Growing dill is not a tricky business. But only experienced gardeners think so, but newcomers to summer cottages are often left without aromatic green seasoning. And this is not surprising, each crop has its own planting characteristics, dill is no exception. Let's figure out how to sow dill correctly so that you can have greens all year round.
When to plant dill in the ground
Dill is a truly unpretentious crop. The seeds tolerate frost well and begin to germinate at a temperature of +3C. This feature allows you to sow greens before winter and in early spring as soon as the snow melts. With this approach aromatic seasoning will hit the table regularly. Optimal timing for spring planting, the beginning of April can be considered. Sow greens every 20-25 days. But pre-winter sowing is carried out in the fall, somewhere in mid-October or early November, until the ground freezes, planting the seeds to a depth of 4 cm.
Summer planting of dill is somewhat difficult, since the seeds are saturated with essential oils and take a long time to germinate. But there are tricks here too, for example, pre-planting seed treatment, which promotes rapid germination. Optimal temperature for growing greens + 20 C.
In winter, dill is grown in a greenhouse, where the temperature does not drop below + 10-15 C. In this case, sowing is carried out not in the ground, but in boxes with a nutrient mixture, which are additionally covered. Additionally, additional lighting will be required since there is not enough natural light during the winter months.
How to prepare a garden bed and choose a place to plant dill: features of spring and autumn planting greenery
There is an opinion that dill grows like a weed, and this is partly true. However, self-seeding should not be allowed, since dill does not combine with all crops, and even harms some. At mixed plantings take care of your neighbors. Planting dill next to potatoes, garlic, next to cucumbers, all types of cabbage and onions goes well. This approach stimulates the growth of both crops. Avoid mixing dill with carrots, parsley, fennel, cumin and parsnips.
Important! It has been noticed that the aromatic seasoning grows well on fertile, loose soils. But in acidic, swampy areas, dill may not even germinate or its growth will be suppressed.
For spring planting of dill, the bed is prepared in the fall. The soil is dug up to a depth of 20-25 cm, organic matter is added and mineral fertilizers. In the spring, the bed is loosened, furrows are made, the soil is watered and compacted so that the seeds are not drawn in too deeply. After planting, the area is mulched with humus to retain moisture. There is no need to water the garden bed before germination to prevent a crust from forming, otherwise it will be difficult for the seeds to break through.
When sowing before winter, the soil is prepared 14-20 days before the planned planting. The seeds are sown somewhat deeper than in the spring, and the soil in the furrows is not compacted. When the snow melts, the seeds will be drawn to the required depth.
To get a good harvest of dill, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the crop:
Green seasoning prefers plenty of light and heat;
Likes well moisturized fertile soil;
Does not tolerate acidic soil.
Therefore, place the beds in a well-lit, sunny place, deoxidize the soil with lime before planting and fertilize the beds well with organic matter.
Pre-planting treatment of dill seeds or how to plant dill in summer (photo)
It is necessary to treat seeds before planting if you plan to sow in spring or summer. Before winter, dill is planted with dry seeds, which germinate well in the spring on their own, for this there is enough moisture in the soil.
It is better to prepare seeds for planting a week before sowing.
1. Place the seeds in a gauze cloth and soak in water at a temperature of 50 C for 72 hours. Regularly change the colored water in the container with fresh water, at least 5 times a day.
2. Remove the seeds and place them on a damp cloth, covering them with a thin layer of damp sawdust for 96 hours. Monitor the temperature in the room, it should not fall below +20 C.
3. Dry the seeds for 30 minutes and start sowing.
Shoots appear in 10-14 days. Dill is sown in wide furrows in a zigzag pattern, which makes caring for the crop easier.
Advice! Planting and growing dill in the hot summer is not a problem if you have the equipment drip irrigation. It does not clog the soil, prevents the formation of crust, and deeply moisturizes the soil.
Planting dill on a windowsill in winter
For home grown it is better to choose early, highly productive varieties of greens: Gribovsky, Richelieu or Grenadier. Seeds are prepared in advance, as for summer sowing. The green seasoning is grown in seedling boxes that are filled with nutrient substrates. The bottom must be drained with expanded clay or other material.
Sowing is carried out to a depth of 1-2 cm in moist soil, after which the containers are covered with glass or film. For germination, the containers are placed in a dark place until the first shoots appear. As soon as the dill hatches, it is taken out to the most illuminated windowsill.
Dill is grown on a windowsill at a temperature of 15-20 C, more heat contributes to the stretching of seedlings, the greens are of poor quality. Do not forget to water and spray the greens on time, but only with settled and warm water.
Secrets of growing lush dill in open ground
Grow without proper care juicy greens difficult, so stick to following rules:
Cut off flowering shoots to enhance the growth of lateral branches;
Water the dill in the evening to prevent burns on the tender leaves;
Regularly loosen the soil to a depth of 5 cm;
Remove weeds until the seedlings reach 10 cm in height;
Feed the plants nitrogen fertilizers, but remember about nitrates, the best option- fermented grass.
Remember that dill is often damaged by aphids. Do not use chemicals on the beds, especially 14 days before harvesting. Treat your greens with a fermented herb solution or other organic fertilizers.
If dill is affected by powdery mildew, the reason lies in high air humidity and temperature. Treatments with colloidal sulfur will help.
The best varieties of dill for the garden
Dill varieties are distinguished by their yield, ability to form stems, and leaf color. Among lovers of this seasoning, the most common varieties are:
Gribovsky– early high-yielding variety, suitable for growing in the ground and on the windowsill, resistant to diseases and pests. Bush height – 25 cm;
Umbrella – early variety For greenhouse cultivation, ripens 40 days after germination;
Boreas– average in terms of ripening period for open ground, rosette height – 40 cm, leaves are dark and fragrant;
Alligator– medium bush variety, harvested 40-50 days after germination;
Firework– tall late variety, is different strong aroma, the ability to hold an umbrella for a long time and an abundance of greenery;
Kutuzovsky– a late variety for freezing, drying or marinades, the leaves are large – up to 20 cm, dark and aromatic.
Dill is an aromatic herb that you shouldn’t refuse to plant, especially since it’s not difficult to do. Be sure to follow the recommendations and everything will work out.
Dill is a healthy, vitamin-rich plant that is simply irreplaceable in cooking and medicine. He is one of the most unpretentious plants and doesn't need special care. But there are still certain recommendations on how to plant dill in order to get thick, aromatic herbs and enjoy fresh seasoning for a long period.
How to plant dill?
To grow appetizing and healthy dill, you need to know a few very simple principles. correct landing. For successful cultivation dill great importance have the following factors:
- choosing a suitable location;
- soil preparation;
- soil fertilization;
- plentiful
Dill is a light-loving plant that does not grow well in the shade. If there is a shortage solar lighting plants may grow very thin and pale. Therefore, to obtain good harvest It is recommended to sow dill in well-lit areas. Soil preparation includes mandatory digging, which is done in the fall or spring before planting. The soil must be loose to ensure good penetration of moisture and air to the sown seeds.
It is best to plant dill in fertile, organic-rich soil. To do this, you need to add humus to the soil (half a bucket per 1 m²). In the absence of humus, diluted mullein or bird droppings are used as fertilizer. The plant loves potassium and phosphorus, so it is recommended to add ammonium nitrate and superphosphate to the soil. Fertilizing the soil can be done in the fall, while digging, or in the spring, before planting seeds.
It is necessary to take into account that acidic and heavy soil, despite digging and fertilizing, is not at all suitable for growing dill.
Dill loves moisture, so you need to carefully ensure that the soil does not dry out. And sowing seeds must be carried out exclusively in moist soil. Dill begins to be planted in April, then sowing is repeated every 15 days to ensure a constant harvest.
The seedlings tolerate frosts well down to -5°C. However, sudden changes in temperature (cold temperatures or sudden heat) can contribute to plant suppression. Therefore, if there is a possibility of frost, it is advisable to cover the seedlings plastic film. Bush varieties can be planted through seedlings. To do this, you need to plant one seed at a time in small containers filled with peat, and then plant the bushes in a greenhouse.
How to sow dill correctly?
Before planting, the seeds are soaked or sown dry. Soaked seeds will germinate faster, and seedlings from dry seeds are much better adapted to weather conditions.
In order for the plants to develop evenly, without suppressing each other due to crowding, dill is sown at the rate of 1 g of seeds per 1 square meter land.
How to sow dill correctly:
- First, you need to prepare the bed for planting by fertilizing it with a layer of well-rotted humus, about 15 cm thick.
- The area for planting dill should be watered abundantly and left for 1–2 days for the soil to shrink.
- Furrows about 5 cm wide are made in a wet bed and watered abundantly.
- Dill seeds are sown in a zigzag pattern along the furrow and embedded in the ground to a depth of 1–2 cm. They are sprinkled with a thin layer of soil or humus on top. The planted seeds are no longer watered, so as not to wash them very deep into the ground.
After a couple of weeks, the first seedlings sprout, which need to be thinned out, maintaining a gap of 5–10 cm between plants. Care must be taken to prevent the plantings from becoming thicker, because dill may stop growing. In greenhouses and greenhouses, dill can be sown along the perimeter of the passage, as well as against the northern wall. High humidity air promotes the growth and juiciness of the plant.
Is it possible to plant dill in July?
Landing almost everyone garden crops happens in spring time year, including dill. But for most fans of this delicious seasoning The actual question is: is it possible to plant dill in July, will it have time to grow and ripen? that it can be sown throughout the entire summer season, from spring to autumn. However, summer sowing has some peculiarities.
The beds are usually already filled with other plants. Therefore, it is necessary to find the right neighbors for dill. It is best suited next to cabbage and tomatoes. The essential oils contained in dill will significantly improve the taste of these vegetables and relieve them of some harmful insects. And the fertile and well-fertilized soil underneath is excellent for the successful germination of dill.
One more nuance: if you sow the seeds dry, they can sprout only after 15 days. Therefore, sowing dill in summer requires mandatory soaking of the seeds.
How to plant dill so that it sprouts quickly?
First, let's figure out how many days it takes for dill to sprout. At an air temperature of +5°C, dill usually germinates in 14–20 days. In warmer periods, at a temperature of +20°C, seeds germinate in 10–15 days. But in some cases it is necessary to hurry up the germination of seeds. Therefore, the question arises: how to plant dill so that it sprouts quickly?
To do this, the following measures must be taken:
- place the dill seeds in a gauze knot, hold for 1–2 minutes hot water(60 °C);
- then put it in water at room temperature for 2-3 days. Every 8 hours the water needs to be changed and the dill seeds washed. Or pass air through the water throughout the day using an aquarium compressor;
- then dry the seeds before planting.
Thanks to these procedures, essential oils that prevent germination are washed off from the seeds, and after planting, dill germinates on the 4th–6th day. The seeds are sown in moist soil and covered with a thin layer (5 mm) of peat, humus and sand. Soaked seeds do not need additional watering. Dill planted in this way is cut after 30 days, when it grows to 20 - 25 cm.
How to grow good dill - video
Fragrant dill or long bushes with umbrellas are an indispensable seasoning for use in fresh and canning. By mid-summer, the harvest of spicy herbs planted in the spring has long been collected and disposed of. Sometimes, already in July, only a few umbrellas left for pickles stick out in the garden. They are collected in bunches along with horseradish leaves, young branches of currants, cherries and walnuts and used for cucumbers, tomatoes, zucchini and squash. Dill can be sown in any sunny areas of the garden with early spring and up to late autumn. Seeds planted before winter will give early harvest next season, and thanks to summer sowing you can enjoy the taste herbs until the onset of frost. To obtain bountiful harvest When re-seeding dill, a number of rules must be followed, which will be discussed further.
How to sow dill in July-August?
Large beds freed from early ripening crops (radish, early cabbage, leafy greens, new potatoes, winter garlic etc.), it is not advisable to use dill. They are usually already filled with replantings of root crops, berries and vegetables.
But to sow plantations with fragrant grass, cabbage, garden strawberries, eggplant, pepper in the aisles – perfect way rational use every free piece of fertile land.
Dill also grows well along fences and enclosures, completely crowding out even the perennial, ubiquitous leeks and other weeds when sowed densely.
Planting together with dill brings triple benefits:
- improving the taste of ripening fruits;
- preventing growth and development weeds(wheatgrass, rapeseed, purslane, etc.);
- protection cultivated plants from some pests, thanks to phytoncides released into the air and soil.
Choosing a plant variety
According to reviews experienced gardeners, summer planting dill in closed structures inappropriate. Greenhouse dill quickly withers after cutting and contains much less fragrant volatile substances, which form the basis of the aroma and usefulness of the plant.
If you grow dill for greens, then use branched, bushy, spreading varieties for sowing, for example:
- Gribovsky,
- Richelieu,
- Amazon,
- Diamond,
- Max,
- Firework,
- Grenadier,
- Redoubt,
- Mischievous.
And if it is necessary to obtain umbrellas and to collect seeds for the next season, it is recommended to plant Uzbek, Alligator, Frost or Armenian dill.
Pre-sowing seed treatment
Dill seeds are covered with a dense layer essential oils, that’s why they take so long to awaken in the ground. The first shoots after sowing dry planting material appear after 3-3.5 weeks. When planting a crop in the summer, you want to get the harvest as quickly as possible, so Seed germination can be accelerated by pre-treatment, the purpose of which is to remove the protective layer.
Place the selected crop varieties in a gauze bag and rinse them for 3 minutes in hot water (temperature about 60°C). Next, soak them in water at room temperature for 56-72 hours. Do not forget to change the water several times a day to prevent acidification and remove the released essential oils. Wash during shift planting material under running cool water.
Sowing and caring for plantings
After soaking, dry the seeds until they flow before sowing. Such planting material germinates within 4-5 days, delighting gardeners with lush greenery.
Sowing is carried out in loose, well-moistened soil, scattering the seeds evenly over the surface, and sprinkle the floor on top with a centimeter layer of dry fertile soil, crumbly peat or well-rotted mullein mixed with coarse sand. Select your planting day by .
There is no need to water the surface of the bed. The first watering with warm water by sprinkling, for example, from a spray bottle or through a fine watering can sieve, is carried out after the appearance of mass shoots. Dill is a drought-resistant plant, but the amount of greenery on each bush increases with regular watering as the soil dries out, especially during drought periods.
Harvesting
You should not pinch off the leaves if you are growing a crop to obtain seeds and powerful spreading umbrellas that ripen in 2 months. Dill for greens is ready for cutting after 30-45 days (the period depends on the early maturity of the variety, indicated on each package of seeds).
You can pull out bushes growing between the rows of the main crop even earlier, using fragrant greens to add to soups, boiled potatoes, side dishes, salads and other cold appetizers.
Unpretentious dill growing in the garden will always find use for culinary purposes. Try planting fragrant greens in midsummer and enjoy pleasant taste plants throughout the summer season. Have excellent harvests!
Dill is a perennial herbaceous plant, familiar to absolutely everyone. It is loved for its delicious spicy aroma. Find out how dill is grown on summer cottage(secrets, tips and main nuances), and then you will always have a bunch of fragrant and fresh herbs at hand. It can be dried and frozen, and also used for salads and soups. Inflorescences and seeds are also used, mainly in the preparation of marinades for canning vegetables.
Seed preparation
Experienced gardeners and gardeners recommend soaking the seeds before planting dill. Growing dill with seedlings is also practiced, in mandatory this applies to bush varieties. To soak the seeds, just wrap them in a cloth and keep it moist for a couple of days until they swell. Then they need to be air-dried for 20 minutes and sown in the prepared soil. Uniform shoots appear, as a rule, after two weeks. All this time it is necessary to maintain constant humidity. They are not demanding on temperature and begin to actively germinate already at +3 °C.
Dill sowing time
Dill can be grown in two ways: by sowing in spring or late autumn. This plant is quite cold-resistant and can tolerate frosts down to -6 ° C, so the seeds can be planted in the ground in late autumn (October-November), the timing depends on the region. The second option involves spring planting. They also start quite early, as soon as the snow melts and the soil dries out a little. Estimated dates are from mid-April to the end of May. Dill reproduces very well by self-sowing. If you don’t remove umbrellas with seeds in the fall, then next spring Most likely, the entire garden will be strewn with fragrant herbs.
Dill: planting and care in open ground
bed for spring sowing You need to prepare it in the fall. You need to dig the ground to a depth of about 25 cm and add a bucket of humus (per square meter). In the spring, it is enough to level the bed with a rake and make grooves at a distance of 20 cm from each other, 2-3 cm deep. Seeds should be sown in them, sprinkled with a small layer of humus on top. There is no need to water until seedlings emerge.
Throughout the summer, dill can be sown more than once, but at intervals of 20-25 days to obtain fresh herbs. This is exactly the period of its maturation. At this point, the plant reaches a height of about twenty centimeters. To obtain seeds you will have to wait a little longer until the umbrellas ripen. These are the basic rules for growing dill in open ground. Everything is quite simple and will not cause difficulties even for a novice gardener.
Bush dill: growing features
This variety has recently appeared on the seed market. His appearance and the growing technology is somewhat different from that of ordinary dill. If you do not follow agricultural techniques, then, of course, it will grow, but it will lose its elite qualities. main feature of this variety - in its size and strong foliage. Bush dill can grow up to one and a half meters in height, so the distance between plants should be large (25 cm). It is more demanding on soil fertility and climate, which is why it is planted in greenhouses. Growing dill in open ground is also possible, but only seedling method(sowing in mid-April - early May). It is planted in the garden when the air temperature is between 20-25 °C.
Moody bush dill compensated for it high yield. So, 20 plants will provide you with greenery not only for the whole summer, but also for the winter.
If you practice growing dill in open ground, then it is best to remove the flower stalks, especially in middle lane Russia, since the seeds still do not have time to ripen even in greenhouses. The plant will only waste its energy. This variety is best grown exclusively for greens.
Dill diseases
One of the main enemies fragrant greenery- powdery mildew. It can appear at any time in the form white plaque on seeds, stems and leaves. most often occurs in late summer when the nights become cool. As a result, the plant loses its taste qualities and is no longer suitable for human consumption. It is possible that a false powdery mildew, which is characterized by the appearance of chlorotic spots that gradually turn yellow.
Dill can also be subject to fomosis. This fungal disease manifests itself in the form of blackening on seeds, stems, and sometimes leaves.
These diseases, in principle, can appear at any time, regardless of whether you are growing dill in open ground or in a greenhouse. Treat plants chemicals is not possible, therefore only application is possible preventive measures, namely, crop rotation, timely destruction of weeds and infected specimens, as well as disinfection of dill seeds. To do this, before planting, they need to be heated in hot water (50 ° C) for 30 minutes.
Growing dill: basic nuances
- Thinning. This is the case when there is no need to feel sorry for the plants. In the phase of 2-3 true leaves, the seedlings must be thinned out, leaving a distance of at least 6-7 cm between neighboring bushes. This helps better development dill, it will be strong and even. For bush varieties, this is generally a mandatory procedure, and it can be carried out in several stages, gradually increasing the distance between plants to thirty centimeters.
- Greens grow in about a month, so no fertilizer is required during the growing season. As a last resort, if you notice yellowing of the leaves, you can water the plants with a solution of urea or mullein.
- Young greens can be pulled out straight from the root, but from mature plants (25 cm and above) it is better to pick off only the green leaves.
- Choose sunny places for planting where there is no stagnant moisture and in the shade you will get pale green or almost yellow dill.
Growing dill: choosing a variety
Often, vegetable growers and summer residents do not attach importance to greens - they are greens. And this is a completely erroneous opinion. On modern market seeds, the choice of dill varieties is very large. As a rule, they all differ in terms of ripening, and sometimes in agricultural cultivation techniques. Therefore, carefully read the labels on bags of aromatic seeds. It is worth noting the following varieties of dill.
- Mid-season: Anna, Gribovsky, Umbrella, Lesnogorsky, Salute, Patterns.
- Late ripening: Alligator, Borey, Superducat.
- Bush varieties: Buyan, Bouquet, Sultan.
Harvesting and drying of crops
Greens are collected for drying or freezing 25-30 days after shoots appear. At this point, the plant has grown to 15-20 cm in height. Before freezing, greens should be washed and drained. Then the dill must be chopped and packaged in bags or containers. You can also dry it. This should be done not in the sun, but in the shade, in a well-ventilated area. store in jars with tight-fitting lids or in paper bags, the same goes for seeds.
Be sure to plant a fragrant one in the open ground on your site; it will not require much time and effort. But as a result, you will get not only tasty, but also very healthy spicy herbs, and the seeds are great for use in pickling and pickling vegetables, in addition, they have medicinal properties.