How to successfully grow dill

Dill is a smooth-stemmed plant with deeply indented, bluish-green leaves and greenish-yellow flowers. It produces small, brown seeds that split in two when dried. It was grown in most European and Eastern countries as both an aromatic and medicinal plant.

This pretty Apiaceae, native to the Orient but spread throughout the Mediterranean since Antiquity, appears in Charlemagne's capitulary De Villis*. Grown in pots or in the ground, it is highly valued for its digestive properties. In the 7th century, it was highly recommended by the nun Saint Hildegard Von Bingen to combat nosebleeds and chest ailments.

The word "dill" comes from the Latin anethum, borrowed from the Greek ἄνηθον - anêthon, of unknown origin, and graveolens means in Latin "strong smelling".

It is associated with a mixture of fennel and mint, with the addition of a slightly pronounced aniseed taste.

Dill is a source of antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium. It has diuretic properties and can improve digestion.

In the language of flowers, dill symbolizes both protection and disbelief. Furthermore, like many aromatic plants, it has numerous medicinal properties.

Today, there are mainly two varieties of dill: Dill officinalis and Dill Hera.

• Difficulty level : 1/3
• Density : 26 plants/m²
• Life cycle : Annual
• Mode of reproduction : Sexual
• Type of pollination : Allogamous, pollination by insects.
• Weight per 1000 seeds : 1.3 g

• Climate zone and hardiness : Dill can potentially be grown in all climates of metropolitan France, but generally prefers warm and temperate climates.
• Soil type : Dry and rich, rather loamy.
• pH : Dill is not very demanding, but it will prefer soils with a rather neutral pH.
• Moisture : Well-drained soil.
• Exposure : Warm and sunny .
• Temperature : Dill tolerates a wide range of temperatures, but these must remain above -5°C.
• Frost resistance : Dill can withstand temperatures above -5°C, provided it is well rooted.

• Soil preparation : If the soil is too compact, it may be useful to add sand and a little potting soil.
  
• Transplanting : No transplanting is necessary.
  Watering :
  •  Frequency: Regular watering.
  • Quantity: Moderate watering.
  • Period: Only during drought.
• Tools : Watering can.
• Weeding : Weed regularly from the start of production until mulching is installed.
• Hoeing / weeding / ridging / mulching : You must weed at the start.
• Winter protection : For the particular case of the Hera variety, which can be sown in winter, it will be necessary to do so in a heated greenhouse.
• Harvest period : From June to November for the leaves, in September for the seeds.
• Plant part : Dill leaves and seeds are eaten.
• Stage : Harvest the leaves as they appear, preferably in the morning and before flowering. The seeds are harvested when they turn brown.

Weed well at the start of cultivation.

Method: Harvest the leaves in the morning and consume them immediately. They can also be dried and stored in bags, just like the seeds.
Duration: The leaves are eaten immediately when fresh, but the seeds and dried leaves can be stored for a few months.

Culinary : Dill leaves flavor fish dishes or soups. The seeds are used in infusions, liqueurs, or jams.
Others : Dried dill leaves can be used in a wardrobe to subtly scent linens.

Dill can be used to attract pollinating insects and repel many other pests.