The Benefits of Growing Dill Seeds: The Best Time to Plant

Dill seeds are tiny, brown, oval seeds from the dill plant, known for their robust and tart flavor. Dill is a versatile plant grown for its seeds and fern-like leaves. They are popular in cooking and pickling and add a unique flavor to soups, salads, and pickles.

• Family: Apiaceae
• Binomial name: Anethum graveolens
• Life Cycle: Annual

In addition to their culinary uses, dill seeds offer health benefits, such as aiding digestion and freshening breath. Dill is easy to grow from seed, making it a favorite among gardeners.

Whether you’re looking for “dill seeds near me” or want to learn how to use them in recipes, they are a versatile addition to any kitchen and garden, perfect for enhancing flavor and promoting wellness.

What are dill seeds?

Dill seeds come from the dill plant, a green herb that grows in gardens. Anethum graveolens seeds are small, flat, and brown. They are shaped like small ovals. People use dill seeds to cook and add flavor to their food. Anethum graveolens taste like a mixture of lemon and caraway.

Types of deals

People grow different types of dill plants in gardens. Some common types of deals are:

Bouquet Dill

This type of dill is excellent for pickling. It has a strong flavor, and its seeds are perfect for adding a sour taste to food.

Fern Leaf Dill

This dill is small and suitable for growing in pots. It has a mild flavor and is often used as a garnish in food.

Dukat Dill

Dukat Dill has a sweet flavor and is popular in cooking. Its leaves are tasty and often used in salads and sauces.

Mammoth Dill

This dill plant grows very tall! It is suitable for extensive gardens. The seeds are excellent for pickling and are a favorite of many people.

Benefits of Dill Seeds

Deals include treating fevers and colds, coughs, bronchitis, hemorrhoids, infections, convulsions, nerve pain, genital ulcers, menstrual cramps, and sleep disorders. Dill has antibacterial properties that help keep our hair healthy and infection-free.

Anethum graveolens seeds are sometimes applied to the mouth and throat for soreness and swelling (inflammation). In food, dill is used as a culinary spice. Here are some benefits of dill seeds:

Good for digestion

Anethum graveolens seeds can help if you have an upset stomach. They make your stomach feel good and help you digest food.

Helps sleep

Some drink dill seed tea before bed. It helps them relax and sleep better.

Keeps breath fresh

Chewing anethum graveolens seeds makes your breath fragrant. It’s like a natural mouth freshener!

Fights Colds

Dill seeds are good for colds. They help clear your throat and make you feel better.

Dill seeds vs. dill branches

Are there two parts to the dill plant that people use? They are dill seeds and dill sticks. But what is the difference?

Dill Seed

Tiny seeds grow on the dill plant. It is brown and has a strong, slightly bitter smell. Anethum graveolens seeds are great for pickles, breads, and soups.

Dill sprigs

These are the green leaves of the dill plant. Dill sticks are soft, feathery, and have a fresh taste. People use dill in salads, sauces, and fish.

How to sow dill seeds

• Dill seeds do not require any treatment (e.g., soaking, stratification) before sowing.
• Anethum graveolens do best when sown directly in the garden.
• Sow seeds 2mm deep and 20cm apart directly in the garden.
• Keep the soil moist but never soggy or dry. Seeds should germinate in about 7-21 days at a soil temperature of 18-22°C.
• Young seedlings will need protection from pests, pets, and weather until established.

Growing dill from seed

Dill plants may need watering during the growing season. Water when the soil is dry about 5 cm below the surface (check this by scraping some soil with your finger). Water deeply in the morning or late afternoon. Avoid watering the leaves of the plant to avoid fungal diseases. Here’s how to do it:

Choose a sunny spot.

Dill likes the sun. Find a spot in your garden where the sun shines all day.

Prepare the soil

Make sure the soil is soft and not too wet. Dill prefers damp soil.

Plant the seeds

Plant dill seeds about 1/4 inch deep into the soil.

Water the seeds

Water the seeds carefully. Keep the soil moist but not too wet. Wait and see: Small dill plants grow in 10 to 14 days.

Dill seed substitute

Sometimes, we may not have dill seeds at home. If you need an alternative to dill seeds, there are other seeds you can use in cooking:

Caraway seeds

These taste similar to dill seeds.

Fennel seeds

Fennel seeds have a slightly sweet flavor but can work in some recipes.

Coriander seeds

Coriander seeds have a lemony flavor that can replace dill seeds in some dishes.

Anethum graveolens seeds for planting.

If you want dill in your garden, you need dill seeds to plant. You can buy these seeds at garden stores or online.

Grow dill seeds in a container.

You can also grow Anethum graveolens in a container. Here we explain how to do it:

Choose a pot

Choose a pot deep enough for the roots to grow.

Fill it with soil

Use well-drained soil. Dill does not like wet feet!

Plant the seeds

Plant the dill seeds 1/4 inch deep into the soil.

Water the pot

Water the seeds carefully and place the pot in a sunny spot.

Watch Them Grow

Soon, your potted dill plants will be growing!

How to harvest dill seeds

Dill should be ready to harvest in about 60 to 100 days. The seeds are ready to harvest when the seeds start turning brown 2 to 3 weeks after flowering. Using pruning shears or sharp scissors, cut off the seed heads and place them in a paper bag.

Leave the bag in a warm, dry place for about two weeks. When dry, the seeds will fall from the seed head. Separate the seeds from the remaining plant material. Seeds can be stored in an airtight container. Here we show you how you can do it:

Wait for the seeds to turn brown.

When the seeds turn green or brown, they are ready to harvest.

Cut the stem

Cut the stem with the seed head of the plant.

Bag the stems

Place the stems upside down in a paper bag. When dry, the seeds will fall.

Shake the bag

Shake the bag gently to get all the seeds out.

How to store Anethum graveolens

To keep dill seeds fresh and tasty, you must store them properly. Here’s how you can store dill seeds:

Keep dry

Dill seeds should be kept in a dry place. Moisture can spoil them.

Common problems when growing deals

Like all plants, dill is susceptible to pests, diseases, and other problems. Below is a list of the most common issues gardeners encounter when growing dill plants:

Aphids

Small insects (2 to 4 mm long) that suck the sap and gather on the underside of new shoots or leaves. To control aphids, eliminate them by spraying with a garden hose, applying soap or alcohol spray, or encouraging predatory insects in your garden.

spiked

When a plant blooms prematurely and produces seeds. Bolting may occur due to extreme weather conditions. Avoid sowing until the danger of frost has passed or in scorching weather. Water plants regularly and sincerely in hot weather so they don’t suffer from heat stress.

Damp off

It is caused by the growth of a fungus transferred from the soil to the seeds or tender seedlings. Seeds do not appear to germinate, or young plants begin to rot as soon as they emerge from the ground and become soft and mushy at the base before dying. Use a new potting mix if you’re making seedlings, don’t water the leaves, and avoid waterlogged soil.

Downy mildew

A fungal disease that causes yellow to gray-brown spots on leaves, especially on the underside. Water plants at soil level (not on leaves), remove and destroy affected leaves, and do not crowd plants to ensure adequate airflow. If the problem persists, spray with a homemade milk spray or fungicide.

Slugs and snails

Molluscs that feed on young leaves and stems, mainly at night, leave thin trails behind. Control them by removing their hiding places, setting poultry free, picking with flashlights, or setting traps.