Dill Plant Care

Dill in leaf

Dill (Anethum graveolens) has a distinctive sour flavor that makes an interesting and sometimes unexpected statement in cooking. It is the premier pickling spices. Dill's leaves, seeds and flowers all have their distinctive uses. 

Many cooks prefer to use fresh dill, so having a supply nearby is handy if you grow and pickle your own cucumbers or other vegetables, or love fresh fish or gravlax. Dill is also delicious in any of a number of other dishes especially, those that feature sour cream or lemon.

Dill Plant Care - Caring for Dill in the Garden

A tender annual, dill grows to five feet high (dwarf varieties come in at between two and three feet). It likes full sun in a sheltered location and prefers well-drained soil that has been amended with manure. In the garden, it looks like fennel but shouldn't be planted near it as the plants will cross-pollinate. The result is unappealing. Dill gets spindly after a month or so, and even a light wind will topple it. It's a good idea to stake taller plants if you encounter this problem. 

In midsummer, dill will produce wispy clusters of fragrant yellow flowers. If you want a larger harvest of leaves, keep pinching the flowers back to encourage leaf production.

Dill Seeds

How to Keep Dill From Bolting

One small problem with growing dill in a hot climate is its inclination to bolt. Putting on a burst of growth and flowering out means few if any more leaves, which can be a bad thing from a harvesting prospective. If you want to keep your plants in leaf longer, check out my post about delaying flowering: How to Keep Your Plants From Bolting.

Over-wintering Dill

As an annual, dill sprouts, grows, flowers, sets seed and dies in a single season. For the best results, harvest dill seeds every year to plant season after season.

Dill Plant Propagation

Dill Self seeds readily, and one plant can produce a good crop of seeds that will stay viable for years. Some cultivars are known to produce up to a cup of seeds per plant. You can plant seeds directly outdoors, but be sure to keep them well watered. Thin dill seedlings to about 12 inches apart.

Dill Plant Care Indoors

Dill can thrive indoors if you situate it in a sunny window or provided with artificial illumination. The plant will be smaller in overall size, but flavorful nonetheless. It will still get leggy as it grows, but keeping it trimmed back will help it maintain a pleasing shape. It also fares well in a hydroponic setup.

Dill By the Numbers

This summary will give you good basic at-a-glance instructions about common dill plant care. For information about specific dill cultivars like varieties that resist bolting or have other useful characteristics, please check out Understanding Dill Cultivars.

• Botanical Name: Anethum graveolens
• Life Cycle: Biennial/Annual
• Hardiness Zones: 2-11 (USDA) 
• Sowing: Direct sow seeds outdoors in early spring after the danger of frost has passed. Sow seeds shallowly 1/4-inch deep) and keep the soil moist until germination. Alternatively, start seeds indoors 4-6 weeks before the last frost for transplanting later.
• Days to Germination: 7 to 14 days
• Soil: Well-drained, fertile soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH (6.5-7.0). Amending the soil with compost before planting is beneficial.
• Moisture and Humidity Needs: Consistent moisture, but avoid overwatering. Prefers cool weather.
• Light Requirements: Full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily)
• Spacing: 12 to 18 inches between plants
• Days to Maturity: 50 to 60 days (for harvesting leaves)
• Height at Maturity: 3 to 5 feet tall
• Pests and Diseases: Aphids, caterpillars, powdery mildew
• Uses and Benefits: Dill attracts beneficial insects like ladybugs (to control aphids), wasps and honey bees.

Uses for Dill

Most of the plant can be used, with the possible exception of the stem. Depending on the part you are using, there is a big difference in the intensity of the flavor.

Dill Leaf Uses - The leaves are the most delicately flavored part of the plant, so use them in mild egg dishes, with fish, on spreads, in dips and on vegetables. If you feel that your navy bean soup lacks punch, try adding a pinch of dill a few minutes before serving to spice up the flavor.

Dill Blossom Uses- The flowering tops of dill have more flavor than the leaves and make a good addition to the pickle jar. Instead of just pickling gherkins this year, try making a colorful vegetable medley -- with plenty of dill blossoms for visual interest and savor. Other dill blossom uses include adding these cheerful yellow flowers as a parsley garnish substitute, particularly in dishes where dill is an ingredients. You can also add dill blossoms to decorative spring bouquets.

Dill Seed Uses - Dill seeds provide the strongest flavor by far. Used whole or ground, they are a good accompaniment to soups, hearty stews and root vegetables. They can also be used to make a unique herbed bread, flavored vinegar, and can even be added in small quantities to desserts, particularly those containing apples. 

Dill seeds are very hardy and can remain viable for replanting for 4 to 5 years.

Medicinal Uses for Dill 

Dill has a long history as a medicine, but current scientific research to support Many of these these claims is limited. However, the research is on going. Here's what we know:

Dill for digestion: Dill tea and dill seeds have been used for centuries as digestive aids to reduce flatulence and bloating.

Dill for inflamation: Dill contains flavonoids and organic compounds

that have antioxidant properties that help fight free radical damage and inflammation.

Dill to lower cholesterol and promote heart health: The flavonoids and antioxidants in dill may help lower cholesterol and break up arterial plaque, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease. 

Dill for diabetes treatment: Studies suggest dill may help decrease blood sugar levels.

Dill as an antimicrobial: Dill essential oil and extract have been found to have antimicrobial properties effective at killing certain types of bacteria and fungi

Dill for insomnia: Some research suggests dill may have anticonvulsant and sleep-promoting effects.

A tea made with dill can help treat indigestion and may treat hiccups. It has also been used in the past to treat colic and to stimulate milk production in lactating women. Save any remaining tea and soak your fingers in it to help strengthen your nails. (If you are dealing with chronic medical issues, please consult a medical professional before starting any treatment that involves herbs.)

Dill is a versatile herb with wide ranging medicinal potential. More research is necessary, though, to fully evaluate it's benefits for treating specific conditions. If you are dealing with chronic medical issues, please consult your doctor before starting any new treatment, even one that involves common herbs.

Dill may not be the most beautiful plant growing in the garden. It looks a bit weedy, and doesn't have the good sense to stand up straight, but it is a useful herb -- and looks aren't everything.

Notes About Dill:

Dill in flower

• If you'd like to make your own dill pickles, I'd be happy to walk you through the process.  It's easy and fun: How to Make Dill Pickles From Scratch
• For dill on demand try this dill vinegar recipe.
• Parsley and dill belong to the same family of plants.

The Colorful History of Dill

Dill (Anethum graveolens) has impressive historical pedigree. Its uses date back to the bible. That lanky, fernlike, yellow flowering plant you see in the produce department of your grocery store was once so valuable that it was kept under lock and key. And even though its monetary value has plummeted over the centuries, its appeal hasn't. Dill was also once an important herb in witchcraft, and a purported aphrodisiac.

Delicate feathery dill leaves

Companion Planting Dill

Everyone needs a friend. Here are some plants that make great neighbors when companion planting dill - and a few that don't.

Dill repels cabbage worms and cabbage loopers (Trichoplusia ni). Interspersing dill plants among brassicas helps control infestations with:

• Broccoli:  Brassica oleracea var. italica
• Cabbage:  Brassica oleracea var. capitata
• Cauliflower:  Brassica oleracea var. botrytis
• Kale:  Brassica oleracea var. sabellica
• Kohlrabi:  Brassica oleracea var. gongylodes
• Brussels sprouts:  Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera
• Turnip:  Brassica rapa var. rapa
• Bok choy: (also pak choi, bok choi) Brassica rapa var. chinensis
• and other mustard family vegetables.

Dill discourages:

• Striped cucumber beetles:  Acalymma vittatum
• Spotted cucumber beetles:  Diabrotica undecimpunctata undecimpunctata
• Earworms:  Spodoptera frugiperda
• Common asparagus beetles:  Crioceris asparagi
• Spotted asparagus beetles:  Crioceris duodecimpbeetles: 
• Flea beetles:  Chrysomelidae
• Aphids:  Aphidobugs
• Squash bugs:  Anasa tristisB

This makes it a good companion for plants like:

• Beans and peas:  legumes - (mostly genus Phaseolus)
• Asparagus:  Asparagus officinalis
• Cucumbers:  Cucumis sativus
• Lettuces:  Lactuca sativa
• Corn (especially sweet corn):  Zea mays var. saccharata (sweet corn is a variety of Zea mays)
• Spinach:  Spinacia oleracea

Dill also attracts beneficial insects that can help control pests, including:

• Ladybugs:  Coccinellidae
• Lacewings:  Chrysopidae
• Wasps - various
• Minute pirate bugs:  Orius insidiosus
• Hoverflies:  Syrphidae
• Honey bees: Apis mellifera

Some plants that are not recommended companion plantings for dill include:

• Fennel: (Foeniculum vulgare)  Fennel and dill are closely related and can cross pollinate.
• Potatoes: Dill stunts the growth of potatoes.
• Tomatoes: Dill can attract tomato horned worm, and may interfere with the tomato pollination.
• Caraway: (Carum carvi L.). Caraway and dill are not closely related, but may still have negative effects on the flavor of both plants when planted near each other.

When laying out your herb or vegetable garden, don't forget to companion plant dill to take advantage of advantage of its unique protective properties.

Dill in Other Words (Common and not so common names for dill)

• Anethum graveolens (Botanical name)
• Dillweed
• Anet
• Lao coriander
• Meeting seed
• Sabbath Day posy

• French: aneth
• Italian: aneto
• Portuguese: endro
• Spanish: eneldo
• German: Dill
• Dutch: Dille

• South Asian words for dill
• Sholpa (India)
• shepu (in Bengali)
• sava (in Hindi)
• soa (in Punjabi)
• Soa-kura (In Telugu)
• sada kuppi  (in Tamil)

Reference:

https://journals.lww.com/nutritiontodayonline/fulltext/2023/05000/dill__potential_health_benefits.9.aspx

https://pharmeasy.in/blog/ayurveda-uses-benefits-side-effects-of-dill-leaves/

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Photo2 - Public Domain

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