Fennel Tauro F1 plants - Foeniculum dulce

The 'Tauro' fennel is an early variety, producing large white bulbs with a delicate aniseed flavour. It can be eaten raw or cooked, and its leaves will add flavour to fish dishes and salads. The plugs can be planted from April to June for a harvest from June to October.

Fennel belongs to the Apiaceae family (formerly Umbelliferae), just like carrot and dill. It forms a beautiful plant with fine and light foliage. The stems, the "bulb," and the seeds are consumed. It thrives in mild climates, and is grown in sunny, fairly rich soil.

The "bulb" is not really a bulb, but a fleshy part formed by the imbrication of the petioles. The swollen base has a beautiful pearly white hue and a slightly aniseed flavour. It can be consumed both raw and cooked. Its stems are used to flavour fish dishes. If some plants go to seed, use the seeds to make a very good condiment that aids digestion.

Fennel is easy to grow, but needs some warmth to grow. It does not tolerate drought well, which causes it to quickly go to seed. The art of the gardener is then to combine the right variety and sowing period.

It is a biennial plant, often cultivated as an annual as it is sensitive to frost. Preferring mild climates, it is grown in sunny, fairly rich soil.

Harvest: fennel is harvested from June to October and should be done as needed. Lift the bulbs with a fork when they are fully swollen.

Storage: it is a rather cold-sensitive plant that cannot withstand frost. It cannot stay in the ground during winter and must be stored in a cellar. Freshly harvested fennel can be stored for a few days in the refrigerator. It can be stored for several months in a freezer, after being blanched beforehand.

Gardener's tip: mulch the soil with successive thin layers of grass clippings, if possible mixed with dead leaves. This protection keeps the soil moist and reduces weeding.