Sowing

• Fennel can be grown perennially either directly in a pot/bed or in seedling trays/seed beds and later transplanted.
• Soak the fennel seeds overnight in lukewarm water before sowing them the next day.
• Plant your fennel seeds and cover it with 1-2 inches of soil and keep the surface moist at all times. Germination should take place within 2 weeks from sowing.
• Once the seedlings grow, fennel plants full sunlight for proper leaf growth
• Cut off any extra, weak seedlings from the base after two weeks of germination to ensure your plants are evenly spaced.

Caring

• For best growth and flavour, keep your Fennel plant in a sunny location and give them 6-8 hours of sunlight.
• Add a handful of Vermicompost to your Fennel plant every 20 days and water regularly to maintain a moist but not soggy growing medium.
• Spray Neem Oil/Tobacco extract/soap water to keep insects at bay.
• Aromatic young leaves of fennel can be harvested 80-90 days after seed sowing and fruits/seeds can be harvested 280-300 days after sowing.
• Never harvest more than one-third of growing plant at a time.
• Do not grow fennel plant alongside Dill as these plants are likely to crossover to produce unwanted hybrid seeds.

Common Problems

1. Why are my fennel seeds not germinating?
Fennel needs an evenly moist soil to grow. However, keep in mind that there is a very fine line between keeping the soil moist and over - watering. Over - watering will lead to failure in germination. Other reasons like improper soil or sowing your seed in too deep can also hamper the germination process.

2. Why is my fennel wilting?
Powdery mildew is a common cause of fennel wilting. Spray your plant with appropriate medicines to correct this problem.

3. Why are my fennel seedlings leggy?
If your seedlings do not receive too much heat and not enough light, they become leggy.