[knoxville]

Hi everyone , seeing lots of different answers about where to grow fennel and what not to plant it beside,
How much of it is true or just hearsay ?
How far away is safe enough?
I don't really want to plant it in the middle of nowhere unless i have to , Thanks in advance.

[Blowin]

I presume you're growing FLORENCE Fennel to eat, as opposed to the herb Fennel?

Apart from giving either a good start with well rotted manure or compost, plus a general fertiliser just before sowing, my book doesn't include any special requirements. Neither type is prone to disease but the herb variety does grow to 5-8ft tall.

Keep watered.

[knoxville]

Yes it's Florence Fennel, the problem is i see info saying don't plant it near pretty much anything, then some say keep it away from peas/beans only and like your book i have seen books not saying anything about where to plant it.
So for a few years i have kept it away from everything but would like to know the correct plants to keep it away from?

[Blowin]

The book I quoted earlier was 'Food From Your Garden' (Readers Digest, 1977). I've now looked at 'Vegetable Growing' (Dr Shewell Cooper, 1972) and 'Modern Ways of Growing and Cooking Vegetables' (Harris and Howell, 1972) and neither gives any advice on neighbours to avoid.

Interestingly, our own Michael Brenock (Irish Gardener's Handbook, 2010) does mention that, because it's related to the carrot/parsnip family, you shouldn't plant it where either of those were grown the previous year (presumably to prevent transferring disease) but, again, no other warnings.

As my old Grandad would have said, 'Give 'er a goo, Boy.' and see what happens. If there are catastrophes to avoid, they can't be that severe or someone would have mentioned them?

[michael brenock]

Florence fennel is an herb, an annual grown from seed each year usually in May-June. The herb Fennel is a perennial but can be grown from seed. Avoid sowing or planting them near or where carrots or parsnips were grown or are growing> Fennel the herb is easy to grow but the vegetable is difficult
m brenock

[knoxville]

Thanks Blowin and Michael In the end i planted them out nearest the Brassica group and they are about 20 ft from Carrots/parsnips, i have also seen warning to keep them away from the Legume group of veg and the info that came with the seeds from seedsavers says keep them away from pretty much everything , so confusing to say the least. thanks again.