Dill has been cultivated since ancient times for both medicinal and culinary purposes. Its versatility in cooking has made it popular worldwide. It’s an easy to grow herb and is much demand in the marketplace.

Annual height up to 48". Use all parts, except the roots are used. Most everyone is familiar with the fresh seed heads to be used to flavor dill pickles. Dried dill seed is commonly found in jars and is used to flavor everything from bread to soups. Dried dill is often called dillweed or dillfeathers and is found on spice shelves. The leaves are used to flavor dips, salads, fish and soups. The fresh stems, stripped of leaves can be woven into baskets when they are fresh and pliable. Even the thinnest of stems can be woven into mini baskets. The iridescence and color of the stems when dried are remarkable. The yellow flower heads dry beautifully. Pick them just when the heads begin to open in order to retain the color. Plant tall varieties of dill in a location that is protected from strong winds because they are easily blown over. All dill should receive full sunlight. If the soil in the dill beds has been well prepared, little else needs to be done. It is a fast growing herb that feeds heavily, so it benefits from side dressings of aged manure or fertilizer. Aphids love dill. Foliage is so fine and tender that is nearly impossible to remove aphids without damaging the leaves. Dill is attractive to a number of pests. Harvest the first leave when the plants are 6 inches tall. Dill does take a fairly long time to harvestable size and yields are small per plant. Pick dill leaves by hand, don’t cut with scissors. The leaves separate easily from the plant with gentle pressure. Always take the largest, oldest leaves first. If the plant is young and still growing from the crown at soil level, these will be the outermost leaves. Do not take smaller leaves from the center, as these still have some growing to do. Grab the leaf at the bottom of the stem where it is attached to the crown and gently push or pull outward with your finger. As the center stem grows, pick the leaves from the bottom of the stem first and work your way up. These lower leaves will begin to turn brown as the plant matures. Pull the leaf downward to remove it from the stem. There may be some new growth of smaller leaves at this time. Dill ‘s tall; graceful habit makes it an attractive background in flower beds. Dill has a taproot like a carrot with one long, hollow stalk coming from the root. The small stems and immature umbels are used for flavoring seafood sauces and making pickles. Freeze whole leaves or chop first or dry foliage on nonmetallic screens. Collect the flower heads before the seeds mature and fall. Hang them in paper bags or dry them on paper. If stored in an airtight contains, dill seed will retain its flavor for at least a year, but will weed quickly loses it potency, even in good storage conditions. Fresh leaves can be refrigerated for one week at most.