Fennel: cultivation and care in the open field, agricultural technology and varieties, collection

Once this culture was known to cooks, healers and ordinary people. Myths, beliefs, prejudices are associated with it: the inhabitants of Hellas, according to legend, fire was presented to people in a fennel hollow stem. It is often confused with dill, but they are different plants. You can learn about fennel, proper cultivation and care of seedlings in the open field by reading this material.

Crop description and common varieties

Fennel belongs to the Umbelliferae group, it can be one-, two- and perennial. In its natural state, it grows on the African continent, in Europe, America (North and South), Asia. In the Russian Federation, fennel is found in the Krasnodar Territory, the steppe regions of the Caucasus.

Prefers poor, dry soils, often growing along roadsides. The fruits and leaves contain essential oils with a characteristic odor and sweet taste. There are 2 main types of fennel:

1. Regular.
2. Vegetable.

The former is grown for its foliage and seeds, while the vegetable varieties (head and italian) produce fleshy petioles and stems. Ordinary fennel is also called “pharmaceutical dill” or sweet fennel. It grows to a height of up to 2 meters, is a frequent guest in vegetable gardens and household plots. The stem is straight, with an implicitly ribbed structure.

Crown the top of the plant with several umbrellas (from 10 to 20), each of them will have up to 25 bright yellow small inflorescences. Fennel is familiar to beekeepers, it is well suited for feeding bees.

Vegetable variety has a highly branched stem.In places where leaves are attached (petioles), fleshy heads of cabbage grow. In total, there are 7 types of vegetable fennel: Aroma, Luzhnikovsky Semko, Daredevil, Corvette, Soprano, Leader, Autumn Handsome. A hybrid is also known - a mid-season plant of the head variety Rudy F1. Oilseed brands Chernovitsky, Krymsky (Russian selection) and Sicilian, Italian large (foreign) are also growing well in Russia.

Fennel value

Fennel is used for many purposes: as a dietary supplement, in cosmetics, for medical reasons, and as a prophylactic. In some cases, it is impossible to replace it with anything else: this is the uniqueness of the plant.

In nutrition

Fennel oil and seeds are known as a common condiment. The greens are sweetish, with a refreshing pleasant taste. In culinary business, it is used raw - in desserts and salads, stewed with other vegetables.Bread is baked with fennel fruits, it is used in canning and s alting homemade preparations. Caucasian peoples love to add greens to their colorful national dishes. Perfumers add odorous oil to cosmetics, a by-product of pressing the fruit is used as a lubricant in the technique.

Important. Despite the outward resemblance to dill (umbrella flowering, spicy smell), fennel is a separate species, with its own characteristics.

In medicine

As a medicine, fennel has been used since ancient times - Hippocrates, Pliny and Avicenna recommended it to patients for:

• expectoration;
• eye treatment;
• kidney lavage (diuretic).

The main effect is achieved by using fruits or oil squeezed out of them. Bath attendants are familiar with the method of knitting brooms using branches and foliage of a plant.

A cough elixir is prepared on the basis of fennel essential oils, the fruits have a laxative, wind- and choleretic, as well as a sedative effect. Of these are medicinal pharmacy fees. Mothers know how to give water to children with swelling in the intestines, especially chest ones, with dill water. It is also made from fennel seeds.

It is well known that infusions from the plant have a beneficial effect on the excitable nervous system: they improve sleep, increase stress resistance. The external action of the decoction is to relieve inflammation in acne, dermatitis, furunculosis. Cardiologists recommend fennel treatment for poor circulation, vascular problems.

Choosing a site for growing fennel

Growing a seemingly unpretentious herb is not so simple: fennel needs moisture and light to grow fully. The soil is plowed before planting and systematically enriched with complex mineral fertilizers.The plot in the country does not have to be large, but certainly well lit.

The best predecessors

The main rule for planting fennel is that it does not get along well with "neighbors": it is better to plant it separately from other plants. Releasing long and thin roots in all directions, the "quiet" is able to pump out moisture from the surrounding area.

If spinach, beans, cumin or pepper are nearby, they will depress the fennel, preventing it from developing. Potatoes, cabbages, cucumbers and peas are considered the best options for growing crops - the fertilizers they are fed with are well absorbed by the umbrella plant.

Lighting Requirements

Fennel is sensitive to light conditions. This means that sites for planting seeds or seedlings should be chosen sunny, open during the day.Any crops planted in the neighborhood that provide shade (corn, sunflower) will interfere with the growth of the plant. But when growing a vegetable species, excess light can damage: a long daylight hours does not allow you to properly tie heads.

Important. Tall, shading fennel bushes in the neighborhood are excluded. It is better to plant them separately, in another place.

Soil for planting

The choice of soil for growing garden fennel is quite picky: it will not grow in abandoned places, poor soils and somehow cultivated areas.

1. Suitable: well-fertilized, dense, slightly alkaline soil.
2. Not suitable: light, poorly plowed, poor soil.

Growing outdoors from seeds

Fennel is grown from seeds that remain viable for 3 years. Experienced gardeners recommend preparing them before planting to increase the likelihood of a favorable outcome.

Soil preparation

Before sowing, the future fennel planting site is dug up to a depth of 25 centimeters or more (shovel bayonet). If before that something grew on the site, then digging is carried out immediately after harvesting. For depleted soils, top dressing with mineral organic fertilizers is allowed. In the spring, before planting, the site is dug up again, half the depth.

Then perform loosening and leveling. Sometimes it is advised to apply fertilizer under the previous planted crop, so it will be better absorbed. Additional feeding may be required before sowing seeds. The following composition is usually used: ammonium nitrate, potassium s alts and superphosphate in a ratio of 3:1:2.

Important. It is useful to mix vegetable fennel (seeds) with granular superphosphate fertilizer, this will increase the germination of seedlings.

Seed preparation

To do this, the entire sowing stock must be laid out on a flat surface covered with a clean, light-colored cloth.Matter should not be synthetic - this is important. Next, a special growth-stimulating solution is prepared (slightly concentrated potassium permanganate is also suitable) and the seeds wrapped in a fabric envelope are immersed in it. They should be evenly wetted, in no case should they float on the surface. Keep for 4 hours, then take out and dry.

Sowing seeds in spring

April is best suited for garden planting, sometimes it is allowed to sow in winter (in September). Early planting means protecting seedlings from bad weather and cold snaps. Vegetable varieties are best planted in the ground in the third decade of June, otherwise the heads will not form well.

The planting depth for all types of seeds is 2-3 centimeters. For spring sowing, it is recommended to carry out liming, add humus, compost or rotted sawdust. Covering the dug up and loosened beds with a film will retain moisture inside it.The spacing of the beds is chosen to be half a meter. The first sprouts hatch 5-6 days after planting, but this is if the average daily temperature does not fall below +6 ° C. After 7-10 days, the seedlings are thinned, leaving 20-25 centimeters between them.

Winter sowing

Fennel turns out to be too pampered heat for a full-fledged planting in the winter, but, under certain conditions, sowing in the fall is allowed. To do this, plants or seeds left for 2 years will have to be well covered from the weather, to ensure their protection. Winter sowing is not fertilized, using the remnants of mineral fertilizers in the soil after previous crops. Mandatory digging and loosening of the site before planting seeds.

From the plants left for the winter, the entire upper part is cut off, then they are covered with mulch, peat, covered with sawdust. As soon as the snow falls, the beds additionally cover it with a layer of several centimeters.Experienced gardeners say that the probability of a successful transfer of fennel to the Russian winter is low: it is better to play it safe and plant it in a greenhouse, in which the seedlings will also have to be covered with peat or leaves later.

Features of growing through seedlings

The method works well when breeding vegetable species: in this case, you do not need to worry about the normal development of root crops, which often happens when planting seeds. This method is also suitable for the short summer of Central Russia, the northern regions.

Planting is carried out in several stages: first, in late February-early March, the seeds are sown in seedlings. The appearance of the first sprouts signals the need for picking: they are carefully separated and transferred to separate flowerpots. It is allowed to replace the procedure with thinning (in increments of 20 centimeters between adjacent shoots). After about 30 days, the final stage is carried out - fennel bushes are planted in open ground, on a garden bed, keeping a distance of at least 40 centimeters between them.

Specifics of growing at home

Green fragrant "whim" is grown at home, on the windowsill. In conditions of constant positive temperature, it is easier to provide him with comfortable conditions. You will need: flower pots or containers, seedling boxes up to 30 cm high and no more than 25 cm wide. The bottom is covered with a thin draining layer: small pebbles can act as its role. From experience it is known that well-fertilized soils with slight clay inclusions are suitable for fennel. It is better not to take risks with acidity, the required level is pH 7.

Important. In ready-made soil mixtures for flowers (Terravita), the required parameters of acidity and mineral content are maintained. If you add a little clay to it, you get a balanced composition for growing fennel.

Ready-made peat containers, which can be bought at garden stores, are good for planting seeds. Soil is poured there and 2-3 seeds are slightly buried (taking into account future thinning). After planting, the crops are removed to a warm (but not hot) place.

Fennel belongs to light-loving crops, but seeds need darkness at the initial stage of growth. In open ground, sprouts germinate in 2-3 weeks, they have enough temperature of +6 °C. When tender roots are injured during transplantation, the stem and umbrellas grow, but heads of cabbage are poorly tied (this is important for vegetable varieties).

When growing "for greens" it is enough to wait until the shoots rise by 25-30 centimeters, and you can harvest. For the "roots" you will need a bulk container, because the sprouts grow up to 10 centimeters in girth (the upper, above-ground part rises to 50 centimeters). The vegetative period in this case is up to 90 days.

Rules for plant care

Fennel makes high demands on the composition and structure of the soil, light and moisture, but does not require special care when growing. It will be sufficient to fulfill a few simple requirements of agricultural technology.

1. Firstly, weeding from weedy neighbors is required - they will interfere with the development of seedlings.
2. Secondly, feeding with minerals and useful substances. The first time fertilizer is applied after thinning - fresh manure (mullein) is suitable for this.

When applied to the soil, the manure solution is prepared in a ratio of 1: 3 (part of humus to 3 parts of water). To care for the plant, water the beds, the finished composition should be even thinner - 1:10. They feed seedlings with chicken manure, but do it carefully, trying not to burn the stems and diluting fertilizer in a ratio of 1:50.

Parasites and protection against them

In the garden, in addition to cultivated useful crops, dangerous "neighbors" - insect pests can start. These are beetles and May beetles that destroy fresh greens. They like to eat fennel larvae of butterflies of the swallowtail, carrot, umbrella moth.It does not do without the ubiquitous aphids, bedbugs (umbrella, minke whale).

For prevention, trapping grooves break through around the area with the planted plant, the use of pesticides is unacceptable: they will all turn into green tops. It is better to use one of the reliable folk methods: spray the plant with a decoction of mustard, nettle or garlic - they repel pests well. Wood ash infused in water is also suitable. Fennel has diseases: cercosporosis, which affects seeds, as well as phomosis, septoria and spotting.

Important. The treatment of fennel with Bordeaux liquid (a mixture of lime and copper sulphate in water) has proven itself well. This composition helps to get rid of diseases and insects quickly, without any consequences for the plant.

Water and loosen the soil

Fennel loves water very much, its thin and long roots are able to stretch far to the sides and “steal” moisture from neighbors (if the plant itself lacks it).It is recommended to water seedlings and adult bushes at least once a week (10-15 liters per square meter). Watering does not depend on the season - in the fall, if the weather is dry, calm, it is also carried out.

Hilling

Fennel planted in the soil must be spudded: this improves the growth of the root part, which is especially important for vegetable varieties grown for the sake of cabbage heads. The procedure is carried out 2-3 times throughout the season, raking the soil with a layer of up to 7 centimeters. Sometimes experienced gardeners, before hilling, put a plastic case from a PET bottle on the plant - this way the greens get dirty less.

Fennel dressing

For this crop, fertilizer is mandatory, it is applied with predecessors (even better), or in the spring, almost immediately after planting the plant in the ground. Mineral complexes are used, as well as components of natural origin - cow and chicken manure, diluted to the desired concentration.

Mulching

A simple but effective method to provide seedlings with moisture by keeping it in the ground. As a layer of mulch, sawdust, straw, foliage - any available material is used. The layer should not be less than 50 millimeters, it is updated as needed (checking soil moisture).

Shelter for the winter

Fennel, left to winter (for season 2), must be properly prepared: cut off the entire upper part, sprinkle with frost protection. For these purposes, straw left after processing wheat, peat, small branches, leaves are suitable. Sometimes it is advised to leave about 40 centimeters of the stem with shoots, for better snow retention.

The layer covering the underground part must be thick enough to prevent freezing. Specific parameters depend on the climatic zone: the colder the winter, the more carefully the plants remaining in the ground are protected.After the snow falls, the beds are additionally covered with them.

Disease and pest control methods

Fragrant fresh greens attract the attention of bugs, which live in abundance in gardens and vegetable gardens, caterpillars, bedbugs.

Several methods are most effective:

1. To scare away aphids, thrips, bedbugs, caterpillars, spraying with a solution of green soap is used: for this, 200-400 grams are diluted in water (per 10 liters). Bordeaux mixture (lime with copper sulphate) is also good.
2. Bugs - May and Kravchik, are neutralized with the help of trapping grooves that pull out around the fennel planting.
3. Processing seeds before planting in a weak solution of potassium permanganate not only increases their germination, but also destroys disease spores. Additionally, the bed is watered with the same composition before planting fennel.
4. So that already infected (old) plants do not transmit the disease further down the chain, maintain the distance between rows, carefully destroy damaged specimens, isolating them from he althy ones.

How to harvest properly

Collecting greenery begins when the foliage (umbrella shoots) reaches a length of 30 centimeters. You can do this all summer, carefully cutting off fresh fragrant stems. Heads of vegetables can be dug up when they grow to a size of 8-10 centimeters. This happens in autumn, in August-September. For seed ripening, fennel is left for the next year, allowing it to overwinter. In order to prevent the ripened fruits from spontaneously sown, they are advised to wrap them with a thin gauze cloth.

Fennel storage

Experienced gardeners say that preparing fennel for the winter is to save useful vitamins until the next season, provide yourself with a supply of healing substances and a natural pharmacy.

Greens are dried, s alted, the same applies to seeds. Root crops are stored like ordinary vegetables - in a cool dark place. They are s alted, pickled, used in home preservation.

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