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How to properly plant dill in spring. Dill growing and care in open ground. Video: how and when to sow dill

Dill is one of the most popular spices. They love it not only for its taste and aroma, but also for its ease of cultivation. However, the cultivation of this plant has its own nuances.

From the article you will learn how to grow dill from seeds, how to properly prepare the seeds and soil for planting, how to care for dill in open ground to get a good harvest.

In one season, dill manages to produce several crops, so the plant is planted from spring to late autumn.

Attention. In spring and autumn, dill is grown to produce aromatic herbs, in the summer - to produce.

Dill seeds tolerate frost well, so they are sown after the snow melts, when the air temperature rises above +3...+5℃ - from early April to mid-May, depending on the region. In summer they are planted in any month.

Reference. To have fresh aromatic herbs on the table throughout the summer, sow dill seeds every two weeks.

In autumn, seeds are planted from October to November. Winter planting is done to get fresh greens in the spring two weeks earlier.

Planting according to the lunar calendar

What days in 2019 are best to sow dill:

• : 10-12, 20-22, 29-31;
• August: 2-8, 11-13, 17-18, 21-23, 26-31;
• September: 1-5, 7-10;
• October: no;
• November: 1-3, 6-8, 15-18, 24-25.

Unfavorable days:

• July: 2, 3, 17;
• August: 15, 16, 30, 31;
• September: 14, 15, 28, 29;
• October: 14, 28;
• November: 12, 13, 26, 27.

Choose the days to plant the plant in advance to ensure strong seedlings.

Preparatory stage

Each plant has certain conditions necessary for growth and development. If you take a responsible approach to preparing the soil and dill seeds, you will get a harvest faster and its quality will be better.

Soil preparation

Dill likes to grow in a sunny bed or in partial shade. Choose a place where the water does not stagnate, but is not too dry.

If in the previous year cucumbers, tomatoes, cabbage, beets or legumes grew in the selected bed, then it is not necessary to fertilize the soil. Dill will have enough nutrients left over from last year. Do not plant it after carrots, celery, parsley and dill itself.

Good neighbors for spicy crops are cucumbers, zucchini, cabbage and tomatoes. They are often planted together, but not too close to the stems of the plants, so that the dill does not take away water and nutrients from them.

To prepare the soil for planting, humus is added in the fall in an amount of 3 kg per square meter. m or any complex fertilizer. Then the soil on the site is carefully dug up to a depth of 20-30 cm and leveled with a rake. In spring, wood ash is added to the soil at a rate of 0.1-0.2 kg per square meter. m.

Important. For better seed germination, fertilizing the soil with superphosphate in an amount of 30 g per square meter is useful. m.

Seed preparation

Dill seeds are rich in essential oils. These oils prevent germination because moisture does not penetrate inside the seeds. To improve the germination of dill, the seeds are poured with warm water and left for two days. The water is changed as it cools.

After this, the dill seeds are wrapped in a damp cloth and left for 2-4 days at room temperature until they sprout.

Preliminary preparation of seeds prevents the plant from diseases. Therefore, after soaking, the seeds are washed with a strong solution of potassium permanganate, then with running water and then dried.

How to sow dill correctly

After preparing the soil and seeds, proceed directly to sowing dill.

1. Make rows 1.5-2 cm deep in the garden bed.
2. Leave 20 cm between rows.
3. The resulting rows are watered with water.
4. Seeds are sown every 5 cm.
5. Sprinkle the same soil on top.

Dill can also be sown in a carpet pattern. The seeds are evenly scattered over the soil surface, leveled with a rake and watered.

Features of planting in the cold season

When planting before winter, seeds are sown 2 cm deeper than in spring. Therefore, dill is planted before the soil freezes. The optimal air temperature will be -5…0℃, but not higher than +3℃, so that the seeds do not germinate until spring. Another important point: when planting in winter, do not water the soil.

Alternative planting method:

• prepare the bed;
• planting material is scattered over the surface;
• Cover the top with soil with humus at the rate of a bucket of humus per 1 square meter. m.

As the snow melts in the spring, the seeds will go deeper and begin to germinate.

Care after landing

Despite its unpretentiousness, dill needs proper care. If you provide the plant with a comfortable environment, it will definitely delight you with a bountiful harvest.

Watering

Do not overdry the soil in the bed where dill grows; it should always be slightly moist. But do not turn the garden bed into a swamp, otherwise the plant will get sick and die. Drought is also harmful to the development of dill - the leaves will turn yellow, dry out and become unusable for food. It is best to water green spaces 2 times a week, 6-8 liters per square meter. m in dry weather.

Top dressing

For dill with a short ripening period, the soil does not need to be fertilized; the plant will have enough of what was added when preparing the bed. If dill grows slowly, it is fertilized with nitrophoska or urea (10-15 g/sq. m). The same fertilizers are applied during the first season of mid-ripening and late-ripening varieties, when they have 2-3 leaves.

After 20-25 days, feed with potassium salt and urea (urea) per 3-4 square meters. 15 g and 20 g of fertilizers, respectively. Be careful not to get fertilizer on the leaves, and water the beds thoroughly after fertilizing.

Weeding and loosening

So that the nutrients do not go to the weeds, but go to the healthy greens, the garden bed is weeded. In addition, the root system of weeds compacts the soil and retains excess moisture.

Dill loves breathable soil. To ensure proper air exchange, the soil is loosened between the rows after rain or watering.

Thinning

For normal growth, dill thickets are thinned out if they grow too densely. After thinning, the distance between them is left at 3-5 cm for greens and 8-10 cm for pickling and obtaining seeds.

Shelter in the heat

Due to the scorching sun, dill leaves turn yellow and dry out. To save greenery, cover the bed with a canopy.

Pest Control

Aphids, umbrella moths and flea beetles are the most common pests of dill. An infusion of potato tops with laundry soap helps against aphids. For fleas, use a solution of “Fitosporin”.

Advice. Remove weeds from the area in a timely manner, and there will be an order of magnitude fewer pests.

Diseases

Due to improper care, the plant becomes sick. The most common dill diseases:

1. Downy mildew appears on the leaves; for prevention, the plant is pollinated with sulfur, and diseased bushes are treated with potassium permanganate or a mixture of antibiotics - penicillin, streptomycin and terramycin are taken in equal parts.
2. Rust mushroom- the plant becomes covered with brown spots. For treatment, the plant is sprayed with Bordeaux mixture 3 times a month.
3. Fomoz- black spots appear on leaves and shoots. To save, the affected areas are removed, and the plant is treated with Bordeaux mixture. To protect healthy bushes, the drugs “Fitosporin”, “Trichodermin” and “Mikosan-V” are used.

The most effective method of control is prevention: remove affected plants and weeds in a timely manner, maintain crop rotation, and treat seeds before planting.

Beginner gardeners will benefit from advice from more experienced colleagues:

• if you purchase dill varieties of different ripening periods, you will be able to enjoy fragrant herbs until late autumn, for example, Gribovsky, Dalniy - early ripening, Alligator, Kustiy - mid-ripening, Salyut, Buyan - late ripening varieties;
• before sowing, pour vodka over the seeds for a few minutes, it will dissolve the essential oils, and the seeds can be sown immediately;
• carrots, cumin, parsley are bad neighbors for dill;
• do not water dill immediately after sowing, so that the seeds do not sink lower than necessary;
• in the spring in the evenings, if frosts are expected, winter dill is covered with film or covering material, securing it along the edges;
• Harvest early in the morning so that the leaves do not have time to wither in the sun;
• The collected greens are stored in the refrigerator for a week. To preserve the dill for the winter, it is dried or frozen.

Conclusion

Growing dill is a simple procedure. Be sure to take time to process the seeds and prepare the soil, water the greens on time and with fertilizers. If all planting and care conditions are met, you will receive a rich harvest that will delight you not only in summer, but also in winter.

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

Any dish will become piquant and interesting in taste if you add dill to it. Just look, almost all Russian dishes require the addition of this ingredient to achieve the perfect combination. Yes, indeed, dill is a fragrant herb that adds flavor to food. Also, dill has healing properties. It is often used in decoctions and mixtures, and dill extract is found in many medications. There are known cases where seeds brewed in boiling water helped newborns get rid of colic. But in order to get the maximum benefit from consuming this plant, it must be grown in your own garden plot. Then you will get not only a tasty seasoning, but also maximum benefits. How to grow dill in open ground so that it takes root and pleases you with high yields?

Dill is a great addition to any dish.

Gardening stores sell huge quantities of seeds for planting dill. They differ from each other according to the type of plant. Depending on this or that variety, you will get shoots of different lengths, different volumes, and most importantly, different taste properties of the plant.

Seed selection is an important point before planting.

Choose only the variety that is suitable specifically for your category of land and weather conditions. To do this, you need to become more familiar with the planting conditions on the back of the packaging label.

Also, do not forget that for planting in open ground you need to purchase only certain seeds. For growing on a windowsill, there are certain varieties that require a milder climate and careful care.

You can also use last year's dill seeds. But for this they must meet several conditions at once.

• firstly, they must be well dried. It is important that the seeds do not begin to rot, otherwise you will get a meager harvest;
• secondly, the seeds should not be damaged by rodents or other mechanical traumatic effects.

Before planting, they need to be properly prepared, and how much depends on the variety. You can only plant seeds if you know which specific variety they belong to. This way you can provide the most proper care and create conditions for growth and development.

Table 1. Pros and cons of store-bought seeds.

pros	Minuses
Store-bought seeds do not need to be prepared in advance.	Buying seeds is like buying a pig in a poke. You cannot know for sure whether the desired variety was sold to you, and you also have no idea whether the seeds will be accepted or not.
They are inexpensive.	Some unscrupulous producers do not strive to put only seeds suitable for planting in the bag. Their goal is to get rid of marriage.
Care instructions are located directly on the packaging.	Another disadvantage is the cost. If you are going to grow dill in large quantities, then buying seeds in large quantities is unprofitable and quite expensive. But there is a high probability that many seeds simply will not germinate. This means that the money will be wasted.

Only you can decide which seeds are needed to purchase and plant on your site.

Growing conditions

Dill is not only a decoration for your garden plot, but also a very useful herb. In order to obtain spreading branches of this spice, it is necessary to select the right conditions for growth and development. Not always and not everywhere will dill seeds be able to develop. It is a myth that dill is a very unpretentious plant. What conditions are necessary to get a good harvest?

So, you will need to create the following conditions.

1. The soil should be light, loose and neutral. It should not contain a large amount of fertilizing and moisture.
2. Choose a place to plant dill based on the position of the sun. The sun's rays should not be direct. A place with diffused light or slightly shaded is ideal.
3. This plant should be watered moderately to avoid root rot. It’s great if the dill is planted during the warm summer rains.
4. The topsoil layer should be medium in depth.
5. Use balanced special fertilizers that are suitable specifically for dill. There are a lot of such fertilizers in specialized stores for gardeners, so you can easily select the one you need.

It’s great if you know the contents of your mail before boarding. It should not be acidic or oversaturated with alkali. In such soil, dill develops very poorly, acquires a reddish yellow tint and dries out. It’s good if your garden plot has a humus layer. You can create good conditions for development using organic or mineral fertilizers.

Time for sowing

It is important not only to choose the right soil and create conditions for the growth and development of dill, but also to meet certain favorable deadlines that will promote growth and development. There are two sides when you can start sowing dill. This is planting before winter, or vice versa, in early spring. If you intend to get a large amount of dill for pickling, then the seeds can be sown throughout the summer season, and then by mid-August you will have extensive thickets of dill.

In general, this plant is quite cold-resistant. If short frosts, sub-zero temperatures and squally cold winds begin, the dill will not die. However, it will lose the decorative appearance of its foliage. It will become dry, red and, in principle, unsuitable for further life.

Important! Remember that dill seeds should not be placed on soil where limestone has been worked. Also, you cannot sprinkle the dill bed with ash, although it is an excellent fertilizer for other plants. These substances are detrimental to dill and will stop its growth and development.

Based on the above, we can conclude that there are many favorable times for planting dill in open ground. Starting from the summer season, it can be sown once every few months. Sowing is carried out until late autumn, until snow falls. That is, even at the end of October, beginning of November, you can sow seeds in the ground and put insulation on top. The seeds will definitely germinate, but closer to spring.

If you did not have time to sow the seeds, you can do it in early spring, when the snow has melted from the area. You will need to slightly warm the ground. To do this, systematically, for several days, you need to water the selected area of ​​land with hot water. After this, you can begin to plant seeds.

Be sure to check the weather forecast before boarding. The seeds are not afraid of the wind, but precipitation in the form of snow or cold rain can freeze the development of the seeds and, in general, destroy them. Therefore, check out the forecast.

Also, the temperature should not fall below plus 5 degrees. At a temperature of 0 degrees, the ground freezes and is unable to preserve the viability of the seeds.

Features of germination

Regardless of when the seeds were planted, they usually germinate. The exception is situations when sub-zero temperatures occurred the night after planting, which affected growth and development. The most favorable temperature for seed germination is at least 5-7 degrees. Moreover, if there is a brief drop in temperature during the week, dill will withstand it.

Proper preparation of the seed for planting plays an important role in vitality and growth. If the variety does not require pre-treatment, then it is not worth carrying out.

If seeds are sown later than September, then frosts, cold temperatures, and strong squally cold winds are possible. To do this, the seeds need to be germinated in advance to prepare them for harsh conditions. There are several ways to prepare seed material.

In open ground, dill grows much slower than in flower pots. However, it is open ground that can provide dill with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Why does dill sometimes germinate even better in the cold season in winter than in the warm season?

The fact is that in the warm season, not only dill, but also the plants sprouting nearby are fed with nutrients, vitamins and minerals from the ground. It turns out that there is a struggle for beneficial nutrients. In winter, no one needs the mineral except dill. Therefore, he absorbs everything that is necessary without competing with anyone. And the abundance of moisture allows the plant to better absorb the resulting components.

Preparing seeds for planting

There are special rules that apply to a particular variety or time of year. Compliance with them will allow you to grow strong dill shoots without any losses.

It is important to decide when to plant in open ground. If you plant dill in the warm season, then prepare the seeds as follows.

1. The seeds are washed under running cold water.
2. It is advisable to place them in a fine sieve.
3. After this, the seeds are sent to dry on gauze.

As soon as they have dried under the rays of the sun, the gauze is soaked in water, another layer is placed on top and the seeds are sent into the cold, that is, into the refrigerator.

The seeds should be kept in the refrigerator from several hours to several days.

As soon as the time for planting arrives, the seeds must first be removed from the refrigerator and left at room temperature for a couple of hours.

If planting is carried out in the cold season, and the variety does not require pre-germination, then the seeds do not need to be stored in the refrigerator. Simply wash them and place them on wet gauze for several hours. After this, the plant is immersed in pre-fertilized soil.

There are some varieties that are very low-resistant and may not germinate in the cold season. In such a situation, additional seed germination is necessary.

For example, you want to plant in open ground in April. Preliminary procedures must be carried out a month and a half in advance.

1. To do this, the seeds are washed and immersed in a pot with specially prepared soil.
2. Plants are well watered and special fertilizers are poured into the holes. Cover the top with cling film.
3. Dill sprouts in just a couple of days.
4. The film is removed, after which only the water is renewed.
5. After a month, when the sprouts have become strong enough, they can be dug into open ground.

However, make sure in advance that the weather is good without precipitation or sub-zero temperatures.

Prices for dill seeds

dill seeds

Preparing the soil

In order for dill to be harvested even on open ground, you need to prepare it in a special way. To do this, it is necessary to carry out a number of preliminary actions. If we are talking about the cold season, then a couple of days before planting you need to start watering the selected place with hot water. This way you will prepare the ground for planting dill.

If the procedure is carried out in the warm season, the soil must first be loosened well. And then, during the day, water it well so that it is moist and nourished. After this, immediately an hour before planting, you need to dig a trench into which the dill seeds will be immersed. The depth of the trench is from 3 to 5 cm. Sand is poured down, and a small layer of mineral fertilizers is placed on top.

You cannot overdo it with fertilizers, otherwise you will get an effect directly proportional to the desired one.

After the fertilizer has been loaded, the trench is watered again. After this, they are filled with seeds. Seeds need to be scattered, keeping small distances. It's okay if the dill seeds are next to each other. The strongest seed will grow. After this, the trench is buried and watered again.

Leave the seeds until the soil underneath them dries out. If precipitation or cold weather is expected, you can insulate your planting by placing covering material on top. You can read more about soil fertilization in.

Fertilizer

Now let's talk about fertilizers, because they are absolutely necessary if you want to get a really good harvest. So, fertilizers must be suitable for the specifically selected variety. It’s great if the fertilizer is suitable specifically for dill. But it’s okay if the material is also suitable for other types of plants.

It is important to ensure that fertilizers contain a large amount of minerals. The plant needs them during the first time after planting in the cold season.

Select fertilizer according to the needs of the plant. If earlier dill grew in this place and for some reason its leaves were dry and red in color, then in this case the plant lacked potassium. Make sure that the fertilizers you purchase include this component.

Humus is a natural fertilizer for crops

In addition to the above fertilizers, you can also use folk remedies. For example, sand promotes the rapid growth and development of plants. Ash will also work. However, you need to pour it on top at the moment when the plant has already gained strength and has shown its sprouts from under the ground.

Also great:

• urea,
• chicken droppings,
• humus.

These fertilizers need to be diluted with water and watered the plants every few days.

Wood ash prices

wood ash

Watering

Particular attention should be paid to watering. The fact is that dill needs moist soil. Therefore, it is important to water as soon as the top layer of soil dries out. But here it is important not to overdo it, because if you water the dill abundantly and it starts to rain, there is a high risk of the seeds rotting. Therefore, follow the rules.

Later, when the first shoots appear from the ground, they will need additional substances and minerals in order to accelerate growth and gain strength. To do this, you can mix fertilizer directly into the water. It would be great if it were soluble fertilizers specifically for irrigation. Fertilizers must be offered to plants several times a month in courses. For example, for two days you water dill in small portions in the morning and evening with water and fertilizer. Then leave the plant with only water for several days. By alternating in this way, you will achieve accelerated growth.

Does it need to be protected?

Dill in summer is a real treat for many insects. Is it necessary to protect the plant from such harmful influences? In fact, it all depends on the method of protection you choose. It is important to use traditional recipes. Then the dill will not die, and you can eat it. For example, a mixture of lemon juice, water and cloves works great. Crush the cloves well, mix with the juice of one lemon and a third of a glass of water. This whole mixture is mixed well, and then the leaves and shoots of dill are wiped. Wipe generously. The insect does not like the smell of cloves and the sour taste of lemon. Therefore, there is a high probability that they will lag behind the escapes.

This plant is a target for pests

But at the same time, it is not recommended to buy bait and protection that involve the use of poisons and harmful substances. Dill will not survive if such a solution is applied to it. Yes, and you will not be able to enjoy this grass, since it absorbs toxic components and will be unsuitable for food.

Landing algorithm

Table 2. Step-by-step planting instructions.

Action	Description
	Prepare the seeds in a way that is applicable at this time of year and suitable for this variety.
	Prepare the ground, make a trench.
	Add fertilizer.
	Water.
	Place the seeds in the trench.
	Water it.
	Bury the top with soil.

If necessary, cover the seeds and leave until the top layer of soil dries. Watering should be done as the soil dries out.

Dill– a popular, healthy, aromatic green that can change the taste of any dishes you prepare. Dill contains beneficial substances that are so necessary for our body.

Dill is grown everywhere, observing certain growing conditions; the harvest of aromatic greens can be harvested from early spring until the onset of cold weather.

Let's consider secrets of growing dill in open ground from sowing seeds to harvest, care during growth, watering.

Sowing dill seeds is carried out from early spring to late autumn. Prepare the area for sowing in advance. Dig up the soil in the fall with organic fertilizers (3-4 kg of rotted manure or compost per 1 m2) to a depth of 20-25 cm. In the spring, add 100-200 g of wood ash per 1 m2.

For growing dill enough fertile soil, timely watering and sunlight. An open sunny area is required; dill does not grow well in the shade.

Good predecessors of dill– cucumbers, peas, early cabbage, tomatoes; it is unacceptable to plant dill after carrots and dill itself.

Dill It grows very well together with other crops; it is often sown with cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, zucchini and others. When planted in this way, dill should not grow in close proximity to the stems of vegetable plants, so as not to take away moisture and nutrients from the plants.

Sowing time

For quick germination, dill seeds can be pre-prepared. Place gauze bags with seeds in hot water (50 degrees) for 15-20 minutes, preferably in a thermos, then cool sharply in cold water. Afterwards, dry the seeds so that it is convenient to sow.

Attention – germination of dill seeds is 2-3 years.

As soon as the snow melts, you can sow dill seeds in moist soil; they can germinate at a temperature of +3 degrees (April-May depending on the climate in your region). Since dill is a cold-resistant crop, it tolerates frosts down to -6 degrees.

The optimal temperature for sprouting and growing dill is +12-18 degrees.

By sowing dill on a plot with an interval of 2 weeks, you will have young, fragrant greens throughout the entire summer period. As the main crop, dill can be sown twice, the second sowing is carried out in the first ten days of July.

Make furrows 2 cm deep in the area, sow seeds evenly and sprinkle with moist soil. If there is a threat of severe frost, cover with covering material overnight. The sowing distance between plants is 5-7 cm, between rows 15-20 cm.

Dill sprouts at the optimal temperature will appear in 2 weeks.

You can throw snow on top of the sown area with dill, in a layer of up to 20 cm, it will create a short-term hibernation, stratify the seeds, and then awaken the seeds to grow in soil soaked in melt water.

Before winter, dill is sown in open ground at temperatures below +3 degrees, so that the seeds do not germinate in the fall. Mulch the fall plantings of dill; this will prevent the formation of a crust in the winter, which prevents the seeds from germinating in the spring.

Many gardeners believe that planting dill in the fall produces a much better harvest than planting in the spring. Dill is less susceptible to disease because the seeds are stratified in the soil.

Video - Sow dill in open ground

Dill propagation

Dill propagates very well by seeds, there may be other ways, but they do not make sense.

Dill is very easy to grow; it is an unpretentious plant. To obtain large yields of aromatic greens, you need to water 1-2 times a week, loosen the soil periodically, remove emerging weeds, thin out dense plantings, and harvest the crop for storage on time.

Young dill can be eaten immediately. For harvesting for the winter and storage, collect dill after the inflorescences form. The height of the plants is at least 30 cm. It is better to harvest dill early in the morning, after the dew has disappeared. During the day, the plants may wilt a little.

Dill can be stored in different forms. To store dried, wash the collected parts of the dill and dry in the shade, turning the dill periodically. Then we put it in fabric bags and store it in a dark place.

If you store plants with umbrellas, they are tied in bunches and stored in a suspended state in winter.

Young, juicy greens can be frozen for the winter. To do this, rinse the cut parts, dry them, chop them finely and store them in plastic zip-lock bags in the freezer. This is very convenient when adding dill to dishes in winter.

Video - How and when to sow dill

Popular varieties of dill

As dill varieties mature, they are divided into early, mid and late ripening.

Grenadier– an unpretentious variety, with juicy, aromatic greens. An early ripening variety, the first harvest can be harvested a month after germination. After 1.5 months, dill produces arrows; after 2 months, stems and seeds can be collected.

– a mid-season variety that consistently produces greens, even after the formation of inflorescences and ripening of the seeds.

Kibray– a late-ripening variety with wide, beautiful and fragrant leaves.

By following the tips when growing dill in open ground, you will get a harvest of aromatic and healthy greens.

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:

1. 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.
2. In the spring, all that remains is to loosen the beds for free access of oxygen and water to the seedlings.
3. 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 along 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!