Is Growing Dill A Joy Or A Challenge?
For some gardeners, growing dill means placing some seeds in the soil in the spring, and, as is the case with most herbs and vegetables, keeping the soil moist. After a few short months, harvesting a fine crop of 3' high dill plants is almost an automatic. For others, growing dill is a constant challenge, and all too often ends in failure, with nothing to show for their efforts beyond a few 2" of 3" high plants that soon turn yellowish and die.
Yet many gardening books, and gardening advice columns, will claim that dill is one of the easiest herbs to grow, and is in fact a good starter plant for those planning their first vegetable or herb garden.
In theory, growing dill is quite simple and, if one is also growing a crop of pickling cucumbers, it's a nice feeling to have your very own dill right there for the picking. A dill pickle without the dill would certainly be something quite different, but there are plenty of other uses for both the dill seeds and the leaves. Dill leaves go well in salads, and with both fish and fowl, and the seeds have a wide variety of uses in the kitchen. Chances are, if you have reasonable success growing dill, you'll have plenty left over for other uses after you've exhausted your supply of cucumbers.
What is it then, that cause different gardeners to have such different results when planting dill? Fertile, well worked, and well drained soil, in a spot where the plants can get full sun (though some afternoon shade is tolerated), seems to be all one really needs. The plant, almost always is grown as an annual, though it is sometimes classified as a tender perennial, seems quite well suited for the "normal" herb or vegetable garden environment.
Climate and location may have something to do with failure of a dill crop, but if one browses through gardener's forums dealing with the subject, several things stand out.
Decaying Leaves And Rock Dust - Dill likes well mixed, rich soil containing plenty of compost and minerals. In other words, growing dill where you've just turned over a shovelful of dirt or two, and raked it smooth, may not yield a planting medium dill really needs to thrive. Got some partially decayed leaves in the compost pile? Mix them in with the dirt and you may be pleasantly surprised with the results. Dill likes plenty of minerals as well. Any kind of rock dust added to the soil will suffice.
Acidic Soil Is Best - Perhaps the most important thing to know is dill has a strong preference for acidic soil. While the plants may do tolerably well in a mildly alkaline soil (pH of 7.5), a strongly acidic soil with a pH of 5.5 will make a world of difference. The next most important thing to know is, if you're transplanting dill rather than growing dill from seeds, dill has a fairly long tap root, and if it is disturbed, the plant's growth may be stunted, or the plant may simply wither and die. This is also nice to know if you're growing dill in a pot. Dill grows fine in containers, but the pot or container needs to be a deep one, and not a shallow one.
Even if you don't plant cucumbers, or plan on making your own dill pickles, you'll find some use for your mature dill plants, even if you have most of the crop left over. It's a fun plant to grow, and makes an attractive member of the vegetable garden. When growing dill in an herb garden, just remember it can grow to around 3' high, with a spread of about 1', so it does take up a little room. If you grow it indoors, or on a patio in a pot, you'll probably need to stake it at some point.