How to grow fennel
Foeniculum vulgare
Get your exact dates
The windows below are relative to your frost dates. Enter your ZIP for the calendar dates.
Open the planting calendarWhen to plant fennel
Start seeds indoors6 weeks before your last spring frost to 4 weeks before your last spring frost
Direct sowat your last spring frost
Growing conditions
- Days to maturity
- 60 to 90 (from sowing)
- Spacing
- 8 to 12 in apart, rows 18 in
- Planting depth
- 0.25 in
- Sun
- Full sun
- Water
- 2 in per week
- Soil pH
- 6.5 to 8
Common problems
Fennel by hardiness zone
Planting dates for a typical location in each zone:
Sources
Last updated 2026-06-13.