Garden Dill

Sow dill seed directly in the garden in early spring, a week or two before the last hard frost, covering it only lightly since light is needed for germination; seedlings emerge in about 10 to 14 days and can be thinned to a few inches apart. Because dill develops a long taproot, it transplants poorly, so successive sowings every two to four weeks are used to keep a steady supply of fresh foliage through the season.

Grow dill in full sun in well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic to neutral soil; plants tolerate light frost but grow best in warm conditions, and even partial shade noticeably reduces yield. Consistent watering helps prevent bolting, but soil that is too wet or sites with too much shade can cause plants to grow lanky and flop, so staking or support may be needed, and plants should be sheltered from strong wind since the hollow stems damage easily.

Dill has few serious pest or disease problems, though it can be affected by aphids, powdery mildew, and occasionally blight or aster yellows. Tomato hornworms may also feed on the plant, and black swallowtail caterpillars, while not true pests, can strip a substantial amount of foliage when present in numbers.

Dill grown too close to carrots can reduce the carrot crop's yield, whereas cucumber and broccoli are considered good companion plantings.

Cut dill foliage anytime after the plant reaches a few inches tall and before it begins to flower, since continual cutting delays bolting. For seed, cut the flower heads from the stalks once the seeds have turned golden brown and the clusters have gained weight, but before they fully dry and shatter.

Dry the cut seed heads on screens or in paper bags in a warm, dry place for about a week before separating the seed from the stems, then store the seed in an airtight container in a cool location, where it remains viable for several years if kept dry.

Culinary: Dill's leaves, known as dill weed, along with its seeds and flowers, are used fresh as a seasoning for salads, soups, fish, pickles, butter, bread, and vinegars, and the seed heads are the traditional flavoring for dill pickles; dried leaf loses most of its flavor, so it is generally used fresh, while both herb and seed oils are steam-distilled for commercial food seasoning use.

Ornamental: The finely cut, fern-like blue-green foliage and the vertical yellow flower umbels make dill a decorative addition to herb gardens, cottage gardens, and mixed borders, and some cultivars are grown as cut flowers.

Medicinal: Dill has a long history of traditional use, including in ancient Egypt and in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine in India, where it was used for digestive complaints, as a carminative and diuretic, and in numerous traditional preparations; in colonial America dill seeds were chewed during long church services and became known as "meetinghouse seeds." It has also historically been associated with magical and protective folk practices, such as love potions and charms against witchcraft.

Wildlife: Dill's flowers attract bees, wasps, hover flies, and butterflies, and the plant serves as a larval host for the black swallowtail butterfly.

Garden dill is believed to have originated in the Mediterranean region, with accounts also pointing to southern Russia, the Middle East, and northern and western Africa as part of its early range. It has an ancient history of cultivation, with the earliest recorded use documented in Egypt some 5,000 years ago, and traces of its use have been found among Roman-era remains in Britain. From this early Old World cultivation, dill spread widely and has since become naturalized in many parts of the world, including throughout much of the United States.