[JayG]

My best attempts in recent years have always resulted in a crop of extremely tough, aniseed-flavoured celery-like sticks and no bulb!

That's a shame as I think this is a very nice and quite versatile vegetable whether eaten grated raw in salads or braised in a sauce.

Googling seems to produce slightly mixed advice, other than that you shouldn't try and grow them too early as cold snaps will trigger their favourite habit (bolting!)

Anyone got a sure-fire growing method?

[Lewjam]

I will have to add this topic to my watch list - i had the sample issue last year. 

Ended up with 10 very pretty, but pretty useless plants with no bulbs. 

This little frongs make a nice garnish but thats about all!

All bolted quite early on really.

[Christine]

Aren't we supposed to earth them up as we go like what we do with spuds?

[Mosslane]

I have grown fennel a couple of times and had good success. Against all advice I start it off in trays and then transplant the plants when I think they are big enough. When I plant them out I put an old plant pot with the bottom cut out around each one to protect it from pests etc. I didn't give any extra treatment just make sure the soil is tight around the roots so they don't move around in wind. I know this will probably be different to what the books say but it works for me.

[Trillium]

    * Fennel likes rich soil and full sun
    * Needs plenty of water, especially during dry periods
    * Plant seeds in early spring, 8” apart, then thin to 12” apart
    * Seeds can also be sown in early autumn – if in very cold climate cover with mulch
    * Cover base of fennel with soil when it grows to the size of a golf ball and keep   covered until ready to harvest
    * Remove flower heads as they appear

[Pompey Spud]

Real Seed Company sell a reasonably bolt resistant variety called Mantovano.

I'm trying it this year.

I'm planting mine in situ.

[oldcow]

I have seeds for the Mantovano from the Real Seeds Company too, but I'm not sure whether to start it indoors or not... I really hope it works, I love fennel...

[JayG]

This is what I mean by the advice being confusing; they apparently find any excuse to bolt which means anything they don't like, which includes being transplanted, cold, lack of water (and for all I know the grower's face!)

Yet some have obviously had success despite breaking one or more of the rules; will try again; maybe more watering on my sandy soil next time and possibly a different variety.

Thanks all for the replies so far.

[realfood]

Sow in succession in May and June, with the seeds placed 1 cm deep and 25 cm apart in  drills 45 cm apart. Keep the young seedlings and the plants well watered as drought will cause them to bolt. Make sure that you have slug and snail protection from the start.
I always get a good crop doing it this way. In Scotland, you have to pick them before the bulbs get frosted and ruined. Luckily, they store for a few weeks in the fridge crispator.

[chimaera]

I tried them last year and they did very well. Apparently they need to be growing when days are getting shorter or they run to seed. I sowed in trays after mid summer and planted out in July. I was eating them Sept until the snow destroyed them at Christmas.

Charlie

[bonfire]

I sowed mine at stations - as Trillium advises and had very good results. I didn't need to water them last year as we had more than enough rain and I didn't earth them up at all.

My main mistake was not to start harvesting them as soon as they were big enough. Don't treat them like onions - waiting for them all to be "ready". As soon as they are bulbing up start eating them!