Can anyone help me? I have two rows of Florence Fennel growing well. One row I planted as module raised seedlings the other was sown direct. Both rows have developed many small bulbs instead of only one large one. I have kept them well watered but many of them are also run to seed.
The first module grown ones were sown end of May and the second row 13th June. Until last 2 weeks it has been very dry here in Guernsey.
Florence Fennel problem
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oldherbaceous
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Good evening inFrance, i was just wondering if you gave them adequate spacing, i leave about nine inches between each plant and a foot between each row.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.
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Nature's Babe
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Hello Infrance, I see u r from Guernsey, i grew up in St Ouens in Jersey.
I believe you planted a bit early Fennel does better if planted later apparently, it tends to run to seed in hot weather.
I believe you planted a bit early Fennel does better if planted later apparently, it tends to run to seed in hot weather.
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Hi inFrance, I'm puzzled by this I can't offer any direct help.
However I've grown Florence Fennel every year for a while and often have it going by May (sometimes earlier) - I've never had the problem you mention, though occasionally one will produce two medium bulbs instead of a single normal-sized one.
We never sow seed direct - always in Jiffy plugs then potted up and planted out when they're at the plantlet stage. The usual advice is to keep them watered esp. to prevent going to seed, but you seem to have covered that.
Are yours in an open garden or in containers? The only other point you mention is the lack of rain, which isn't going to help. Hope you feel up to trying them again next year, maybe with more organic matter in the soil to help with water retention.
However I've grown Florence Fennel every year for a while and often have it going by May (sometimes earlier) - I've never had the problem you mention, though occasionally one will produce two medium bulbs instead of a single normal-sized one.
We never sow seed direct - always in Jiffy plugs then potted up and planted out when they're at the plantlet stage. The usual advice is to keep them watered esp. to prevent going to seed, but you seem to have covered that.
Are yours in an open garden or in containers? The only other point you mention is the lack of rain, which isn't going to help. Hope you feel up to trying them again next year, maybe with more organic matter in the soil to help with water retention.
Thanks for all your replies. I will certainly not give up and will plant again next year. I have also sown another row direct about 2 weeks ago so will see how they do. I may have them planted too close together, my veg garden is not as big as it was when we lived in France and I try to cram too much in I think! The soil was heavily manured with horse dung last autumn - it's a new plot made from digging up lawned garden. I am going to put some seaweed on it this winter as I am back on Island.
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Chantal
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Hi inFrance
My first year of growing Fennel was a disaster as I sowed them next to a row of Kohl Rabi, which I'd also never sown before. They hate each other. My Fennel was all over the place, ran to seed and didn't grow properly although I can't recall the exact symptons you describe. You don't have Kohl Rabi in the vicinity do you?
My first year of growing Fennel was a disaster as I sowed them next to a row of Kohl Rabi, which I'd also never sown before. They hate each other. My Fennel was all over the place, ran to seed and didn't grow properly although I can't recall the exact symptons you describe. You don't have Kohl Rabi in the vicinity do you?
Chantal
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I live in East Anglia. Sandy soil. I have found that we get a very drying wind at certain times of the year. I have had some excellent crops and some poor ones. Florence fennel can't stand getting too dry (even for a day). Florence Fennel goes very leggy and prone to an early rush to seed. I grow an early crop started under cover, planning to eat in June July and a late crop planning to eat in October november. This is to avoid the hottest driest month if I can.
A fleece cover slows evaporation from a drying wind and stops bird damage when the plants are small; not being too quick to weed around them at certain times of the year helps as well. Water can evaporate from bare earth extremely quickly and fennel's wispy foliage hardly shades the ground at all. I also agree with not planting too close together, fennel plants don't like to compete with each other. The vigorour of the seed is very variable, I plant quite a few and then select the bushiest foliage. I also find germination from older seed is verry poor indeed. I am going to experiment with planting fennel and clover together next year, this is in the hope that there will be ground cover in place if we get a hot dry windy month like we did in the late spring early summer this year. Might work, might not.
A fleece cover slows evaporation from a drying wind and stops bird damage when the plants are small; not being too quick to weed around them at certain times of the year helps as well. Water can evaporate from bare earth extremely quickly and fennel's wispy foliage hardly shades the ground at all. I also agree with not planting too close together, fennel plants don't like to compete with each other. The vigorour of the seed is very variable, I plant quite a few and then select the bushiest foliage. I also find germination from older seed is verry poor indeed. I am going to experiment with planting fennel and clover together next year, this is in the hope that there will be ground cover in place if we get a hot dry windy month like we did in the late spring early summer this year. Might work, might not.