How to grow Dill?
- Latin Family: Apiaceae
- Latin Genus: Anethum
- Ease of Growing: Moderate
- Growing Type: Annual
The entire plant of Dill is aromatic, and the small green stems, immature umbels and ripe seeds are used. It is most widely used in Eastern European and Middle Eastern cooking.
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Dill History
Dill is native to Southeastern Europe and the countries around the Eastern Mediterranean. Though it is actually a biennial or short lived perennial, it is usually treated as an annual in the vegetable garden.
Soil Preference
- PH (min/max): 5.5 - 7.5
- PH Ideal (min/max): 5.5 - 6.5
Dill will grow well in any average soil, so long as it is well drained, moderately rich, and not too shallow.
How to care for Dill?
Keep the plants well watered when young. Once Dill is established it doesn't require much attention beyond keeping weeds down. Its deep taproot makes it quite drought tolerant.
Water
Dill produces a deep taproot which makes it quite drought tolerant, but for maximum productivity the soil should be kept moist.
Fertilizer
Dill isn't a very hungry plant.
Seeds
Seed Viability: 3 - 5 years
Germination Percentage: 60.0
Dill is self-pollinated, so you don't have to worry too much about cross-pollination. Cut the ripe seed heads before the seed starts to fall and put them in a paper bag to dry fully.
Light
Sun: min. 6 hours daily
Dill needs a warm sunny spot for best production (it tolerate very light shade). It should also be protected from strong winds.
Conditions:Cold, Cool, Warm
Season:Short Season, Long Season
Storage
The best way to preserve Dill leaves is to freeze them in water in ice cube trays.
Storage Req: Freezer
Storage Temp: 32°F
Storage Length: 1-180 days
Dill seed, leaves and flower heads can be dried for storage. Make sure you dry them very thoroughly and store in an air tight container.
Storage Req: Dry
Storage Temp: 50-70°F
Storage Length: 1-360 days
The fresh plants may be kept in a plastic bag in the fridge for up to a week.
Storage Req: Refrigerator
Storage Temp: 35-40°F
Storage Length: 1-7 days
Problems
Tomato Hornworm
Tomato hornworms will also eat dill and the plants are sometimes used as a trap crop to protect tomato plants.
Dill Types
- Dill
With its soft feathery leaves and yellow flowers Dill looks somewhat like fennel, except that the leaves are blue-green in color. The abundantly produced seeds are widely used for culinary purposes.
Pests
- Carrot Rust Fly
- Caterpillars
- Carrot Weevil
- Leafhoppers
- Aphids
- Cutworms
- Slugs and snails
- Gophers
- Deer
- Tomato Hornworm
Diseases
- Leaf Blight
- Septoria Leaf Spot
- Aster Yellows
- Damping Off
- Alternaria Blight
- Powdery Mildew
Related Plants
Greens, Juicing
Sprouts
Seacale
Kohlrabi
Collards
Anise
Caraway
Cumin
Cauliflower
Culantro