key growing information

Pelleted Fennel Growing Information

How to grow bulb fennel from pelleted seed: soil, timing to avoid bolting, watering pellets, shelf life, transplants, direct sowing, rates, harvest and storage.

By Hensley’s Seed Co. September 3, 2026

Pelleted Fennel - Key Growing Information

A planting of fennel grown from pelleted seed, for ease of handling and a uniform planting.

SCIENTIFIC NAME:

Foeniculum vulgare

CULTURE:

Bulb fennel (finocchio) likes fertile, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, with a pH of 6.5–7.5. Steady watering is needed for good yields and flavor. Where you can, time plantings to mature as days shorten and cool, since heat and long days push fennel to bolt. DAYS TO MATURITY: Counted from direct sowing.

PELLETED SEED:

Pelleted seed needs a bit more care with watering: it does best when the soil stays evenly, moderately moist right through germination. The first watering splits or dissolves the coating, and if the soil then dries out before germination is complete, the seed may not get enough moisture to sprout well. Pellet Storage: Pelleting has many benefits, but it does shorten the seed's shelf life, so we suggest using pelleted seed within a year of purchase. Until planting, keep it somewhere cool, dark and dry, away from heat and humidity. If you'd rather keep it in the refrigerator, seal it in an airtight container to protect it from swings in humidity. Pellet Size: Unsized mini pellets.

TRANSPLANTING:

Use 1–2" cell-type containers, 2–3 seeds per cell, ¼" deep, thinning to one plant per cell. Grow on for 4–6 weeks, or until plants lift out without disturbing the roots. Plant out 6" apart any time from mid-spring to late summer, handling gently since root disturbance can trigger bolting. Snip off any seed stalks that form.

DIRECT SEEDING:

From mid-spring to early summer, plant ¼" deep at 10 seeds per foot in rows 18" apart, thinning to 6".

AVG. DIRECT SEEDING RATE:

At 10 pellets per foot in 18" rows, about 290,000 pellets per acre, or 10,000 per 1,000' of row.

HARVEST:

Once the base swells, cut the bulb free just above the taproot with sharp pruners, then trim the leaf stalks to 1–2" above the bulb for sale or storage.

STORAGE:

Store at 32°F (0°C) and 95% relative humidity.

TRANSPLANTS (AVG.):

4,000 plants/oz. PELLETS/OZ.: See each variety.

PACKET:

200 pellets per packet, enough for about 20' at 10 per foot.