Right now in my garden, dill is at it’s peak of foliage just before going to flower and seed in the next few weeks! These tender leaves make a delicious and refreshing addition to many dishes including eggs, salads and fish. Once it begins to flower, it adds a charming and whimsical addition to the garden, attracting beneficial insects and deters some of the bad bugs!
Companion Planting with Dill
In any vegetable garden, dill can benefit the members of the cabbage family, onion family, lettuce, corn, and cucumbers. Avoid planting it with carrots and tomatoes. Many of the same insects that benefit vegetables will also benefit flowers through pollination. Dill attracts wasps, hoverflies, tomato horn worms and honeybees. Dill also repels aphids, mites, cabbage loopers and squash bugs. It is also one of the few annuals that can be planted with fennel which should be avoided by almost everything else. Next year I plan on planting dill around my plum tree, currants and honeysuckle to keep the aphids away!
How to Plant Dill
Dill is probably one of the easiest things to grow! It is another water-wise plant that needs full sun and well draining soil. Add a little organic matter like compost to your soil to help with keeping the soil lose and free from compaction. Dill germinates well in soil that is 60`-70` and can be planted from mid spring to early summer. It can grow in 6 hours of sun, but will do well with more. Dill self seeds, so you can expect it to return next year provided the soil conditions are the same. Plant dill next to flowers with a variety of color. Its light green stem and yellowish green flowers contrast nicely with flowers that produce dark petals, making the garden jump in color. If garden aesthetics are what you do best, sprinkle dill seeds in a variety of locations throughout your flower garden. The bouquet of flowers accentuated by sprigs of green leaves allow the vibrant colors of the flowers to stand out. Dill not only looks beautiful but also adds a lovely fragrance to the garden.
Harvesting Dill
The best time to harvest dill is when the weather is cool or in the morning just like other herbs. Cut the flower heads after they begin to go to seed, but be sure to let some complete the life cycle to reseed the ground or save for the following year to be placed in an intentional part of your yard. A dill harvest is another advantage of growing this herb. If you enjoy making pickles, grow plenty of dill. For each jar of dill pickles, at least two flower heads and several sprigs are necessary. Dill can be planted in mid spring to early summer. I recommend planting both times so that if you do like to pickle cucumbers, you’ll have some around for when the cucumbers are ready.
I love the flavor of dill! Here are just a few of my favorite recipes! Next time you make a green salad, throw some dill in, you will be delighted!