Fennel

Short description of the species

Botanical name

Fennel

Latin name

Foeniculum vulgare

Family

Apiaceae

Origin

southern Mediterranean

Crop classification

spicy and aromatic plants

Exposure

light-loving

Frost resistance

frost-resistant (depending on the variety)

Temperature requirement

15 až 25°C

Water requirement

regular watering

Soil requirement

loamy to sandy-loamy

Soil pH

6,0 až 7,0

Edible part

Foeniculi fructus (fruit), Herba foeniculi (herb), Oleum foeniculi (silica)

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Interesting

It is one of five dried spices—including cassia, cloves, star anise, and Sichuan pepper—that make up the famous Chinese powder: The Spice of Five Scents.

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Usage

The flavoring of various meat dishes, especially fish, is used in the preparation of various sauces, soups, herbal mayonnaises, in canning, in the production of compotes, in salads, as part of herbal teas, in various cocktails and traditional drinks, such as absinthe or ouzo

Inclusion in the sowing process and fertilization requirements 

track: II. (I.) compost, or well-ripened farmyard manure, does not tolerate fresh farmyard manure 

suitable pre-crops: cereals and roots 

fertilization: The use of organic fertilizers, such as chicken or decomposed cow manure, can significantly improve the growth and yield of fennel, it responds well to fertilization with mature farmyard manure at a dose of 10-15 t/ha 

varieties: In the case of fennel varieties, in addition to the height of the seed yield and the content of essential oils in the seeds, in the case of fennel as a leafy vegetable, the size, smoothness and roundness of the tubers (stem fleshy bases), their yield and uniformity are monitored. 

Agricultural cultivation techniques 

Propagation: direct sowing 

Agro-technique of cultivation - bed method (directly into the soil)

Harvesting: per seed is done when the first-order whorls are waxy and the main whorls are fully ripe, when the seeds in the whorl are grey-green, full and brownish in colour. 

Valuable ingredients: essential oils, flavonoids, phenolic acids 

Phytotherapeutic groups: carminative, spasmolytic, stomachic. 

Use: as an indispensable ingredient in modern French and Italian cuisine, in the seasoning of various meat dishes, especially fish, it is used in the preparation of various sauces, soups, herbal mayonnaise, in canning, in the production of compotes, it is a part of salads, a part of herbal teas, in various cocktails and traditional drinks such as absinthe or ouzo 

Diseases and pests: economically, the most serious disease is cercospora foeniculi, among others we can mention - Phoma, Sclerotinia, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, among the pests of fennel, aphids (Aphidoidae), mealybugs (Miridae), caraway beetle (Depressaria nervosa), leafhoppers are the most common. (Cnephasia spp.)