How to plant dill in the spring. Growing dill: planting dates, proper care

You can find dill in any garden. Spicy fragrant herb with a lot of useful properties can grow by self-sowing throughout the plantation, like a weed. But most often, the gardener chooses varieties and hybrids and determines where to sow the crop. Planting and care in open ground has its own peculiarities. To get a lot of fragrant greens, you should know the agricultural technology of the plant.

How to grow dill in open ground

Any plant is only a decoration for the garden if it is healthy and developing well. It depends on the type of soil, the nature and feeding of dill. Based on knowledge about the crop, the sowing location is selected.

So, for dill you need:

neutral light soil;
sunny or slightly shaded planting location;
deep topsoil;
moderate watering without stagnation of water;
timely balanced feeding.

At the same time, dill develops poorly and turns red in acidic soil and turns yellow in alkaline soil. For dill to be healthy, it is necessary to have a good humus layer in the soil. Fertilizing organically and when growing dill in open ground will help you get a lot of vitamin-rich greens.

Timing of sowing seeds and soil preparation

Sowing dill seeds to obtain greens and seeds can be done in winter or early spring. To obtain greens and umbrellas for salting, you can sow seeds throughout the season until mid-August. Subsequently, the cold-resistant crop, when exposed to short frosts, does not die, but loses its decorative foliage; it becomes red and dried out.

Do not place dill on the soil after liming and adding dolomite flour. When sowing seeds, you cannot continue to sprinkle the bed with ash to prevent pests. Acidic, swampy soil is detrimental to dill.

The soil for dill is prepared in a place open to the sun with deep digging. In this case, for each square of land you should add a bucket of humus or compost, two tablespoons and a spoonful of potassium sulfate. Ash is not added for sowing. When groundwater is high, the bed is raised higher. The predecessors of dill can be any plant except celery.

Seeds germinate at a soil temperature of 5-7 degrees, and can withstand a short drop in temperature. Preliminary preparation of seeds for rapid germination consists of destroying the cover layer. How to plant dill seeds in open ground depends on the season. Thus, winter sowing is done with seeds without pre-treatment. You should not speed up germination when sowing early. In this case, the optimal time for germination is suggested by the biological calendar of the plant, laid down by nature.

If sowing is carried out later, when return frosts are impossible, seedlings can be obtained earlier. To do this, the seeds are first germinated for 4 days. In a warm place, in a canvas rag, the seeds will germinate, and shoots will appear in a week. You can first keep the seed material in growth stimulants or ash extract. When soaking seeds, the water is changed 2 times a day.

If you grow dill seedlings, the development of plants will accelerate. Seedlings are planted in the evening and shaded for several days. Plant survival rate is good.

Sowing must be carried out to a depth of 2 cm along grooves previously spilled with a hot solution of potassium permanganate. The distance between seeds is 5 cm, between grooves is 20. You can plant dill seeds in open ground as a compacting crop among other vegetables, leaving enough space for its development. To obtain greens throughout the season, dill is sown every two weeks. Another way would be to use varieties of different ripening periods, sowing bush two-year hybrids.

Growing dill in open ground

In order for dill to develop well, it needs. But spicy greens accumulate nitrate compounds, which makes them less healing. Therefore, it is best to feed the plant with nettle infusion fermented for five days. This is a good nitrogen fertilizer and is not tolerated by aphids. You can immediately protect the plant and feed it. Insecticides cannot be used on dill.

To repel and remove a colony of aphids in a vegetable bed, you can spray with a solution of alcoholic liquid. If you use 2 tablespoons of Troy per 10 liters of water, the spray will drive away the pest. The alcohol should only be unrefined ethyl alcohol, with a fusel odor or fragrance. The aphids will fall and need to be covered with soil.

Another way to prevent the main pest of dill is to sow several bushes of thyme, the smell of which will repel aphids. In addition, you can use liquid fertilizers with organic fertilizers and saltpeter. But it should be taken into account that fungal diseases, rot, develop on damp, nitrogen-rich soils. It is necessary to maintain a balance, do not overfeed, do not overwater the plant, and after each watering, loosen the soil, delivering oxygen to the lower layers.

How to grow dill in open ground if there are changes in the color of the openwork foliage. If the branches become yellow, you need to feed the plant with saltpeter, watering it at the root. Red lower leaves indicate a lack of phosphorus. The bush has drooped, despite watering, you need to remove the diseased plant and determine the cause. This is often due to root rot due to improper care. It is no longer possible to save such a plant; measures must be taken to prevent the infection from spreading to neighboring bushes.

Useful properties of dill

You can use greens as they grow. The herb acquires its greatest aroma during the formation of the inflorescence, before it opens. At this time, aromatic greens are prepared for winter consumption. The substances contained in this spicy herb have a beneficial effect on the body in small quantities.

In addition to cooking, where dill is indispensable, it is used for medicinal purposes:

reduces blood pressure in hypertensive patients;
improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract;
has an analgesic effect;
improves the functioning of the genitourinary system;
improves lactation.

Dill oil and seeds have special properties when used as medicines. However, you should not overuse fresh herbs; you can lead your body to decreased tone and drowsiness.

The result of planting dill before winter - video

Fragrant dill can be found in almost any summer cottage - it takes up little space, and is not picky about care. However, not every owner gets green thickets. The article will tell you about the varieties of the celery family, planting nuances and cultivation secrets that will help you harvest a good harvest in the open ground.

Dill is an annual herb from the Apiaceae (celery) family. It has many varieties, although by appearance, in person or from a photo, it is often difficult to determine whether a plant belongs to any of them. For orderliness, they are divided into 3 categories:

early ripening;
mid-season;
late.

The early group includes Gribovsky, Umbrella, Dalniy, Grenadier. They are sown in open ground under film in early spring. These varieties take 1-1.5 months from germination to stem formation. They begin to bloom almost immediately, so you won’t be able to collect a lot of greenery. But for canning or fresh salads it’s quite enough.

Dill umbrella

Mid-season varieties ripen 5-10 days longer than early ones and throw out more greenery (up to 10 leaves). These are Uzory, Lesnogorodsky, as well as Borey, Umbrella, Richelieu, Kibray. They can also be harvested for seeds and umbels, which are used in seasonings. Late varieties - Buyan, Salyut, Alligator, Amazon - form a stem in 65-70 days. These varieties are the most productive: with proper care and watering they produce more than 10 leaves, so they are very suitable for sale or propagation.

Planting a plant in open ground

Basic requirements that are important to comply with when planting:

Good watering.
Soil fertility.
Sunny place.

It is important to remember these nuances:

the crop is frost-resistant;
seeds germinate slowly due to the high content of essential oils.

To prepare the bed in the fall, dig up the soil to a depth of 0.2 m, add mineral fertilizers and humus. Planting can begin as early as early April (for an early harvest), since dill will withstand -4 C.

There is a practice of propagating the plant in winter. With proper care, you can enjoy your greens a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Clear the bed of snow and scatter the seeds over the surface. Cover with compost mixed with soil. When the snow melts, the seeds will be drawn into the ground along with the water and germinate. In early spring, cover the crops with film, securing it around the edges.

Dill needs to be fed

Dill care

To keep your dill plantation green all the time, sow the seeds twice a month. The technology for planting and caring for late varieties is different: you need to maintain the seeding rate at 2-3 kg/ha. This way the plants will have sufficient nutrition area and at the same time protection from weeds. Caring for dill comes down to the following manipulations:

abundant watering;
fertilizer - in case of poor development;
treatment in case of illness.

Attention! In the phase of 2-3 leaves, it is necessary to thin out the dill seedlings. Leave 8-10 cm between plants. Then they will grow bushy.

Fertilizer and fertilizing of dill

As a rule, fertilizing is not practiced as part of dill care. It is believed that for the successful cultivation of a plant, fertilizing added before planting is sufficient. But if the soil was still poorly fed with nitrogen, the dill will turn yellow. In this case, it can be fed with urea (1 tsp per bucket of water), mullein (1:10) or “Biud” (1:20).

Plant collection and propagation

When harvesting dill, densely growing areas are thinned out first. If the plant has reached a height of 20-25 cm, you can cut off the entire umbrella, leaving a growth point. Another option is to tear off 2-3 sheets gradually. If the inflorescence has grown large (from 50 g), you can remove the plant by the roots.

Advice. The most fragrant dill is the one whose umbrella has not yet unfolded, but the stems have already swelled, and the top is about to bloom.

Fallen seeds will undergo the propagation procedure on their own. Having overwintered in open ground, they will sprout even better and faster than those sown in the spring. Reproduction of seeds collected in the fall or purchased should be carried out according to the following scheme:

Place them in a gauze bag and leave them in warm water (+50 degrees C) for 72 hours, changing it periodically.
Place the seeds on a piece of gauze, cover with a damp cloth and steamed sawdust. Keep at room temperature until sprouts appear.
Dry the seeds immediately before planting.

Advice. You can start growing seedlings on the windowsill. After a month in the container, it is planted in open ground.

Diseases and pests. How to fight

Among the ailments that can affect dill are powdery mildew, downy mildew and fomoz. What the affected plants look like can be easily determined from the photo. At the first symptoms of powdery mildew, spray the plant with sulfur (20 g per bucket of water). In the case of peronosporosis (or downy mildew), copper oxychloride (40 g per bucket of water) or Bordeaux mixture (100 g of copper sulfate and lime per bucket of water) will help. Among the preventive measures:

compliance with cultural circulation;
collecting seeds exclusively from healthy specimens;
heating the seed at a temperature of 48-49 degrees C.

Dill can be planted next to vegetables

Dill and its combination with other plants

Many gardeners look at dill as an auxiliary herb, so they evaluate it in terms of benefit or harm to the main crops. A combination of a representative of the umbrella family with lettuce and onions will be successful. If you plant it between cabbage rows, the taste of the crop will improve. And in cucumbers, dill increases the fruiting period. It also has a beneficial effect on:

potato;
beets;
garden savory.

The combination of dill with tomatoes, carrots, fennel, and sweet peppers is considered unfavorable, but it itself grows well after tomatoes. Potatoes are also a good plant precursor. After it, they try to plant legumes, potatoes, garlic, onions, tomatoes and peas. Dill is valuable for vitamins C, B and P, carotene, iron, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, essential oils and acids. It is an excellent assistant for gastrointestinal disorders and nerve-related diseases. And the taste of spice is an integral component of many dishes and seasonings.

Secrets of growing dill: video

Dill is a spicy green crop. It is cultivated both on industrial plantations and in garden plots. It is indispensable for canning, for preparing fresh snacks and salads, it is well stored in the freezer, and does not lose its properties during the drying process. Dill seed extract is used in medicine; preparations with dill and its close relative, fennel, relieve intestinal colic even in infants.

Planting dill seeds is not difficult; it is much more difficult to choose a place and prepare loose, fertile soil. This annual herbaceous plant comes from the arid regions of Asia, where it grows under the scorching sun and often in the absence of moisture.

What conditions are needed for growing?

For dill, the type of soil does not really matter. It does equally well in sandy and loamy soils. However, the seeds are poorly fixed and difficult to germinate on infertile sandy soils. Light and medium loams are most suitable. Soil acidity also matters. Dill does not grow well at a pH below 6.3.

To obtain good quality greens, plants need regular watering and fertilizing with mineral fertilizers. Seeds and young plants tolerate frosts down to -3...-5 o C. This feature of dill makes it possible to do winter sowings.

Important! To keep plants from getting sick, they need a lot of sunlight and warmth.

The optimal air temperature for green growth is at an average daily temperature of 16-20 o C.

How to grow dill in open ground?

Neighborhood with other cultures

Dill is generally compatible with many vegetable crops. It is believed that only celery is not suitable for it as a predecessor and neighbor. If you want to get seeds from the bushes, the plant should not be planted next to fennel, since the two crops freely pollinate each other.

Dill feels good next to,. However, you should take into account the proportions of areas when planting vegetable crops together and do not plant it in the root nutrition zone of the main crop.

Important! When planting dill together with other vegetables, take into account competition in terms of nutritional area!

When should you plant dill?

Young greens are ready for consumption within 25-30 days after sowing, so they can be sown throughout the entire growing season, from early spring to winter sowing in October.

Planting in spring begins in April, when the average daily air temperature is 14-16 o C. On average, such conditions begin on April 20. Dill sown at this time will produce well-formed seeds already in July, when the time comes for pickling and canning cucumbers and tomatoes. For an uninterrupted supply of fresh herbs to the table, it is recommended that dill be planted in open ground by conveyor belt at intervals of 10-14 days.

Soil for planting

The soil for planting dill should be prepared in advance. If spring planting is planned, then the beds need to be prepared in the fall. The range of soil preparation works includes:

cleaning the bed from the remains of the previous crop;
adding organic matter in the form of humus and mineral fertilizers, including potassium and phosphorus;
deep digging of all components.

In winter, it is good to retain snow in the garden bed; this will help preserve the accumulation of more moisture in the soil, which is so necessary for dill seeds during the germination period.

The range of soil preparation work in spring includes:

easy loosening and leveling of the bed;
cutting furrows 1.5-2 cm deep.

If little moisture has accumulated over the winter, the bed should initially be well watered with a hose or watering can.

Manure is not applied directly to the dill bed. It’s good if the previous crop was cabbage, potatoes or peppers. In this case, manure was applied under them and its effect will continue for the plants. If the soil on the site is clayey and heavy, then it is advisable to add river sand. This measure will promote better seed germination.

Important! Fresh manure cannot be added to dill!

Choosing the best variety

When choosing a variety, important indicators are the timing of stem formation, as well as the length of the leaves, and therefore the volume of greenery produced. According to the timing of stem formation, the following varieties and hybrids of dill are distinguished:

early;
average;
late.

In early varieties, an umbrella forms on the stem after the formation of leaves (twigs) in the amount of 4 to 6. In medium varieties, from 6 to 10 branches should form, and in late varieties, the formation of an umbrella takes much longer with the same number of leaves. Among the entire set of varieties, there is a variety with constant growth - Grenadier.

Early group of varieties: Gribovsky, Dalniy, Umbrella, Redut. They are suitable for growing on a windowsill at home, especially the Gribovsky variety.

The group of mid-season varieties includes Kibray, Alligator, Max, Richelieu, Moravan.

Late group of varieties: Superducat OE, Salyut, Kutuzovsky, Uzory. A distinctive feature of the varieties of this group is the formation of a spreading bush with elongated leaves that give axillary branches, which is why the bushes look very lush. These varieties and hybrid forms are called bush varieties. They have some growing features:

require more fertile soil;
The planting scheme for them is increased to 25 cm due to thinning.

Planting dill in open ground

As soon as the soil is ready or the order in the planting conveyor is complete, they begin planting the seeds. Different types of beds are suitable for dill: simple, high boxes, geometric, mobile.

A good way is to plant dill and parsley together in alternating rows.

Planting by seeds

In order to speed up the germination of seeds, they are soaked in warm water or wrapped in a damp cloth. A jar of soaked seeds can be left in the bathroom on a heated towel rail for 2-3 days. Water should be added in a jar or on a cloth because the rate of evaporation is high.

Attention! Seeds with sprouts should never be dried!

Sowing of seeds is carried out to a depth of 1.5-2 cm. The dill planting pattern after thinning should be 10x20 cm, and for bush varieties 25x25 cm. When sowing, seed consumption is 1-2 g/m2.

Watch the video! How to grow fluffy dill

Planting seedlings

The method of planting dill seedlings allows you to get fresh herbs at the end of April. The timing of planting seeds is the first to second ten days of March. For sowing, cells measuring 4x4 or 5x5 cm are used; plastic greenhouses with a transparent lid are suitable, but in this case the seedlings will be more difficult to take root, since it is possible that the lump of earth at the root will be damaged during transplantation. The seedlings are transferred to open ground under temporary greenhouses on April 15-20.

Dill care

Basic measures for caring for dill:

timely watering;
fertilizers;
loosening the soil;
weeding as needed.

Dill bushes from which greens are already taken for cutting should be watered every other day. The next day after watering, the soil between the rows is loosened. To grow greenery, dill is fed with nitrogen fertilizers every 10-14 days. A fast-acting fertilizer for green crops is ammonium nitrate. The number of feedings is no more than two during the period of growing greens.

Attention! To prevent dill greens from accumulating nitrates, the amount of nitrogen fertilizing should not exceed twice per season.

As flower stalks form and seeds ripen, the greens become unsuitable for cutting, fibrous and not juicy. It is recommended to leave several plants on the site to collect seeds at the end of summer, add them to conservation and use them for medicinal purposes.

Diseases and pests

A feature of dill plants is their strong susceptibility to powdery mildew. Different varieties are more or less susceptible to this fungal disease. The main control measure is prevention. The set of preventive measures includes:

choosing a sunny place for planting;
regular watering and loosening;
unthickened crops;
maintaining crop rotation.

Fungicides can only be used on plants that are grown for seeds. If cutting is carried out less than once a week, then the bed can be treated with 1% copper sulfate. Among biological preparations, Alirin B is suitable. If blackening of the shoots is noticed, then the plants are affected by another fungal disease - Phoma.

Among the pests, bugs and some types of aphids can settle on dill. To combat them, mechanical removal should be used and the pests should be washed off with a strong stream of water.

Greenhouse cultivation of dill

Dill can be grown in a greenhouse throughout the year. An average daily air temperature of at least 16 o C is enough for it. From the end of September to the end of March, dill needs lighting. If the greenhouse area is large, it is better to choose sodium lamps for lighting. For small areas, the industry now produces blue-red LED lamps.

Reference! For additional lighting, it is enough for artificial light to be turned on for 2-3 hours in the morning and 3-4 hours in the evening.

Potentially, the yield of dill in a greenhouse is higher than in open ground. It is necessary to maintain high soil fertility and add new soil before each sowing. However, with high air humidity in the greenhouse, powdery mildew may develop.

Watch the video! Growing dill in a greenhouse in the fall. Cleaning by thinning

Winter sowing

Sowing dill before winter is carried out in mid-October, before stable snow cover falls. It is better that the seeds do not have time to germinate. In early spring, as soon as the snow melts, these seeds will quickly germinate and produce greenery faster than when sown in the spring.

If the sprouts have sprouted, the bed should be covered with leaves or straw; the greenery will safely survive the winter and quickly begin to grow in the spring. Young branches will be especially fragrant!

How to plant dill on a windowsill?

When growing dill on a windowsill, the plants are often depressed due to lack of light and nutrients. The sprouts are thin and pale, growing very slowly and sluggishly.

Thus, growing dill on a windowsill has a number of features:

In autumn, winter and spring, sprouts need additional lighting;
The soil for growing greens must be highly fertile;
It is more convenient to use a container for sowing;
Greens on the windowsill should be fertilized more often with compounds based on vermicompost and microelements.

To more fully master the technology of growing dill, it is recommended to watch the video.

Conclusion

Thus, planting and caring for dill is not too burdensome. It is important to choose the right place for the garden bed and carry out all activities regularly. There will definitely be a result, and the plants will produce a lot of tasty, aromatic greens and valuable seeds. And if desired, dill will grow on the windowsill!

Watch the video! Subtleties of growing dill. How to sow dill in open ground

Dill is one of many people's favorite green herbs. This spicy herb can not only brighten the taste and aroma of any dish, but also decorate it with its fluffy green sprig.

This plant is quite unpretentious, but planting dill in open ground raises many questions for many gardeners. We will try to describe the planting process, growing from seeds and caring for seedlings so that you will be pleased with the harvest.

Where to plant dill?

You need to plant dill in a sunny area, because you can grow good dill only in very good lighting.
Greens most likely will not grow in soil that has previously been limed or replenished with dolomite flour.
Dill grows well in beds where beets, garlic, cucumbers, legumes, and cabbage were planted and harvested before, but in no case are umbelliferous ones.
Growing dill in open ground is possible between other crops. Excellent “neighbors” are cucumbers, potatoes and cabbage, but joint sowing with parsley is considered unsuccessful.
Dill and garlic go well together in the same bed, which will protect the greens from pests, and dill, in turn, will give its neighbor a bright taste.
When planting greens between vegetables, it is important not to forget about the distance between them. If some plant does not take up much space, then, for example, potato tops planted close to dill will block its access to light.

Before planting dill, it is necessary to prepare the soil and dill seeds for sowing.

Seed preparation

To get lush greens, you need to soak dill seeds. This can be done in several ways:

Method No. 1. Place the seeds in a gauze bundle and lower it into hot water for 2 minutes (temperature about 60°). Then place the bundle in water at room temperature for 2 days. Change the water every 8 hours, while rinsing the seeds. You can use an aquarium compressor to force air through the water, so no flushing is required. Before planting, dry the seeds on a soft cloth.
Method No. 2. Place the grains in cheesecloth and lower them into a container with water at a temperature of approximately 50°. Soaking the seeds lasts 3 days. Don’t forget to change the water 4-5 times a day, then the sprouts will appear faster. After three days, remove the seeds and place them on a dry cloth, sprinkle steamed sawdust on top. Leave for another 3 days. Dill seeds should be dried for 40 minutes before planting.
Method number 3, which is much simpler and faster than the previous ones. You just need to soak the dill seeds in water and keep them there for a couple of days, then dry them in a dark place, and then you can plant the seeds in the ground.

How to soak the seedlings, of course, you will choose yourself. However, we note that the first method is the best, as it ensures the fastest germination when grown from seeds, and if you are thinking about how to quickly grow dill, you should stop with it.

Setting the stage

Proper soil preparation is carried out in several stages:

In the fall, you need to dig up the ground and apply fertilizer (half a bucket of humus per 1 m²). Bird droppings or mullein can be used as fertilizer.
In the spring, all that remains is to loosen the beds for free access of oxygen and water to the seedlings.
1–2 days before planting, you need to water the soil. This is done to shrink it.

Landing rules

Only established weather will tell you when to sow dill. The temperature regime suitable for growing herbs is above 3°, but the most comfortable air temperature is about 20°. Thus, planting dill in thawed open ground with seeds is possible already in April, when all the snow has melted.

So, how to grow dill, how to plant it correctly? You can plant in two ways: continuous and lowercase. The first involves pouring seeds into a furrow, and the second involves placing grains one at a time at a distance of 5 cm. It is recommended to plant summer garlic between the rows.

Regardless of how you plan to plant your seeds, follow these guidelines when planting:

the bed should be wet;
the depth at which the grain will be located in the ground should be about 2 cm;
There should be a distance of about 20 cm between the rows, then the greenery will not be crowded;
After sowing, the seeds do not need to be watered, otherwise they may be washed out of the ground or, conversely, go very deep;
Seedlings should not be sprinkled with ash, it is harmful to them;
Several rows of greens can be sown at intervals of 2 weeks, so that fresh greens will delight you throughout the summer season.

First shoots

How long does it take for dill to sprout after planting? The average time for germination of the first shoots is two weeks. However, the specific timing depends on certain conditions:

if you sow the seeds not soaked, but dry, they can sprout only after half a month;
essential oils that prevent germination are washed off from the seeds if they are pre-soaked, and after planting, such seeds will germinate on about the 5th day;
if the air temperature is about 5°, then seedlings will appear only after 2–3 weeks, and if the air is warmed up to 15–20°, then almost twice as fast.

Sprout care

It’s not enough to just plant the seeds and wait for the first shoots. To grow good dill in open ground, you need to know how to properly care for it.

The emerging shoots must be thinned out so that the distance between them becomes at least 5 cm. If the shoots are located closer, they will stop growing.
Soil moisture should be maintained. If it is constantly dry, the greens will turn yellow and will not be juicy. It is enough to water it once every 2-3 days, it is better to do this in the evening.
Weeds must be removed promptly, otherwise they will choke out young plants.
Growing and care must be timely. Greens should be hilled several times during the entire growth period. Loosening can be done when the seedlings have already grown noticeably. Subsequent loosening is carried out at intervals of 2–3 weeks after rain or watering.
If there is a possibility of night frosts, then the seedlings should be covered with polyethylene, because it is impossible to grow dill under conditions of a sharp temperature change.
If the greens turn yellow and begin to dry out, then this means that you are doing something wrong: either the soil is too acidic or contains insufficient nutrients, or the plants do not have enough moisture or light, or the dill is sown too thickly.

To grow the juiciest dill, planting and caring for seedlings must be done according to the rules described above.

Harvesting

Dill for greens is harvested when the plant reaches a height of 15–20 cm (this is approximately 3 weeks after it has sprouted).
A few hours before cutting, the greens should be sprinkled with clean water. Properly grown dill (timely planting and proper care) in open ground is distinguished by its juiciness and rich taste.

Sowing in the cold season

You can plant dill in open ground in autumn and even winter. Then you can harvest early next year.

First, let's figure out when you can sow dill before winter. In this case, we sow dill a week or two before the start of frost (late October or early November). This planting has several differences from spring planting:

In this case, there is no need to soak dill seeds, since the essential oils will be washed out with melt water;
the seeding rate increases by about a quarter;
the seeding depth should be 1.5 cm greater;
soil compaction is not required when planting in autumn;
The bed should be covered with covering material and secured around the edges.

You can plant dill in the winter season. There are no specific dates when to plant seeds in the cold season, for this you just need:

clear the prepared bed from snow;
scatter seeds over its surface;
cover the seedlings with a layer of humus and soil.

Seedlings will begin to sprout in early spring. At this time, they will be very short of nitrogen, so be sure to stock up on natural fertilizer - ash, which can be scattered on unmelted soil or fertilized immediately after germination.

When two or three leaves appear on the stems of the seedlings, thinning must be done. Remember that dill, like other greens, accumulates nitrates, so additional use of nitrogen fertilizers is unacceptable. Sowing seeds before winter will allow you to get an early harvest of fragrant and juicy greens.

Now you know the secrets of how to grow dill in your garden. If everything is done correctly, a rich harvest will not take long to arrive. Grow delicious summer and winter greens to the delight of yourself and your loved ones!

The tasty and aromatic seasoning dill has not lost its popularity for thousands of years, continuing to remain one of the most famous and accessible spices of the middle latitudes.

After a long winter, when the body is weakened and you want “fresh” vitamins from the garden, the question becomes relevant: when to plant dill in open ground in the spring?

Did you know? Dill was known to the ancient Egyptians as a medicine. The ancient Greeks ate dill, Sappho sang the aroma of dill, Theophrastus mentioned dill in incense, Hippocrates and Dioscorides left advice on how to use dill medicines. In ancient Rome, lovers gave bouquets and wreaths of dill to each other. In the 10th century, Ibn Sina described in detail the effects of dill on the human body. In the Middle Ages, they believed in the ability of dill to protect against witchcraft.

Dill: description of herbaceous seasoning

Dill (Anéthum) is an annual umbelliferous plant. Dill has a dark green straight stem (40 to 150 cm high), covered with thin grooves. The stem branches in the upper part. The leaves are four times pinnately dissected (the last lobes are in the form of threads). Flowering occurs from June to July: dill flowers are collected in inflorescences and form a large umbrella (up to 15 cm) of 25-50 rays. The color of the petals is yellow. The seeds (up to 5 mm long and 3 mm wide) fully ripen in September.

Did you know? Dill enhances hematopoiesis in the body, has a disinfectant effect on the gastrointestinal tract and genitourinary system, improves digestion, normalizes metabolism, and reduces high blood pressure. Anetin contained in dill dilates blood vessels and improves blood supply to the brain. The combination of beneficial substances and properties, their easy digestibility make dill equally useful for both children and adults.

What does dill like, choosing a place in the garden

Dill is not capricious. This plant is cold-resistant (it can withstand light frosts, and the seeds begin to come to life in the ground at a temperature of +3 ° C). If you want to achieve a good harvest of green spice, you must take into account what dill loves, and proper cultivation of dill involves creating conditions favorable for it.

Important! Adding frozen dill to salads will spoil the dish - an unpleasant herbal aftertaste and wateriness will appear. Dried (salted) dill will add a pleasant smell and taste to salads. Frozen dill is used in the preparation of soups and sauces.

Lighting for dill

How to sow dill correctly? There is nothing complicated about it.

Firstly, you need to ensure proper lighting. Bright sunlight is what dill likes. Open areas are suitable for it. With enough light, dill has a rich emerald color and develops normally. Ideal conditions are sunlight 12 hours a day at a temperature range of 18 to 25 °C.

Secondly, you will need to ensure the availability of the necessary soil.

What soil does dill prefer?

When choosing a site for planting dill, you should take into account that the plant prefers neutral soils with good ventilation and hygroscopicity. Dill does not require special soil fertility (areas where cabbage, cucumbers or other vegetables were previously grown are suitable for planting it - last year's fertilizing will be sufficient for the unpretentious plant).

It is best to prepare the beds for dill in advance (preferably in the fall). You need to dig up and apply fertilizer (you can fertilize with manure, urea, superphosphate or potassium salt - at the rate of 20-30 g per square meter). This fertilizing of dill will help you reap a large harvest.

Sometimes dill begins to change color to yellow-green, and its growth slows down. These are signs of nitrogen “starvation” of the plant. The remedy against this is the application of nitrogen fertilizer (20 g per square meter).

Planting dill: how to prepare seeds

As practice shows, even beginners can grow dill early. Before preparing the seeds for planting, you need to choose a dill variety. Dill varieties differ in terms of ripening:

early varieties- they ripen in 30-35 days, umbrellas quickly form, they are very unpretentious, aromatic, but you won’t get a lot of greenery from them (“Redoubt”, “Dalniy”, “Gribovsky”, “Grenadier”);
medium varieties- ripen 10-15 days later, have up to 10 leaves on the stem, are more productive with greens (“Alligator”, “Umbrella”, “Kibray”, “Amazon”, “Richelieu”);
late varieties- ripening time is 70 days, more than 10 leaves are formed on the stem, they produce high yields of greenery (“Kutuzovsky”, “Hoarfrost”, “Ozornik”).

When choosing seeds, you should take into account that we sow dill in open ground. Early ripening varieties are more cold-resistant and can easily tolerate frost down to –4 °C. Late varieties are more thermophilic.

Essential oils in seeds inhibit the process of hatching and germination. Reducing their concentration before sowing dill in open ground will significantly reduce germination time. To do this you need:

make a cloth bag and fill it with seeds;
Immerse in hot water (60°C) for two minutes. Heat treatment will disinfect planting material from possible infection;
leave the seeds in water for three days (you need to change the water 3-5 times per day, with washing the seeds);
remove the seeds and leave in the air for half an hour. After this they are ready to plant.

Did you know? Using an aquarium compressor and aerating soaked dill seeds will help reduce the time it takes to prepare them for planting by three times.

When and how to plant dill correctly

Dill is sown in any season (receiving a harvest). It all depends on weather conditions and temperature.

To sow dill correctly, you need:

There is no definite answer when it is possible to plant dill in open ground. The first spring planting is often carried out after the snow disappears, and in the fall - in early November and later.

Did you know? The healing properties of dill are actively used in cosmetology. Dill is included in various cosmetics. You can get rid of bags under the eyes using dill infusion lotions (herbs and seeds). Frozen dill water whitens and refreshes facial skin.

When to plant dill in spring

The time for sowing dill in the spring depends entirely on weather conditions - if the spring is warm and early, the timing will be earlier. Experienced gardeners recommend sowing after April 20.

After germination of the seedlings, they need to be thinned out so that there is no thickening (the distance between the sprouts should remain from 5 to 10 cm).

Important! Dill reproduces well by self-sowing - you must not miss the moment, otherwise the entire garden will be sown with dill next year. Experienced gardeners advise: to avoid spontaneous sowing of dill, tie the ripening baskets with gauze.

Planting dill in summer

Summer planting has certain features. This is an opportunity to get fresh greens every day (it is enough to sow a new portion of seeds every 10-15 days). Another feature is that in summer the garden beds are all distributed and occupied by other plants. Questions arise: is it possible to plant dill and parsley, dill and other vegetables together? Dill does not get along with some plants, for example, fennel and beans. It is friendly with others (cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, celery), protects them from pests (aphids, caterpillars) with its oils, improves their taste, and increases the fruiting period. In return, dill takes advantage of the fertile soil of its neighbors.

How to sow dill before winter

Planting dill in the fall is quite popular. The goal of fall planting is to produce as early a harvest of greens as possible in the spring. Autumn planting should take into account that:

Important! If the soil in the dill beds is not moist enough, this can speed up the “transition” of the dill into stems and flowers.

Winter is also the time to sow dill. To do this, you need to prepare a place in the garden (for example, remove snow). Dill seeds are scattered on the cleared area (preliminary preparation of the seeds is not necessary). Humus mixed with soil is placed on top of the seeds and covered with snow (as the snow melts, the seeds will gradually begin to germinate). In case of severe frosts, the area can be covered with film.

Planting dill before winter and in winter allows you to gain one or two weeks in obtaining the first harvest of greens.

Features of caring for dill, how to get a rich harvest

Dill planted in open ground requires more attention than growing in a greenhouse. You need to remember the preferences of dill (sunlight, light neutral soil and moisture) and adhere to several rules:

feed (if necessary);
water (not abundantly, but regularly);
loosen the beds;
weed and thin out in time (this is especially true if dill is planted in a continuous carpet);
Do not plant “unfriendly” plants nearby - cumin, fennel, etc.

Harvesting and storage

For daily use, it is better to pick dill at a young age, when the height of the stems is 17-25 cm. This occurs approximately 30-40 days after planting. With the beginning of flowering, the taste of greens deteriorates.

Dill is collected using different methods:

uprooting the entire plant;
tearing off leaves from stems;
thinning during carpet sowing. Taller plants are selected, the rest are left for growing;
procurement of raw materials (stems, umbrellas) for canning - at the beginning of the waxy ripeness phase (50-70 days from emergence).

Excess dill can be saved for future use:

freezing (rinse, remove water, cut, put in containers and freeze. An interesting option would be to prepare “dill cubes” - fill cube molds with a paste of finely chopped dill and boiled water. Subsequently, they are good to use in preparing first courses and for cosmetic purposes);
pickling (wash the dill, dry it with a napkin, cut it and lay it in layers with salt in a jar and close it. Store in a cool place. There are many disadvantages: salt absorbs juice, dill loses its aroma and some of its properties. But it makes it possible to store dill without a freezer);
vacuum (use of special vacuum packaging);
pickling (pour marinade over dill sprigs - 0.5 liters of boiling water, 1 tablespoon of vinegar 6% and 1 tablespoon of table salt. Sterilize for 10 minutes in a water bath and roll up).