Topic: florence fennel

[adrianhumph]

Hi all :D,
          I have grown florence fennel (variety zefa fino) & it has done very well with virtually no help from me at all ;D Now that it is ready there is rather a lot of it, will it keep in the ground ??? , are there other ways of storing it, or should I give it away  :-\
       
                                                Adrian.

[Mrs Ava]

Dunno, mine all bolted thanks to lack of water!  I don't reakon it will keep in the ground, cos........um......I am guessing of course, but won't it keep growing so there is the chance of it setting seed, or getting more woody and course.  Plus, of course, damage for pesky pesties!  I would think fennel should be cut at it's premium and used.  Someone who has successfully grown fennel, unlike me, now needs to come along and put me right and give you lashings of correct advice!  :D

[Doris_Pinks]

I am growing it for the first time too......or should I say WAS growing it, put in healthy plants before I went away, come back to nada! The birds have had the lot.......I meant to fleece it but as things happen, ran out of time before we left.my own fault >:( But the 4 plants I did cover are growing nicely! EJ I am going to try and see if I can get some more going.............worth a try ;D As to storage, you can earth them up I think to keep them white and sweet, I was going to pick as required>

[Lady Cosmos]

Hai Adrian, I have 12 nice Florence fennel plants this year and at the moment I am lifting them. Otherwise they will go stringy and not so nice to eat any more.
When the bulbs have the size of a golf ball I earth them up till the size of a tennis ball.
I did cut most of them and make soup or a meatdish.
See "recipes". I put it in the freezer. ;D ;D ;D

[john_miller]

They won't store in the ground. They will indeed run to seedvery quickly.

[tim]

They make great pickle? = Tim

[Multiveg]

Which reminds me, got one to harvest (and photograph)- the other one has bolted, so I will leave it for seed (hubby likes to use fennel seed in cooking).

[aquilegia]

 :'( half of mine bolted. I have about eight left. They are growing nice and leafy, but no sign of a bulb forming. where did I go wrong?

adrian - do you feed yours? how did you prepare the ground? what's your secret?

[adrianhumph]

Hi Aquilegia :D,
                  I have to admit to complete beginners luck, this is my first go at growing anything on the food front, & i guess that i have been blessed with a good plot of ground. The fennel have not had any thing done to them at all ;D They just grew all on their own. Not wanting to rub it in ::) I have just pulled my first parsnip & it is over 30 cms long ;D once again no interference from me at all.
                             
                                            cheers adrian.

[aquilegia]

No don't rub it in Adrian - my parsnips didn't even bother to germinate.

Guess what my two favourite veggies are?  :-\