When to Plant Fennel in California
California spans USDA hardiness 5b to 11a (zones 5b to 11a on this page). Plant fennel by your local frost date, not the calendar — pick your zone below for exact start-indoors, transplant, and harvest dates.
Jump to: Zone 5b · Zone 6a · Zone 6b · Zone 7a · Zone 7b · Zone 8a · Zone 8b · Zone 9a · Zone 9b · Zone 10a · Zone 10b · Zone 11a
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 5b
Average last spring frost
April 30
Average first fall frost
October 5
Direct sow
Apr 16
Projected first harvest
Jul 15
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 5 guide (both 5a and 5b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 6a
Average last spring frost
April 25
Average first fall frost
October 10
Direct sow
Apr 11
Projected first harvest
Jul 10
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 6b
Average last spring frost
April 20
Average first fall frost
October 15
Direct sow
Apr 6
Projected first harvest
Jul 5
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 6 guide (both 6a and 6b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 7a
Average last spring frost
April 15
Average first fall frost
October 20
Direct sow
Apr 1
Projected first harvest
Jun 30
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 7b
Average last spring frost
April 10
Average first fall frost
October 30
Direct sow
Mar 27
Projected first harvest
Jun 25
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 7 guide (both 7a and 7b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 8a
Average last spring frost
April 1
Average first fall frost
November 10
Direct sow
Mar 18
Projected first harvest
Jun 16
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 8b
Average last spring frost
March 20
Average first fall frost
November 20
Direct sow
Mar 6
Projected first harvest
Jun 4
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 8 guide (both 8a and 8b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 9a
Average last spring frost
March 1
Average first fall frost
December 1
Direct sow
Feb 15
Projected first harvest
May 16
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 9b
Average last spring frost
February 15
Average first fall frost
December 15
Direct sow
Feb 1
Projected first harvest
May 2
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 9 guide (both 9a and 9b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 10a
Average last spring frost
January 30
Average first fall frost
December 30
Direct sow
Jan 16
Projected first harvest
Apr 16
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 10b
Average last spring frost
January 30
Average first fall frost
December 30
Direct sow
Jan 16
Projected first harvest
Apr 16
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days. Full zone 10 guide (both 10a and 10b) →
Fennel planting calendar for California, Zone 11a
Zone 11a doesn't get a seasonal frost — fennel plants on a warm/cool-season calendar instead of frost dates.
Best planting window
Year-round
Time to harvest
~90 days
🌴 Your zone never frosts, so planting is timed to the cooler vs. warmer seasons rather than a frost date.
Fennel is ready to harvest in about 90 days.
Not sure which half-zone you're in? Set your ZIP in HomeSown for dates tuned to your exact location.
Varieties to grow
1 variety of fennel in the HomeSown library. Tap any for its full grow guide.
Common problems with fennel
What to watch for, with identification and treatment for each
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