For those who are not familiar with herbs, I will first introduce the fennel plant and its useful aromatic leaves. Fennel is a perennial herb that is native to the Mediterranean regions but is now grown as an ornamental plant in various parts of the world. Growing fennel in pots can be both a challenge and a rewarding experience for anyone wishing to grow this culinary herb. The culinary usage of fennel goes far beyond the traditional usage as an herb for cooking and more people are opting to use it in various other forms to add flavor and interest to their daily meals and dishes.
In this article I will show you how easy it is to grow fennel in pots and if you follow my tips you will easily have fennel growing all year around. You can choose between planting it straightaway in the garden or you can go about growing fennel in pots the right way. Some of my favorite methods of growing fennel are by planting it in the ground all at once, transplanting the fennel seedsling into a garden that is already sown with the seedsling and growing fennel in pots directly from that seedling.
If you have fennel growing in pots then the key to growing fennel in pots is to start the garden right in the spring. The most recommended time to plant fennel is in early spring, as this is when it is the strongest. You want to spread the fennel leaves out evenly in a pot in order for it to grow healthily. If you do not allow enough room for your fennel to spread out then you may have to dig it up and re-pot it. Another great method of growing fennel in pots is to place it in the peat moss so that it can go to seed in the fall.
Fennel tends to be sensitive to high temperatures. Try to keep your growing fennel pots at around 55 degrees if you can. You don’t want it to ever go below that and you don’t want it to dry out either. The other thing you want to be sure to do is keep your fennel well watered as well. It is best to water it only about once a week, but you do not want it to get too dried out either. If you are growing fennel in pots then you will want to keep an eye on the water as it tends to go dry fairly quickly.
Fennel growing in a container will not require you to put any special effort into it. You can simply plant seedsling directly into a pot as they come through the season. If you have a good growing year then your seedling will likely come through strong and healthy.
One thing you have to keep in mind is that growing fennel in a container will limit how much you are going to be able to grow since you will be limited by the size of the pot. However, it is not like most other plants where you can just plant whatever you want and it will grow. When you plant plants in pots, you are limited to the area that they can grow. This is why growing fennel in pots is always a good idea.
The best part about growing fennel is that the plant is actually very hardy. You should be able to see it growing within four to five years after planting it. The truth is that it will take that long to get the plant to actually flower. It really is a good idea to get the plant to flower before trying to grow it. The flower will help your plants to grow faster and healthier.
The last thing you want to keep in mind is that growing fennel in pots is a great way to keep it fresh. When you plant fennel outside, you may find that it will be gone in only a few weeks. That makes it a great way to only bring the fennel inside to enjoy. Fennel will grow in your garden until the plant flowers. Once the plant flowers, you can then take it outside to enjoy all the freshness of the herb has to offer.