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Julia’s veggies - Fennel Healthy Growing, Healthy Eating

Vegetable of the Season – Fennel: Fennel is a beautiful, tall, fine-leaved plant,
loved by bees, butterflies and ladybirds. There are two different types of fennel and that is
why it can be called a vegetable and also a herb. Florence Fennel, (Foeniculum vulgare var. dulce),
is actually both - as you can eat the bulb as a vegetable and the leaves as a herb. Foeniculum
vulgare can be green or bronze in colour and is used as a herb only.
Companion plants: Calamint. Do not grow near coriander, caraway, beans and tomatoes as
it can affect their growth and it can cross pollinate with dill.
Varieties: Pics of Florence Fennel , Fennel flowers, seeds, and Herb Fennel.(Pixabay)

Organic Gardening Tips
• Fennel, prefers an acidic soil, pH 5 - 6. To make your soil more acidic you should add
plenty of compost and you can also sprinkle used coffee grounds on the soil.
• Overwatering can be a problem for fennel, which will rot if it receives too much water/rain.
• Pests are also thriving with the recent moist growing conditions. Be on the lookout
for signs of infestation and deal with the offender ASAP! Use the simplest method
first, eg. spray with jet of water or add a little dishwash soap to the water. Most organic
pesticides are made using the same strong scented herbs and members of the onion family.
• If you cut back fennel in late summer new growth will be encouraged.
Autumn Workshops & events

Wednesday 27th January – Online Organic Horticulture Course – https://www.training4farmers.com/
organic-horticulture-course: See advert on page 19
Saturday 6th February -Valentines Market at the Rugby Club, 10am to 3pm
Saturday 6th March – Farmers Market at the Rugby Club, 10am to 3pm
Saturday 13th & 20th March – Organic Farming Masterclass at Greenhouse Technologies Part 1 & 2
Saturday 27th March – Autumn Open Farm & Pottery Event in Notwane, 10am to 4pm
Saturday 4th April – Easter Market at the Rugby Club, 10am to 3pm
Saturday’s 11th& 18th April - Introduction to Organic Gardening/Farming Workshops at Kingfisher Farm.
Email: jellyfishfarmer@yahoo.com for more details or to receive our weekly newsletter.
Also visit my Facebook Pages for more information – Kingfisher Farm, Farmer’s
Natural Produce, Farmer’s Markets, Grow & Cook with Julia.
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