Bulb fennel – AKA Florence fennel – is notoriously challenging to grow. Its aniseed taste isn’t for everyone, but it’s a crop I’m chuffed to see thrive under my care, given how many ...

Fennel is typically planted outdoors sometime between mid-spring and mid-summer, but it’s best to keep fennel away from your lettuce crop when planting time arrives.

The best time to plant fennel seeds outdoors is in June and July, and you want to sow directly as the crop does not like root disturbance. Sow seeds 1/2 inch deep in the soil, in rows 12 inches apart.