Growing dill is easy to do in pots, and having this fresh, aromatic herb in your kitchen may truly expand your culinary options!
Beneficial insects such as butterflies are attracted to this annual, self-feeding plant. This article will teach you how to cultivate dill in pots and how to care for it so that you may harvest it year after year.
What is Dill?
Dill (Anethum graveolens) is a perennial herb that usually grows 2 to 4 feet when fully grown. Its leaves are used as a herb in dips, soups, salads, and other cuisines, fresh and dried. The seeds are used as a pickling spice and in stews and roasts to add taste. Dill is a herb that grows wild in southern Russia, western Africa, and the Mediterranean. It belongs to the Umbelliferae family, along with cumin and parsley.
What kind of dill does best to grow in a pot?
Several types are available, some of which are better for culinary purposes or blooming than others. Listed below are a few types that thrive in container gardens:
Bouquet Dill
Bouquet is a popular dwarf type with dark green foliage and many seeds produced by the copious yellow blossoms.
Fernleaf Dill
Fernleaf is a small, prolific type that grows to a height of approximately 18 inches and thrives in pots. If your patio or deck receives fewer than 6 hours of direct sunshine each day, this is a fantastic choice.
Compatto Dill
Compatto is another tiny choice, reaching just 12-18 inches in height and bolting more slowly than some others.
Dukat Dill
Dukat grows to a height of 12-24 inches and has high oil content, making it ideal for cooking.
How to take care of the dill?
Dill needs direct sunlight. It thrives in a fertile, damp, but well-drained environment. To keep moisture in well-drained sandy soils, add enough organic matter, such as garden compost, well-rotted manure, or another soil improver. Below are some important factors that affect the growth of dill that are following:
Growing dill in the right pot or container
Dill has a long taproot and will grow best in a deep pot. Choose a container with a minimum depth of 12 inches and a minimum width of 12 inches. If you want to grow a cluster of dill plants, you’ll need a much larger pot. Dill is a top-heavy plant that tends to topple as it develops due to its thin and hollow stems. The Pot will need many drainage holes on the bottom to guarantee sufficient drainage. You’ll also need space for a support post or trellis if you wish to let the plant grow unpruned.
Dill should be planted carefully
Dill is best grown from seeds since it has a long taproot. Good to know is that dill from seed bolts grows more quickly than dill grown from transplants. Choose young transplants and handle roots with care if you’re planting them. Dill seeds should be planted about 1/8 inch to 1/4 inch deep. Seedlings should be spaced 4 inches apart. Until the seeds grow, keep the soil wet. Dill grows best in full light and fertile, loose soil. The plant grows well with broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, and Swiss chard as companion plants. Dill should not be planted near carrots.
Soil for growing dill in Pot
Dill may be grown in any soil type as long as it drains adequately. However, it thrives in somewhat acidic, well-drained, sandy, or loamy soil (pH 5.8 to 6.5). The soil temperature should be about 70degree Fahrenheit. Fill your container halfway with dirt, and then scatter your seeds on top. Cover the seeds lightly with additional dirt and water. Until the seedlings appear, keep the soil wet. In 10 to 14 days, the seedlings will begin to appear.
Seed at appropriate time to grow dill
Dill should be planted at the appropriate time. Sow the seeds directly in the soil surface from April to May; after all, the frost hazard has passed. It should not be transplanted. After the latest spring frost date, plant. 65°F-75°F is the ideal soil temperature for planting. Plant dill seeds and transplants in the low desert of Arizona beginning in October and continuing through January. Plant dill in succession every three weeks to provide a steady supply of leaves.
It should take 10 to 14 days for them to germinate. Seedlings should be planted at a depth of 34 to 1 inch and 12 to 15 inches apart when sowing or planting out; apply a general granular plant food to the soil. Liquid feeds applied during the summer will aid in the production of more leaves while also keeping the soil wet.
Enough Sunlight for growing dill
You don’t require a Mediterranean environment to grow dill well, but you should seed your dill or place your potted dill in the sunniest part of the yard. Dill needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight every day to thrive and flourish. When dill is grown in too much shadow, it produces scant growth with thin stems, a weaker flavor, and smell, and dies back soon.
Don’t try to transplant immature seedlings of dill since it won’t grow well. Allow 7 to 10 days for indoor sowed plants to acclimate to outdoor circumstances before planting outside after all risk of frost has gone. Thin seedlings to 30cm (12in) apart or plant them out.
Water for growing dill
Dill does not require a lot of water but adequate hydration to flourish. While the seeds are germinating, keep the soil uniformly wet. Dill plants require 1 to 2 inches of rain or more water as they begin to grow. Watering dill once every three days is usually sufficient, but during heat waves, it is often required to water every day since the plant must develop and create roots while battling the scorching sun.
Compost or Fertilizer for growing dill
The majority of herbs, including dill, do not require additional fertilizer. However, if desired, you may use it. When your dill reaches a height of 3 inches, it’s time to fertilize it with a good organic fertilizer like fish emulsion, compost, or manure tea, or lightly put compost around the base of your plants. Once a week, you should feed your dill. A balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer can be applied once or twice during the growing season. Use a liquid fertilizer mixed with water at planting time or scratches a time-release fertilizer into the ground.
Harvesting
Dill develops in roughly 90 days after sowing when grown outdoors. Although the leaves should be plucked as soon as they are large enough to use, the best flavor comes from picking them before blossoming. Early in the morning or late at night, clip them close to the stem. 40-60 days after seeding, dill leaves are available to harvest. After 85-115 days, dill seeds are ready to harvest. The blooms will bloom and seed after they have formed. 2 to 3 weeks after blooming, cut the seed heads. Allow the cuttings to dry in paper or plastic bags; the seeds will fall out when ripe.
How should I cut dill for cooking?
By removing growing flower heads, the supply and flavor of the leaves may be prolonged. On the other hand, the seeds are healthy and may be utilized in cooking, especially as part of curry powder.
What should I do once the plant is dying?
Dill plants die soon after bolting when the flower heads generate seeds, which is generally the cause of a dying dill plant. Overwatering and too much fertilizer cause dill to turn yellow and die back. Drought stress or a lack of sunlight causes dill to become brown and wilt, giving it a dying aspect. It cannot be easy to revive dill once it has turned yellow.
However, it grows fast from seed, so if it is still early enough in the season (before July), I recommend sowing fresh seeds and using the best practices of well-draining soil and good watering to avoid your dill going yellow. Biennial plants will die back to the ground level in the winter. When this happens, trim back flower stalks and remove dead or dying foliage to clean up the plants. They may return for a second year, depending on the severity of the winter and how well the soil is drained. If not, spread some more seeds.