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Umbrella, reaching 1-2 meters in height. Also in Ancient Rome it was used as a seasoning and medicine against many diseases. Fennel has a bright aroma and a pleasant sweet taste.

In appearance, fennel, the photo of which is presented in the article, resembles dill: it has a straight stem, feathery leaves with a whitish coating and thread-like lobes. Flower - a complex umbrella of bright yellow color. The fruit is a two-seed with a sweet taste. The root is fleshy, spindle-shaped. Flowering begins in mid-summer and continues until September.

The fennel herb (from cultivated species) is divided into ordinary (Voloshsky dill) and vegetable (Italian) fennel, with a more fleshy, powerful stem. Both of them are well known to Russian gardeners.

This medicinal plant, which was used in their healing practices by Avicenna and Hippocrates. It has also found its use in modern medicine. An infusion of this herb is an excellent expectorant and is used for coughs. Essential oil helps improve intestinal motility and activates the excretory system of the kidneys. Fennel tea is an excellent diuretic that complements medications in the treatment of urolithiasis, and also helps in lactating women. Water prepared from the seeds of the plant is used to treat flatulence in infants. The roots are used as a laxative. Decoctions are used in treatment colds. In addition, the flavonoids and vitamins contained in the plant will help cope with the blues and ward off the danger of the onset associated with a lack of heat and sunlight.

Vegetable fennel is a herb that is successfully used in cooking. All parts of the plant can be eaten. Its seeds and leaves are used as flavorings when preparing for the winter. They serve wonderful decoration in salads, first and second courses, as well as in the preparation of lemonades and infusions. Baked or stewed onions are a great light side dish for meat dishes. But the most advantageous combination of the taste of fennel is with fish: cod, flounder, halibut, haddock. If you use it with ginger when stewing, they will further emphasize the taste of your dishes.

It should be remembered that every day the aroma of the collected herb loses its brightness, so fennel bulbs, like its greens, should be used in the first 3-5 days after cutting. If this is not possible, the greens can be wrapped cling film and store in the refrigerator. When purchasing on the market, you should pay attention to the quality and freshness of the herb. Young, freshly cut bulbs are dense, light, with an anise aroma.

Fennel is a real natural pantry. The plant contains such important microelements for the human body as iron, zinc, chromium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, aluminum, and copper.

Fennel– a perennial spicy-aromatic plant that belongs to the celery family. Appearance fennel is reminiscent of dill (see photo), and its taste and aroma is more like anise. The plant comes from Southern Europe and Asia Minor, it is also found in the Mediterranean. Today, fennel is grown in many countries around the world, in particular, its largest importers are Italy, Japan, and Argentina. In general, fennel is cultivated for its sweet, slightly spicy flavor and characteristic aroma. By the way, this plant also known as sweet dill. Not only the leaves of the plant, but also its other parts, such as seeds, are widely used in cooking.

Cultivated fennel has two types:

• fennel - produces exclusively seeds and greens;
• vegetable fennel - this type has a fleshy stem or, as it is also called, a “head”.

It is better to store the plant in the refrigerator, but no more than 5 days. Its aroma is not particularly persistent and disappears quite quickly, and therefore you should not stock up on fennel for future use, but it is better to buy fresh if necessary.

Growing

Knowing about beneficial properties plants, many people think about how to grow fennel. Everything is very simple! Fennel is grown from seeds that are sown in the spring (they begin to do this around mid-April, and can be sown until the beginning of June). In addition, you can plant previously prepared seedlings (this method is more acceptable, since when grown by seeds, a fleshy head may not form at the base of the fennel, which is due to long daylight hours). Seedlings are planted in February-March.

When planting, the bed is first well fertilized and supplied with water, and then covered with film to retain the necessary moisture. The distance between plants when planting should be about 40 - 50 cm. Such a plant should also be maintained between the beds. By the way, we draw your attention to the fact that fennel should be planted separately from other plants, since if there is a lack of moisture, it will take it from other crops that are in close proximity. In addition, it is believed that fennel can inhibit the growth of some plants, for example, and some others.

At the end of May, the fennel needs to be “twisted”, this is necessary in order to bleach the heads of the plant. The greenery of the plant will delight you throughout the summer, and the harvest of conanets should be harvested closer to autumn.

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of fennel were well known to doctors Ancient Greece and Rome. At that time, it was used to treat coughs, stomach ailments, and headaches. In ancient times, it was believed that the plant gave strength and endurance to the human body.

The juice of the spicy plant helps with vision problems, it helps relieve eye fatigue and reduces irritation. Folk recipes The plant is recommended for the treatment of conjunctivitis and even cataracts.

Fennel is known for its antioxidant effect on the human body, because it contains a very useful substance anethole. It prevents the development of cancer and is an effective hepatoprotector.

Vitamin C, which is found in fennel in considerable quantities, ensures normal functioning immune system, helps with arthritis. In addition, Ayurveda recommends using the roots of the plant as a mild laxative, and the seeds as a stimulant.

The plant is used as a remedy that improves the process of milk formation in lactating women. Fennel imitates production female hormone, which sets up endocrine system for the production of estrogen.

It is also worth noting that fennel has enough a large number of essential oil. It is used in aromatherapy as a remedy against cellulite and obesity. For this purpose, it will be enough to add a few drops of essential oil to an anti-cellulite cream or mixture designed to combat “orange peel”.

Use in cooking

In cooking, the spicy plant is used in different types: as a seasoning, additive to salads, etc. For gastronomic purposes, dried seeds or leaves of the plant are usually used. Gourmets claim that the taste and aroma of fennel is most fully revealed when paired with white fish. Actually, it is for this reason that fennel is used for baking fish, and also meat, adding ginger to it.

It is recommended to stew or bake fennel heads and then serve them with meat dishes as an unusual side dish. When buying them, you need to be especially vigilant, because as we mentioned earlier, fennel tends to lose its unique aroma and brightness of taste over time. So, the heads of cabbage should be dense and light green, and the aroma should be fresh with notes of anise. Properly prepared fennel has a wonderful taste.

Interestingly, in India, fennel seeds are served at the end of dinner, as a dessert and to freshen breath after meals. To do this, they are rolled in sugar to add a pleasant sweet taste.

The seeds of the plant can be consumed whole or ground. By the way, fennel is often used for various kinds of pickles and preservation. Its aroma combines notes of anise and garden dill, so it is best suited for pickling cucumbers and other vegetables.

Fennel contains a large amount of fatty oils, which are sometimes used as a substitute for cocoa butter. In the manufacture of bakery products, the seeds can be sprinkled on sweet rolls and cookies. Fennel is included in some pudding and pies recipes.

The leaves and petioles of the plant are used in national cuisine China, India, as well as Romania and Hungary. Here they are used to prepare traditional vegetable soups, as well as fish dishes. In addition, a small amount of leaves is added to salads and meat dishes.

Fennel lovers brew its leaves like tea, sometimes adding ginger to this drink. A hot drink made from these two components will provide good protection against colds.

Fennel benefits and treatment

The benefits of fennel are explained by its composition. Young children are given so-called “dill water,” which is also made from fennel. This remedy perfectly helps with bloating and gas accumulation. People sometimes call it medicinal dill, although fennel does not have many similarities with garden dill.

Preparations based on fennel are widely used as an antispasmodic and carminative. Fennel decoctions are used for bronchitis and whooping cough.

The fruits of the plant, thanks to their delicate aroma, awaken appetite and improve digestive processes. Fennel is known for its antifungal properties. Essential oil can be used as a room sanitizer; this will significantly reduce the number of fungi in the space.

There is evidence that fennel essential oil has a stimulating effect on men and women.

By the way, you can buy fennel in any supermarket or market, but you can only find its essential oil in a pharmacy. In addition, the plant can be purchased in the form of herbal tea.

Harm of fennel and contraindications

There are no contraindications to the use of the plant as such. Of course, due to its antispasmodic effect, it is better not to use fennel for pregnant women and people suffering from epilepsy. Individual intolerance to the product should not be ruled out.

Fennel - healthy aromatic plant, which is often used for medicinal purposes and is included in many dishes. You can grow this crop yourself on your own personal plot. We will tell you how to plant and grow fennel in this article.

Description of the crop and common varieties

Fennel is a perennial herbaceous plant from the Umbrella family. Despite the fact that the crop is a perennial, gardeners in our country prefer to grow it as an annual. The most popular variety of this plant is considered to be vegetable fennel, which has tasty fruits that are widely used in cooking.

Culture refers to tall species, its erect stem can grow 2 m in height. Distinctive Features The plants have a powerful rhizome, dense branching and the presence of a whitish coating on the green part of the bush. Fennel foliage resembles dill leaves in appearance and has a bright green tint. During the flowering period, the culture produces umbrella-type inflorescences covered with small yellow flowers.

As for the most common varieties of fennel, Russian gardeners They prefer to grow the following types:

1. The “Aroma” variety refers to mid-season crops, the seeds of which ripen approximately 75-78 days after planting the bush. The yield of the variety is 2-3 kg of fruits per 1 m² of planted area.
2. "Leader" is a variety of fennel early maturation. The height of its stem is 170-180 cm, the seeds of the crop ripen 40-50 days after planting.
3. The variety “Udalets” belongs to mid-season and medium-growing crops, growing up to 60 cm in height. The weight of one fennel fruit of this variety is approximately 120 g.
4. Among mid-season varieties we can highlight the fennel “Luzhnikovsky Semko”. Its fruits are quite large and weigh up to 220 g. The seeds of the plant ripen 75-80 days after planting.
5. “Autumn Beauty” is an early ripening fennel with a ripening period of 37-40 days. The height of the stem of this plant reaches 1.5-1.8 m. The green foliage has a delicate, pleasant aroma.

Features of growing fennel

When cultivating fennel on your site, it is important to know some of the subtleties of growing this crop:

1. In the garden or vegetable garden, it is better to place a bed with fennel separately from other plants. The culture should be well moistened and all care rules should be followed. If the fennel does not have enough moisture or nutrients in its own area, it will stretch its roots to beds with other plants.
2. When growing fennel, it is important to know that it reproduces well by self-sowing.
3. The crops with which fennel will be adjacent also matter. For example, plant it next to leguminous plants, tomatoes, peppers, cumin and spinach are undesirable, since fennel will oppress its neighbors. But it has a beneficial effect on the growth of cabbage and cucumbers, repelling aphids with its smell.
4. When planting fennel near cucumbers, be sure to water both crops frequently.
5. Fennel is considered useful plant not only for the human body, but also for the garden. The aroma of this plant during its flowering attracts pollinating insects to the site.

Growing fennel from seeds

A popular method of propagating fennel is sowing seeds. The germination of the seed of this crop is quite good and is 2-3 years after collection. Sometimes fennel is bred by root division, but this method is used extremely rarely due to its greater complexity and poorer survival rate.

You can plant fennel seeds in the soil twice a year: in early spring or autumn. The first planting occurs in April-May, the second in August-September. When planting, seeds are deepened into the ground by 2 cm. Fertilizers are first added to the soil: humus and slaked lime. The proportions of nutrients are approximately as follows: about 1 bucket of humus is added per 1 m² of land. You can also add mineral compounds to the soil, for example, 2 tbsp. superphosphate per 1 m² of land.

After the spring sowing of seeds, the bed is covered plastic film and leave it in this form until sprouts emerge from the soil. The film will help provide the seedlings with greenhouse conditions and sufficient humidity.

To grow fennel on a plot, it is important to choose high-quality seed material. You can buy seeds in a specialized store, where they most often offer two varieties of fennel: ordinary and vegetable. Ordinary or pharmaceutical fennel grown for seeds or greens, while the vegetable variety has the most valuable heads of fruit, used for culinary purposes.

Fennel seeds germinate approximately 10 days after planting. Young sprouts need to be pruned, removing excess plants, then the remaining heads of cabbage will develop fully and the harvest will be successful High Quality.

After picking, the plants should be located at least 15 cm from each other. Sprouted stems need to be fertilized with mullein solution.

Fennel care

Timely and abundant watering is one of the the most important conditions growing such a crop. Fennel loves water and prefers well-moistened soil. If there is not enough moisture in the ground, plants will begin to take root in neighboring beds, taking water from others garden crops. It is also recommended to periodically loosen the soil around the fennel plantings, and to prevent water from evaporating from the soil too quickly, mulch the soil.

In order for fennel fruits to actively develop, at the beginning of summer the stems are periodically hilled, giving the roots access to oxygen. It is also recommended to fertilize fennel from time to time; a liquid solution of mullein or an infusion of green herbs is good for this purpose.

Growing fennel using seedlings

Some gardeners prefer not to sow seeds right away. open ground, and first grow seedlings in a greenhouse or greenhouse. Sowing seeds for seedlings is carried out at the end of February or at the beginning of March. With this method, the emerging sprouts do not need to be pruned, but many gardeners advise carrying out at least one thinning immediately before planting the sprouts in open soil.

For vegetable fennel, the seedling method is considered the best option, since it allows you to get excellent harvest fruits later. When planting seeds directly into the garden bed, fennel sometimes cannot form heads of cabbage because the length is not suitable for it daylight hours. IN greenhouse conditions this factor can be adjusted independently, the plant will receive a sufficient amount of light, and the fruits will come out large.

When transplanting vegetable fennel seedlings into the garden bed, you need to maintain a distance of 40 cm between the sprouts. The principles of care in this case are no different from those described above. Fennel needs high-quality watering, loosening, and periodic feeding.

Fennel pests

If the summer is cold and rainy, fennel may be susceptible to gray mold. Fennel often suffers from attacks by caraway or carrot moths. Around May, the moth lays its larvae on plants, and by early summer they turn into caterpillars. The caterpillars actively eat the green parts and fruits of fennel, and also entangle the inflorescences with cobwebs. To get rid of moths, it is better to uproot damaged parts or even whole plants and burn them. Prevention of pests can include regular weeding, timely collection of seeds and treatment of plantings with special solutions.

Use of fennel for practical purposes

Fennel is often used in medicine due to the fact that it has good medicinal properties. It is considered an anti-inflammatory and bactericidal agent and can act on the body as a diuretic and antioxidant. Among other things, fennel is used to treat helminthiasis, and its analgesic properties allow the culture to be used for a variety of diseases accompanied by pain and inflammation.

Fennel is used as part of complex therapy to treat bronchitis and other respiratory diseases. It is used for flatulence and intestinal colic in infants. Fennel helps dilate blood vessels, remove bile, heal urolithiasis, improve appetite and work digestive tract, eliminate constipation, diarrhea and dysbiosis.

People with gum disease and unpleasant smell mouth can be rinsed with fennel infusion. The aroma of this plant has a relaxing effect, relieves stress, calms the nerves, improves memory and concentration, tones the body and improves brain activity. Women during lactation take fennel to increase the amount breast milk, and men use this plant to combat potency problems. The restorative properties make it possible to use fennel in cosmetology, where it is included in anti-wrinkle products.

What fennel looks like, photo.

Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill) is a spicy, vegetable, medicinal, annual or perennial herb. Belongs to the Umbrella family. The stem of the plant is slightly ribbed, strongly branched, rounded, straight, with a bluish coating, reaches a height of 2 m. The root is spindle-shaped, slightly branched, fleshy, up to 2 cm in diameter, yellowish. white. The leaves of the medicinal plant fennel are alternate, vaginal, three or four times pinnately dissected, dark green in color with a bluish bloom. The outline of the leaves is ovate-triangular.

The flowers of the plant are small, grouped in large complex umbels, 8 - 20 cm in diameter. The corolla of flowers has five yellow petals. Fennel blooms in July–August. The fruit is a greyish-green, cylindrical, ridged two-seeded seed that ripens in September–October.

Where and how does fennel grow?

Fennel as a medicinal plant has been known since ancient times. His homeland is the Mediterranean, where, as in the Caucasus, Crimea and Central Asia, it occurs in the form of wild thickets. There it can be found in garbage places, along ditches, on rocky dry slopes, near housing and roads.

It is also cultivated in Moldova, the Chernivtsi region of Ukraine and Krasnodar region Russia.

The medicinal plant fennel is a drought-resistant, light-loving and heat-loving plant. However, heat and prolonged drought during flowering and seed growth usually lead to yield loss.

For good growth, the plant needs cultivated, fertile, chernozem or calcareous-clayey, and not waterlogged soils.

In crop rotation, it is placed in the fields after vegetable crops, potatoes and winter grains. At the same time, fennel does not like to grow next to tomatoes, but feels good next to lettuce, cabbage, spinach, kohlrabi, peas and cucumbers.

How to grow fennel.

You can grow fennel in the garden by seedlings and sowing seeds in the soil. Sowing of seeds is carried out from spring to early summer, planting them in grooves to a depth of 2 cm and at a distance of 50 cm between them. Caring for common fennel plantings consists of thinning the seedlings (one plant per 15 cm), regularly loosening the soil and periodically watering.

When growing seedlings, 2 seeds are placed in each paper container, and then the strongest plant is left, which after a while is transplanted into the ground.

How to prepare fennel for the winter.

Fennel fruits are stored in late August - early September when the seeds turn brown on the grayish-ashy central umbel. Then the fruits are dried and the debris is removed. Drying common fennel is normal. Dried fruits can be stored for no more than 36 months.

The roots of common fennel are also prepared, which are dug in the second year of the plant’s life in spring or autumn. In this case, fennel is harvested only when its stem at the base reaches a diameter of 1 cm. The cut greens are dried in the shade, spread out in a thin layer.

Fennel: chemical composition.

Protein, fatty and essential oils were found in the fruits of fennel.

What are the benefits of fennel?

The beneficial properties of the fennel plant are manifested in antimicrobial, expectorant, antispasmodic and weak diuretic effects. Fennel helps with cramps in the stomach and intestines, with difficult to expectorate and viscous sputum due to bronchitis, with a tendency to edema, and also increases lactation in nursing women.

How is fennel used?

Fennel umbrellas during flowering are used in home canning, as they improve the aroma of marinades when pickling zucchini, cucumbers and tomatoes. An equally edible part of fennel is its white tuber. Fennel is also used dried - as a seasoning for pork or stewed fish, and fresh - in soups, salads and sauces.

Fennel fruits are used for treatment because they have antiemetic and antispasmodic properties, increase the secretion of the intestines, bronchi, stomach and mammary glands in lactating women, as well as potency in men. To do this, they are used in the form of tea, tincture and oil. Fennel fruits are included in licorice powder and choleretic, laxative, sedative and chest preparations.

* Fennel tea is a delicious and refreshing drink with a specific aroma. Wondering how to make fennel tea to increase your milk supply? Yes, everything is very simple, since it is prepared and drunk like regular tea. That is, first the kettle is rinsed with boiling water three times, then 2 tsp is added. fennel seeds and pour a glass of purified boiling water at the moment of the “white key”. And then after 3-4 minutes they drink a glass, preparing this tea three times a day.

* How to cook alcohol tincture from fennel fruits to increase potency in men.

Mix and crush in a mortar 50 g of St. John's wort flowers, 50 g of European hogweed and dogwood fruits, 50 g of raspberry, strawberry and currant leaves and 100 g of celery leaves and fennel fruits. Then pour the mixture into a glass container with an airtight lid and pour in 2 liters of dry wine. Keep the wine tincture in a dark place for 30 days, remembering to shake it every day. Then filter and drink 50 ml three times a day after meals.

* Fennel oil massage is performed by adding 5 drops of its essential oil to 10 g of carrier oil - base.

Fennel: contraindications.

Tea with fennel is prohibited during pregnancy and epilepsy.

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