My Fennal has gone to seed.

[Roy Bham UK]

:( Does that mean the fennel is inedible or tough ??? Should I just collect the seeds and try again next year ??? :(

Many thanks in advance ;)

[Roy Bham UK]

[calendula]

when that happens to me I use what I can of the fennel, using quite a few plants instead of one or you can always use them in soups. omelettes or stir fries - steamed with potatoes and mashed is nice but just using smaller pieces instead of a large bulb - all is not lost  :)

timing can be crucial with fennel and you just never know what the summer will bring, they like the warmth but moisture and good drainage is essential and sometimes late sowings are better than early ones

[Roy Bham UK]

 ;) Thanks for the speedy response calendula, I didn't realise they were so versatile, steamed with potatoes and mash sounds nice, although I'm not very good with soups except for my Leek 'n' Potato with Bacon, that was received well, ;D

[calendula]

then make it Leek n Potato soup with bacon and fennel  ;)

[Hyacinth]

Roy, my first sowing bolted too :( You'll know when you cut into the bulb if it will be useful or not - trust me, you'll know :o Mine was too hard to use as anything other than in soup and some went on the compost heap. Second sowing was OK tho :)

[Squashfan]

I use the seeds a lot - in bread, or as part of a rub for meat - have to mash together some seeds and a clove or two of garlic with a bit of salt, and it's delicious on pork!

[Merry Tiller]

If you have a rice cooker put a couple of teaspoons of fennel seeds in with the rice, a thingy of butter & some stock (chicken or veg) instead of straight water, it sets a "ruby" off perfectly. It would probably work with boiled rice also.

Use star anise instead for a Chinese style

[Roy Bham UK]

then make it Leek n Potato soup with bacon and fennel  ;)

;D Tee hee ;D why didn't I think of that ;D Thanks again guys. ;)