When is fennel harvested

Different plants are susceptible to different types of pests and diseases, and it is important to make yourself aware so you can keep a watchful eye and also take any preventative methods to keep your plants safe throughout their lifespan.

Aphids, the armyworm and cutworms can be pests that wreak havoc on the fennel plants. Aphids are soft-bodied insects that bring problems to lots of plants. They create discoloration of the leaves, necrotic spots and stunted growth. Encourage lady bugs in your garden to eat the aphids. Fruit will show shallow, dry wounds. To control these pests, apply Bacillus thuringiensis. Cutworms will attack plants and then the stems of the young seedlings, or plants that have been recently transplanted, may become severed at the soil line.

If the plant is older when the cutworms arrive, there may be irregular holes eaten into the fruit. The larvae are usually only active at night. Some of the common diseases affecting fennel include Cercospora leaf blight, downy mildew, powdery mildew and rust.

Cercospora leaf blight creates necrotic flecks on the leaves, which will then develop a chlorotic halo and become brown. The lesions will cause the leaves to wither, curl and die. To manage this disease, only plant pathogen-free seeds, rotate crops every year and be sure to plow any crop debris into the soil after you harvest the crops.

If necessary, apply fungicide sprays. Downy mildew causes yellow spots on the tops of the leaves and a white growth on the undersides of the leaves. This disease mostly affects younger plants and is spread by leaves that are consistently wet. To prevent this, be sure not to plant the fennel too close together to allow for good air circulation. Learn how to grow fennel in minutes.

Fennel can be grown for its leaves, stems, flowers, and seeds. Common fennel is grown as an herb. Its leaves and seeds are used in cooking and baking. Florence fennel—which has a bulbous stem and is a variety of common fennel— is grown for its stem which is eaten as a vegetable. The leaves of common fennel are feathery with a licorice-like flavor.

They can be added raw to salads and vegetables. The seeds of common fennel are often added to stuffing and apple pie. How to Grow Florence Fennel. How to Grow Mint.

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