Fennel Culture

Are you supposed to prune Fennel in the fall?

Fennel will die down to soil level in the zones it can be grown outdoors in : zones 5 to 10. While the plant is growing its should be pruned for harvest only lightly to make sure there is enough plant left to make food for the roots and further growth. Leave at least the bottom 50 centimeters. Once frost has killed the above ground portion of the plant you can prune away most of the unsightly rotting leaves and stems, but replace it with a mulch to cut down on soil temperature fluctuations and the resulting winterkill.