Growing Dill
Dill is an annual herb of the parsley family. You can use almost everything from the dill plant including the flowers and the seeds.
Dill in the vegetable garden
You can actually grow dill in all gardens. They are very suitable for brightening up the garden with their beautiful yellow flowers. If you want to grow dill to use it in the kitchen then it’s a perfect herb to garnish a fish dish or a salad for example.
When to sow dill
Dill does not appreciate transplanting so it is best to sow directly in the right place. You can start with sowing dill in early spring : early March to late March. Ofcourse you can also start later, but keep in mind that the dill seeds are slow germinators so it can take about 3 weeks before you see the first signs of growth. The plant grows to a height of 40 cm and then dies. It is a 1-year-old plant.
How to sow dill
The dill plant is a plant with a so-called 'tap root'. This means that the root grows straight down and needs room to grow. That is why it is advisable to dig a trench of about 20 cm deep and then refill it with potting soil ( this is to make sure that the soil is loose and airy). The advice is to sow a seed every 4 cm and later thin it out in a row of 15cm wide and 30cm long. It is best to keep the soil moist but not soaking wet. If you are planning on growing it in a pot, make sure that the pot is deep enough to accommodate the long taproot.
Where to sow dill
Dill likes a sunny place, but it is also possible to sow the dill seeds in partial shade. Because the dill plant has a so-called tap root, it is difficult for the plant to grow in clay or hard sand.
Dill seeds
Dill seeds are light brown and oval shaped. We love the smell of the seeds. Did you know that chewing dill seeds cleans bad breath?!
In our webshop we have 2 types of dill seeds;
- Organic dill seeds
- Common dill seeds
Dill cuttings
There are many other herbs you can grow from cuttings but unfortunately dill is not one of them.
It is certainly possible to freeze dill. This way you can enjoy your self-grown dill for much longer. The process is actually more or less the same for all herbs, but just to be sure, here are some tips:
- Wash the dill well
- Put it for 20 sec. in boiled water and then rinse with cold water
- Dry the dill with kitchen paper
- Put the dill in a freezer bag and store it in the freezer
- The dill can be stored in the freezer for 2 months and the taste is preserved.
Drying dill
It is possible to dry dill but it will lose some of their pungency. That is why it is best to use the dill fresh or freeze it.
Growing Herbs
Growing herbs is a healthy activity. Besides the fact that you are actively involved, it is also wonderful to always have fresh herbs at your disposal. Almost all herbs have a medicinal effect and health benefits. In the webshop of Dutch Garden Seeds we have more than 40 different types of herbs, including 15 Organic herb seeds.