If it weren't pouring rain right now, I'd send you a picture. Fennel grows like crazy in my garden. It is real tall, almost six feet, and in seed right now. I like to go out there and chew the seeds. They are sweet with a licorice flavor. I use the fronds in cooking sometimes, and I peel off the branches like celery too. The variety I have does not make a bulb on the bottom. You need the variety Finochio for that. I planted my fennel for the butterflies mainly. It grows among the cucumbers and tomatoes. It apparently enjoys companionship.

Allenwrench, I've had much more success with celery than with fennel. Celery does really well and comes out like the grocery store stuff, but fresher, as long it's in really rich soil and gets lots of water. I've had my best luck growing in big tubs along the side of my greenhouse where I can remember to soak it all the time. I use a heavy dose of osmocote plus constant liquid feed with miracle grow or similar.

Fennel seems to bolt to seed, even if planted later in the season when it's cooled off. I haven't tried growing in pots like celery, which might work. I have had a modest bit of success, but nothing to brag about by any means, by zealously removing any blossom stalks as soon as they become recognizable and using a high nitrogen fertilizer.

Dennis
SE Michigan

I've never tried growing celery. Do have some fennel living, but not fully thriving, in pots.... have read that their roots give off something that makes them poor companion plants for many others, so haven't yet committed a spot for them in the ground.

I've just started growing lovage - it has a celery-like flavor and is perennial... apparently eventually getting quite large and can be quite attractive. Just a thought in case this interesting herb appeals to you... looks to be very easy to grow and use:

http://www.salescene.com/garart43.html
http://www.cnn.com/FOOD/key.ingredient/lovage/

Here is a link that might be useful: how to grow and use lovage

Here is a picture of my herb garden, see the tall plant, approx. 6ft tall, that is lovage. VERY easy to grow, this was planted last year! As stated above, celery like flavor and is a perennial.
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What a pretty little herb garden, winchesterva. What is that flower growing in the background, just under the hanging basket.

Thank you, it is a work in progress. That plant is called a "Red Hot Poker". It sits outside the herb garden in a bed I have planted perennials in.

I have one fennel bulb doing well in my garden. I had poor germination. I'm doing SFG, so I started with six seeds planted in my SF, only one sprung forth. That one bulb is doing very well though, I'm looking forward to using it. I did do a second sowing just recently, since I heard it might do better as a fall crop. I think I planted about 10 seeds total and only had two germinate. Those ones definitely aren't doing very well though.

I bought my Finochio seeds from Baker Creek, and their instructions were to sow directly. Given my poor germination this year, I'd like to try again next year, but starting the seeds first to see if they do better.

Thank you for the info on the red hot poker. I didn't know they could become such a nice looking plant. Will plant some when the nursery opens again next year.

I've found that bulb fennel tends to bolt if grown in hot weather. What has worked for me is to start seeds in trays, and then when they get to about 4-5 inches high, to transplant them to the garden. This is best done in early spring or toward the end of summer, so you will get a fall crop (the fall crop is the best). They like rich soil, mulch and moisture. My best crop ever was grown in soil amended with horse manure and mulched with straw and kept well watered.

I have found that while bulb fennel germinates well from seed in the garden, it tends to get eaten by pests very quickly; hence my use of transplants.

I have success with it (bulb), and like you have replaced celery with it simply because it's less work.
The hot weather problem can be addressed by growing it beside beans that shade it until harvest. Beans came out last week so it's getting full sun now, and will grow up 'til frost.6' is the norm but it gets woody then.
I always sow seeds pretty tight and thin once they are well established. The long tap root is easy to pull in my soil and doesn't disturb it's neighbors when yanked.

Thanks to ALL!

I tried growing fennel from herb seeds in a bottle. It did nothing.

Was told celery is tough to grow:

http://www.amazon.com/Gardening-When-Counts-Growing-Mother/dp/086571553X

You must be a genius Dennis.

Was thinking about Chinese celery next year as it was said to be easier to grow.

Yoicks! Finnochio has a long tap root? You mean besides the bulb that gets hilled up?

Should I try to transplant what I have in my possibly too-shallow container, or should i just let the root curl as it grows?

j.

Florence fennel (aka finnochio) grew terrifically well the one time I planted it. Beginner's luck? The newly emerged seedlings were tiny, fragile little things but, once they got going, the plants were vigorous and sturdy. When it got too large it was tough and it eventually bolted, but I got an excellent crop from a few seeds.

Jim

I found that if you continue to mound up the dirt around the bulb you will get a good size bulb.It often washes away when watering the garden, so, continue to push the dirt back around the bulb.