Price range: £2.95 through £126.00
Very early professional standard hybrid fennel with bright white bulbs that are smooth, round and have a fine delicate flavour. Good bolt resistance for spring and early summer sowing.
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Florence Fennel: Preludio F1
Foeniculum vulgare var. azoricum
Approx. 250-300 seeds per gram
Florence Fennel is an exotic, gourmet vegetable.
The feathery leaves are extremely attractive and can be used, but the part we eat is the beautiful fan-shaped swollen leaf base called the bulb. The texture is crisp, and the aniseed flavour is fresh and clean.
Preludio F1 is a very early-maturing hybrid fennel with bright-white bulbs. The bulbs are smooth, round and have a fine delicate flavour. Preludio F1 has good bolt-resistance and is ideal for spring and early summer sowing maturing in about 75 days.
How to grow:
Plant in the miscellaneous section of your rotation.
Sow seed direct into the growing site from April for the earliest sowings and then in succession up until July.
Prepare the soil well, a rich moist soil is preferred. Sow in shallow drills 1cm deep and rows 45cm apart.
Thin seedlings as they grow allowing approximately 20cm between the plants. Keep weed free and watered if conditions are dry to preventing bolting.
The bulbs are ready when they reach between about 8-10cm across.
Seed can be started in modules and planted out, but Fennel dislikes root disturbance and the modules must not be allowed to dry out.
Pests and diseases:
Fennel can be attacked by slugs which spoil the outer leaves so protect against them with an environmentally friendly slug killer if necessary.
How to cook:
Fennel is fantastic used raw in salads but is also great cooked. Try it in soups and stews or baked with creme fraiche or orange sauce.