DibbleGrowing fennel: from seed to harvest
Sow bulb fennel once the weather has settled and nights are no longer cold: a chill can make it bolt. Keep it moist, and mound soil around the swelling bulb to blanch it. Time it so the bulbs swell in mild weather, not in the heat.
Planting dates for fennel by zone
| Zone | Start seeds indoors | Sow or transplant | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | not needed | May 10 | July 27 |
| Zone 4 | not needed | May 4 | July 19 |
| Zone 5 | not needed | May 3 | July 16 |
| Zone 6 | not needed | April 22 | July 4 |
| Zone 7 | not needed | July 1 | June 19 |
| Zone 8 | not needed | February 27 | May 10 |
| Zone 9 | not needed | August 19 | March 22 |
| Zone 10 | not needed | August 3 | March 22 |
| Zone 11 | not needed | October 3 | March 22 |
Each date is the start of the best window from the same climate engine the Dibble app uses, run at typical places in each zone. Dibble tunes them to your garden's own location and lets you adjust frost dates for your own yard.
Family and rotation
Fennel is in the umbellifers family. Root and herb family. Rotate to limit carrot rust fly buildup. Learn about crop rotation.
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Questions
When should I plant fennel?
It depends on your zone. Fennel is a half-hardy crop, so the timing follows your last spring frost. Look up your zone in the table below for exact start, sow, and harvest dates, or open Dibble and set where your garden is to get your own calendar.
How long does it take to grow fennel?
About 80 days from sowing to the first harvest, with a picking window of roughly 21 days after that.
Plant at the right time this season
Dibble builds your calendar in under a minute. Free to start, no account needed.