When is the best time to plant fennel?

The ideal growing temperature for fennel is approximately between 15°C and 20°C. Its planting season can extend from March in spring to September in autumn. Fennel is mainly propagated by sowing. In northern regions, in order to harvest early and put it on the market earlier, many growers choose to grow fennel in greenhouses. Let’s take a look at when is the best time to plant fennel?

When is the best time to plant fennel?

Spring sowing: Spring sowing of fennel is usually scheduled between February and May, so that it can be harvested between mid-May and June. When sowing, you can intercrop with other crops and use the wide row space of the spring-sown crop film to sow fennel. When sowing in spring, the focus of field management is to keep warm and increase temperature to ensure smooth germination of seeds. If it rains before sowing, you should loosen the soil in time to prevent the soil from becoming compacted and ensure that the fennel seedlings can grow smoothly. Fennel plants are ready to harvest when they are 20 to 30 cm tall.

Autumn sowing: The time for sowing fennel in autumn is generally from July to September, and the harvest period is usually from September to October. Before sowing, germinate the fennel seeds by soaking them in water for 24 hours and then washing them thoroughly until the water runs clear. After that, dry the seeds and place them on a moist cloth, keep the temperature between 15 and 25°C, and wait for the seeds to germinate. Such treatment helps to increase the seed germination rate and growth rate of fennel.

How to grow fennel

1. Land preparation and fertilization

One week before sowing fennel, the land should be plowed to a depth of 20 to 25 cm and then carefully leveled to ensure that the soil is fine, loose, clean and flat. This is done because fennel seeds are small and have a weak ability to penetrate the soil when germinating. Improper soil preparation will affect the normal germination of the seeds. Before sowing, apply sufficient base fertilizer and combine it with land plowing and apply it evenly. It is recommended to apply 2500 to 3500 kg of decomposed farmyard manure, or 200 to 300 kg of commercial organic fertilizer , and 20 to 30 kg of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compound fertilizer (or 30 to 40 kg of superphosphate, or 15 to 20 kg of diammonium phosphate) per mu.

2. Seed treatment

Before sowing, fennel seeds should be soaked in clean water at 18 to 20 degrees Celsius for 18 to 24 hours, then washed with clean water, wrapped in wet gauze, and placed in an environment of 20 to 23 degrees Celsius to keep warm and moisturized. They can be sown after most of the seeds turn white.

3. Thinning and replanting

After fennel emerges, thinning is usually not required for varieties that are sown at moderate density and harvested all at once after maturity. However, for varieties that are planted too densely, have too dense seedlings, or require continuous harvesting, thinning is necessary. Thinning should be done after the seedlings have grown 2 to 3 true leaves, and should be done in two stages. During the first thinning, some seedlings can be left, while during the second thinning, weak seedlings should be removed and strong seedlings should be left. If there is a shortage of seedlings, they should be transplanted from places where the seedlings are dense in time.

4. Weeding and loosening the soil

Fennel grows slowly in the early stages and faster in the later stages. Therefore, to promote the early growth of fennel seedlings, it is necessary to pay attention to loosening the soil and weeding during the seedling stage. After the seedlings emerge, the whole field can be weeded once in combination with shallow hoeing and loosening the soil. When the seedlings grow to 10 to 15 cm, another round of inter-row cultivation and weeding can be carried out. If necessary, the last inter-row cultivation and weeding should be completed before the fennel stems and leaves cover the ridges.

5. Field management

The soil should be kept moist during the fennel seedling stage, and kept continuously moist during the middle and late stages of growth, and attention should be paid to drainage and waterlogging prevention. Before flowering, urea water and potassium dihydrogen phosphate can be sprayed to promote stem and leaf growth. During the grain filling period, potassium dihydrogen phosphate and foliar fertilizers containing boron and calcium can be sprayed to promote seed development. If the soil is fertile, the base fertilizer is sufficient, and you are not pursuing extremely high yields, fennel only needs to be watered regularly during its growth period and can grow normally without additional fertilizer, although the yield and quality may be slightly lower.

The above is an introduction to the planting time and key points of fennel. To plant fennel, you must first choose the right variety, suitable land, and appropriate sowing time. You can consider it based on local actual conditions.