth cools down a little and becomes not hot, but warm, you need it carefully strain through a sieve. After this, you can give it to your baby, from a spoon or bottle. This safe medicine can be used both during intestinal colic and daily for prevention. And those who do not have seeds to make their own tea can purchase the ready-made herbal medicine “Plantex” at the pharmacy. Essentially, this is the same fennel tea, but in the form of a soluble powder.

Pharmacies also sell packaged children's tea for coughs and colds. It can be used by children from five months. Fennel is included in herbal preparations to increase lactation, recommended for nursing mothers. However, not all infants willingly drink medicines based on this plant due to the fact that they have a specific taste and aroma.

It is believed that fennel essential oils improve indoor air health and help destroy pathogenic microbes and fungi. Also, “pharmacy dill” is included in numerous herbal preparations to increase immunity and for the treatment of diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Doctors often prescribe infusions and decoctions of fennel seeds in addition to antibiotics for bronchitis and pneumonia.

Preparing seeds for planting in open ground

Growing fennel from seeds is a very interesting activity. Seeds intended for cultivation can be purchased in specialized stores or from fellow summer residents. Those gardeners who have been growing this crop for a long time usually grow it from their own seeds.

The seeds of the plant slightly resemble dill seeds, but they can be distinguished from each other quite easily. The seeds of “pharmacy dill” have a lighter shade and a more elongated shape. They are also slightly larger in size than regular dill seeds.

Many summer residents refuse to grow it because it the seeds germinate very slowly. Indeed, due to the high concentration of fragrant essential oils in the seeds of “dill,” sometimes you have to wait quite a long time for the first shoots, especially if the weather is not warm. But this problem can be solved using seed stratification. Stratification is the process of preparing seeds for planting, based on the sequential action of moisture and cold.

First, the seed material is soaked, while the rotten seeds are promptly removed, and then the remains, which successfully survived the soaking, are placed in a special container and sent to the refrigerator. There they are stored until spring comes - sowing time. There is no need to rush into sowing, as it loves warmth and sun. In those regions where spring is often cold and cloudy, many summer residents have adapted to growing this southern plant in a greenhouse. To prevent fungal infections, seeds can be soaked in a solution of potassium permanganate before planting.

Outdoor care

Caring for fennel in open ground has its own specifics.

First of all, the summer resident must understand: fennel, unlike other greens, you can’t sow between the beds with other plants. Essential oils contained in dill seeds significantly slow down the growth and development of crops growing in the neighborhood. In this regard, the plant must be grown in a specially designated place. You can fence off this area with ropes or wooden pegs.

Fennel on the plots of Russian summer residents has long ceased to be exotic. However, not all gardeners appreciate the taste and beneficial properties of this wonderful plant. And it’s completely in vain, because this is an excellent alternative to traditional dill and parsley. Its spicy, sweetish taste will completely change your usual dishes, and healing infusions and decoctions from the seeds will help improve the health of both adults and children.

Fennel is very similar in appearance to dill, but has an aniseed flavor. Compared to dill, which is easy to grow and easy to care for, fennel is a capricious crop, but very useful. Popularly, this plant has another name - pharmaceutical dill. The yield of this vegetable crop is low, and other vegetable neighbors do not really like fennel near their beds. Maybe because of these minor problems the crop is not popular among gardeners and gardeners. But there are still people who want to have fresh fennel greens on their table, and simply dream of learning more about the rules for growing and caring for it.

Description of fennel

Fennel is a perennial plant from the Apiaceae family. It has many different types and varieties. The vegetable variety is considered the most popular, as it has tasty fruits - heads of cabbage with a lot of useful properties.

The stem of the plant is straight, with dense branching, tall, about two meters in height, with a slight bluish bloom. The roots are long in the form of several medium-thick rods, approximately 1-2 centimeters in diameter. The leaves have a lush green color. The culture blooms with small flowers, starting from June and ending in September, usually in the second year (when growing the plant from seeds). The small, oblong seeds (approximately 4 by 10 mm) ripen in September and have a sweetish taste.

Fennel can be propagated by dividing the rhizomes, but this method is rarely used. The method of propagation by seeds is usually used. The seeds retain their quality for two to three years and are characterized by high germination. It is recommended to plant fennel seeds twice a year: the first time in April, May, and the second time in August or early September.

The soil for the beds must be prepared. For each square meter add a large bucket of humus, two tablespoons of mineral fertilizers and a small amount of lime. Some gardeners and summer residents advise adding a mixture of wood ash and compost to the beds (approximately 0.5 kilograms per 1 square meter of area). The depth of sowing seeds is no more than two centimeters.

When planting seeds in spring, it is advisable to create greenhouse conditions in the garden bed to maintain the necessary humidity, which is needed for the germination of young seedlings. The film does not need to be removed until all the seedlings appear. They usually appear within a week and a half after planting.

When growing fennel for the first time, you need to decide on the purchase of seeds and what kind of fennel you need - vegetable or ordinary. If the crop will be grown for beautiful and healthy greens, then purchase pharmaceutical dill. Vegetable fennel will give you tasty and nutrient-rich heads of cabbage. When seedlings emerge from seeds, it is recommended to thin out this species, leaving 10-15 centimeters between plants (and at least 40 centimeters between vegetable fennel), and add a liquid solution of mullein as fertilizer. Young heads of fennel will develop fully and not interfere with each other in the beds.

At the end of February - beginning of March, seeds are sown for seedlings. When two full leaves appear on the seedlings, you can pick, although some gardeners believe that you can do without this procedure. The seedling method of growing fennel is usually used only for the vegetable variety of the crop, since the seeds do not take root well in open ground due to too long daylight hours. The abundance of light when growing this type of fennel prevents the correct formation of the fruit.

Basic rules for caring for fennel

• The fennel vegetable plant loves regular and abundant watering and loose soil. If it is not possible to maintain such conditions, then mulching the soil will come to the rescue. Mulch is a way to reduce the amount of watering and keep the soil loose for a long time.
• Fennel needs constant organic feeding (for example, herbal infusions or liquid mullein). The quality of crop growth and development depends on the regularity of fertilization.
• The process of hilling the plants is of great importance for the growth of high-quality vegetable fennel. Heads of cabbage in such conditions will develop correctly and actively. The only drawback is that during hilling the fruits become dirty. This can be avoided by using different specially made shelters for each plant individually. They can be made from plastic bottles or remnants of plastic pipes, from paper and cardboard and from other available materials and, putting them on each bush, buried a little into the soil near each vegetable plant.
• It is recommended to plant fennel at a distance from some vegetable crops (for example, beans, spinach, bell peppers, beans) because it can negatively affect their growth and development.
• To prevent fennel from taking moisture from neighboring plants with its root system, it must be watered regularly, get rid of weeds, and fluff up the soil.

Both types of fennel, pharmaceutical and vegetable, very much attract various insects to the summer cottage, which are of great benefit to other vegetable crops.

If you follow the watering rules, fennel can be planted in close proximity to cucumbers and cabbage. The thing is that these vegetable plants are most often affected by aphids, and the aniseed aroma of fennel can repel this harmful insect. Aphids cannot tolerate the smell of pharmaceutical dill.

Fennel is a versatile plant that is used in the preparation of many dishes (for example, in salads, sauces, dressings, soups, preserves, vegetable stews, etc.), as well as in their decoration. Anise aroma can be found in various confectionery products (for example, cakes, sweets, drinks). Many medical and cosmetic preparations are made based on fennel. These are various creams, ointments, tinctures, teas, decoctions, syrups and tablets.

Fennel - secrets of planting and growing (video)