How to Harvest Fennel

Once you’ve bought some of our hardy and sweet Fennel, you’ll want to know how to harvest it! That’s why we’ve put together this step by step guide on how to properly prune and harvest Fennel plants. Keep reading to learn exactly what you need to do to keep both you and your herbs happy.

How to Harvest Fennel

1. 

   The first step is always confidence! Beginners might worry about hurting their herb, but this guide will teach you, so don’t be nervous. In fact, herbs actually enjoy a trim and taking a few cuttings will encourage them to grow more.

2. Next, find a pair of scissors, or another tool that can be used for a clean cut. You will want to make sure that you don’t damage the herb when you harvest from it, so make sure to use the right tool and to wash it beforehand. Also, you can use your hands to harvest Fennel if you prefer, as the thinner stalks will tear off easily when pulled.

3. Now you need to know where to cut. Fennel plants have many different stalks that shoot out from the ground. Start from the top of the plant and go down until you see a thinner stalk that is growing off the larger one. You can cut this new growth and leave the larger ones to ensure that your herb stays healthy, but remember that Fennel is hardy, so you don’t need to worry too much.

4. To make sure you don’t take too much Fennel when harvesting, aim to never cut more than 20% of the plant. This is a good guide to use for all your herbs, but if your new to harvesting and you’re nervous about it, then you can also leave some areas untouched until you have seen the results of your previous cuts.

5. Last but not least, enjoy! And, we have recipes that you can check out to get the most out of your Fennel and other herbs. See our fresh herb recipe blog!

How to Harvest Bronze Fennel

Some bonus advice, we’ve included things to know about pruning/harvesting your Bronze Fennel too.

1. This variety of Fennel is different in its appearance, so harvesting it is the same, but with its unique colouration, you may want to know how to tell if this herb is happy. A healthy Fennel should have upright leaves that aren’t drooping, though the older, outer leaves might fall, so just remove those and your Bronze Fennel should stay healthy.

To learn about the other herbs and varieties you’ll need to prune, stick with us. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about harvesting all your SEASON herbs!