Fennel is very similar in appearance to dill, but has an aniseed flavor. Compared to dill, which is easy to grow and easy to care for, fennel is a capricious culture, but very healthy. Popularly, this plant has another name - pharmaceutical dill. This vegetable crop yields a low yield, and other vegetable neighbors are not very fond of fennel near their beds. Maybe because of these minor problems, the culture is not popular with gardeners and gardeners. But there are still people who want to have fresh fennel greens on their table, and just dream of learning more about the rules of growing and caring for it.
Description of fennel
Fennel is a perennial plant in the umbrella family. It has many different species and varieties. The most popular is considered a vegetable variety, as it has delicious fruits - heads of cabbage with a lot of useful properties.
The stem of the plant is straight, with dense branching, high, about two meters in height, with a slight bluish bloom. The roots are long in the form of several medium-thick rods, about 1-2 centimeters in diameter. The leaves are juicy green. The culture blooms with small flowers, starting in June and ending in September, usually in the second year (when growing a plant from seeds). The small, oblong seeds (approximately 4 x 10 mm) ripen in September and have a sweetish taste.
Growing fennel with seeds
Fennel can be propagated by dividing the rhizome, but this method is rarely used. Usually the seed propagation method is used. The seeds retain their qualities for two to three years and are distinguished by high germination capacity. It is recommended to plant fennel seeds twice a year: the first time - in April, May, and the second - in August or early September.
The soil for the beds must be prepared. For each square meter, add a large bucket of humus, two tablespoons of mineral fertilizers and a small amount of lime. Some gardeners and summer residents advise adding a mixture of wood ash and compost to the beds (approximately 0.5 kilograms per 1 square meter of area). The sowing depth of seeds is no more than two centimeters.
When planting seeds in spring, it is advisable to create greenhouse conditions in the garden to maintain the necessary moisture, which is needed for the germination of young seedlings. The film does not need to be removed until all the seedlings appear. They usually appear within a week and a half after planting.
When growing fennel for the first time, you need to decide on the purchase of seeds, which fennel is needed - vegetable or ordinary. If the culture will be grown for beautiful and healthy greenery, then purchase pharmaceutical dill. Vegetable fennel will give you tasty and nutritious heads of cabbage. This kind, when seedlings from seeds appear, it is recommended to thin out, leaving 10-15 centimeters between the plants (and at least 40 centimeters between vegetable fennel), and add a mullein liquid solution as fertilizer.Young heads of fennel will fully develop and will not interfere with each other in the beds.
Growing fennel with seedlings
In late February - early March, seeds are sown for seedlings. When two full-fledged leaves appear on the seedlings, a pick can be made, although some gardeners believe that this procedure can be dispensed with. The seedling method of growing fennel is usually only used for vegetable varieties, since the seeds do not take root well in the open field due to too long daylight hours. The abundance of light when growing this type of fennel interferes with the correct formation of the fruit.
Basic rules for caring for fennel
- The fennel vegetable plant loves regular and abundant watering and loose soil. If it is not possible to maintain such conditions, then soil mulching will come to the rescue. Mulch is a way to reduce the amount of watering and keep the soil loose for a long time.
- Fennel needs constant organic feeding (for example, herbal infusions or liquid mullein). The quality of the growth and development of the crop depends on the regularity of fertilization.
- The process of hilling plants is of great importance for the growth of high-quality vegetable fennel. Heads of cabbage in such conditions will develop correctly and actively. The only drawback is that when hilling, the fruits become contaminated. This can be avoided by using different specially made shelters for each plant individually. They can be made from plastic bottles or the remnants of plastic pipes, from paper and cardboard and from other scrap materials and, putting them on each bush, they can be slightly buried in the soil near each vegetable plant.
- It is recommended to plant fennel at a distant distance from certain vegetable crops (eg beans, spinach, bell peppers, beans) because it can negatively affect their growth and development.
- To prevent fennel from taking moisture from neighboring plants with its root system, it must be regularly watered, rid of weeds, and fluffed up the soil.
The beneficial properties of fennel
Both types of fennel, pharmacy and vegetable, are very attracted to the suburban area of various insects, which are of great benefit to other vegetable crops.
Subject to the rules of watering, fennel can be planted in the immediate vicinity of cucumbers and cabbage. The fact is that these vegetable plants are most often affected by aphids, and the aniseed aroma of fennel is able to scare away this harmful insect. Aphids do not tolerate the smell of pharmaceutical dill.
Fennel is a versatile plant that is used in the preparation of many dishes (for example, in salads, sauces, dressings, soups, canning, vegetable stews, etc.), as well as in their decoration. Anise aroma can be found in various confectionery products (for example, cakes, candies, drinks). Many medical and cosmetic preparations are made on the basis of fennel. These are various creams, ointments, tinctures, teas, decoctions, syrups and tablets.
