Dill Plant Profile
Dill (Anethum
graveolens) is an annual herb that is native to Eurasia and the
Mediterranean. Dill is used in pickling and in such dishes as potato salad,
sauerkraut, and fish preparations. It has beautiful ferny foliage and pretty
yellow flowers.
In addition to its culinary uses,
Dill attracts beneficial insects. It is a host plant for the
caterpillar of the black swallowtail butterfly. It was named Herb of
the Year in 2010.
Grow it in full sun and in well-draining soil--protected from strong winds. It
is hardy to USDA zones 2 to 11.
Dill is best started by direct-sowing seeds in the ground.
It can also be grow in containers. (It has a long taproot, so it doesn’t like
to be moved or transplanted.) To have a continual supply of dill, sow a new row
of seeds every few weeks.
You should occasionally weed around the plants and thin out
the new seedlings once they are a few inches high. Pinch off the flower heads
to encourage fuller leaf growth, which is the main part you will harvest for
use in cooking.
Once the dill plant has 5-6 leaves on it, you can start
harvesting them. To harvest the leaves, pinch or snip them off with kitchen
scissors. Select the older leaves first.
Towards the end of the season, let the dill flower and form
seedheads. Collect the seeds for use in cooking and to plant some for next
year. If you let the seeds fall where they are growing, they will often
self-sow next season.
It is deer-resistant and makes a charming addition to a cut-flower
bouquet.
Dill: You
Can Grow That!
The
video was produced by Washington Gardener Magazine as part of our Plant
Profile series for Mid-Atlantic USA gardeners.
Audio and text by Kathy Jentz
Video and editing by Madison Korman
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