Anise is an annual herb which has been widely cultivated throughout the world. The dried fruits, which are usually called seeds, have been for centuries used to flavor pastries, candies and beverages.
The plant requires a light, fertile, sandy loam that is well drained and can be so pulverized that the small seed can be planted at a uniform depth and the very small young seedlings cultivated. A frost-free season of at least 120 days is required, and uniform rainfall throughout the growing season is essential because the plant is unfavorably affected by sudden changes from wet to dry periods.
The temperature throughout the growing season should be fairly uniform without excessively hot periods, especially following rainfall. When the seed is near maturity alternate rainy and dry periods cause it to become brown, which greatly reduces its quality, and under such conditions the harvesting of the seed is difficult.
The seed is planted about 1/2 inch deep in the field in rows 18 to 30 inches apart at the rate of one to two seeds per inch. At this rate about five to ten pounds of seed are required to plant one acre. Growers in some European countries broadcast the seed, but as a rule weeds are a major difficulty and if these are present at harvest they are likely to affect the market value of both the seed and the oil.
Most annuals are easy to handle, inexpensive, ideal for temporary plantings, fine L. fill-ins after perennials have stopped blooming. They offer a color range from pure white to deep black. They range in size from short to tall-growing; there are fragrant and scentless; there are also day and night-blooming annuals.
A lover of cool climates and rich soils, angelica is fairly easy to grow in most of North America. Choose a semishady spot and keep it mulched well to hold moisture and discourage weeds. Its seed germinates easily if sown for the next season in late July or early August, but take care not to cover it. It needs light to germinate, and so should be sprinkled, then hand-pressed into light soil that has been raked and graded beforehand. Old root clusters can be divided in fall or spring to produce angelica growths. Maturing plants should be thinned to stand in rows 18 inches apart. Use plenty of well-rotted compost or manure to prepare the bed.
Harvesting leaves can be done whenever leaves are mature. Stems should be cut in June or July. The seeds should be gathered just as the pod turns from green to yellow. Be careful not to shatter _ seedpods; they are delicate and will burst if dropped. Roots can be taken in the fall of the first growing season. If dried roots are wanted, slice the thicker parts to hasten drying.
Attractive in the herb garden, anise grows to two feet high. Its leaves are often used in salads
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