Florence fennel: when to sow, plant out and harvest
Sowing, planting and harvest dates for your climate, good and bad companions, growing tips.
When to sow in your region
Average dates, computed from the frost dates of each climate. For your exact dates, choose your town.
| Climate | Sow under cover | Sow outdoors | Plant out | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern France | 4 March – 24 March | 15 April – 5 May; 11 August – 31 August | 22 April – 5 May | 1 August – 30 November |
| Atlantic coast | 22 February – 14 March | 5 April – 25 April; 15 August – 4 September | 12 April – 25 April | 5 August – 4 December |
| Eastern France | 24 February – 16 March | 7 April – 27 April; 9 August – 29 August | 14 April – 27 April | 30 July – 28 November |
| Mediterranean | 21 January – 10 February | 4 March – 24 March; 31 August – 20 September | 11 March – 24 March | 21 August – 20 December |
| Mountains (around 1,000 m) | 29 March – 18 April | 10 May – 30 May; 10 July – 30 July | 17 May – 30 May | 30 June – 29 October |
Growing
- Family
- Apiaceae
- Latin name
- Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum
- Soil temperature to germinate
- 12 °C minimum
- Between rows
- 35–45 cm
- In the row
- 20–30 cm
- To harvest
- 80 days
Companion planting
The level of evidence is shown for each pairing: many rest on tradition rather than on studies.
Keep apart
- French bean (bush or climbing)Tradition
- CabbageTraditionSources disagree
- Coriander (cilantro)Tradition
- Courgette (zucchini)Tradition
- CucumberTradition
- ParsnipTradition
- PeaTradition
- Sweet and chilli peppersTradition
- SpinachTradition
- TomatoTradition
- Winter squash and pumpkinTradition
Sources
- Aujardin.info — Le calendrier du potager (reference: Île-de-France)
- Jardiner Malin — Calendrier de semis et récolte au potager
- La Bonne Graine (seed company) — Le calendrier des semis et des plants
- The Old Farmer's Almanac — Planting Calendar (New York City, last frost Apr 3; cross-checked with Minneapolis, last frost Apr 30)
- Gerbeaud — Graines : températures de germination
- Tous au potager — Distance de plantation des légumes : tableau des espacements
- The Old Farmer's Almanac — Vegetable growing guides (garlic, shallots, onions, spinach, peas, lettuce, kale, radishes, carrots, beets, swiss chard, kohlrabi, bok choy, fennel, cabbage, mustard greens, rutabagas, rhubarb, mint, cilantro)