Fennel High-Yield Planting Techniques and Timing Explained, with Benefit Analysis

In culinary cooking, various seasonings are used to remove fishy odors or enhance flavor, and fennel is one of them. Below is an introduction to fennel high-yield planting techniques and timing, along with an analysis of its planting benefits.

I. Basic Information About Fennel

1. Production Area Distribution of Fennel

Fennel is a perennial herbaceous plant, also known as xiao huai xiang, xiang si cai, xiao hui xiang, hui xiang zi, gu xiang, hun xiang, and so on. It originated in the Mediterranean region, and its main production areas are northwest China, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Shaanxi, and the northeast, while the small fennel mainly exported comes from Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, and Gansu. In addition, fennel is also produced in Hubei, Guangzhou, and Sichuan.

2. Value of Fennel

Fennel is rich in vitamins, carotene, and cellulose, and can stimulate the blood vessels and nerves of the stomach and intestines. It has the effects of strengthening the stomach and regulating qi, and stimulating appetite and food intake. In addition, soaking small fennel in liquor can promote qi flow, dispel cold, and relieve pain; pounding fresh fennel seedling leaves to extract juice for drinking or external application can treat malignant sores and swellings, so fennel can be said to be a plant used as both food and medicine.

3. Per-Mu Yield of Fennel

Fennel yield varies depending on factors such as variety, climate, and management techniques, but under normal circumstances the yield is 1000-1500 kg/mu.

II. Fennel High-Yield Planting Techniques and Timing

Planting fennel at the right time, combined with good planting techniques, makes it not difficult to obtain a high yield. These are introduced one by one below:

1. Fennel Planting Time

Fennel is mostly cultivated in open fields in spring and autumn, that is, sown in March-April and July-September, and harvested in 40-55 days. It can also be cultivated in greenhouses with delayed autumn or advanced spring cultivation, so that fennel supply is delayed or advanced by 1-1.5 months.

2. Fennel High-Yield Planting Techniques

(1) To obtain a high yield in fennel planting, choose varieties with fast growth, cold tolerance, disease resistance, and high yield, such as Inner Mongolia small fennel and Qingxian “da min” small fennel; before sowing, carry out deep plowing and fertilization, and make beds.

(2) Fennel requires 8-10 kg of seed per mu. Before sowing, first rub the seeds apart. If using a spring greenhouse, seeds can be soaked before sowing or dry seeds can be sown directly; if the sowing period is later, use the method of accelerating germination before sowing. On the day of sowing, first water the bed surface sufficiently, then scatter the seeds in two batches, and after sowing cover with 1 cm of fine soil.

(3) After sowing fennel, pay attention to heat preservation and cold protection. When the seedlings emerge and reach about 7 cm, ventilation can begin, but pay attention to temperature, not exceeding 24 degrees during the day and not exceeding 3 degrees at night; when the seedlings are about 20 cm tall, water once with a moderate amount of water, and apply 10-15 kg of urea per mu along with watering.

(4) Fennel has a relatively short growth cycle, so there are few pests and diseases, but attention should still be paid to controlling fennel sclerotinia and aphids; when fennel seedlings grow to about 30 cm, they can be harvested successively or all at once.

III. Benefit Analysis of Fennel Planting

1. The table below is a recent reference table of fennel prices in some regions:

2. Under normal circumstances, the per-mu yield of planted fennel is 1000-1500 kg, the market price varies from 5-8 yuan/kg, and the wholesale price is around 3 yuan, so the planting benefit per mu ranges from 3000-4500 yuan.

The planting prospects for fennel are still considerable, but growers need to achieve scale in planting and master the regular changes in market conditions, so as to ensure high returns to a certain extent.