Even if the dill (Anethum graveolens) is not particularly difficult to care for, it still places certain conditions on its location. These can sometimes be met more easily when growing in a pot than outdoors.

Proper watering for the dill

As a rule, dill does not like waterlogging at all, so in heavy soil it develops rotten roots relatively easily and as a result a certain brown coloring of the above-ground parts of the plant. This problem does not occur when growing in pots with a suitably loose soil substrate and a drainage layer or holes in the bottom of the pot. However, dill tolerates drought for only a few days before beginning to wilt in summer. Therefore, depending on the weather, you should water potted dill thoroughly every few days. Make sure that you do not water the cones overhead if possible, as this can promote the occurrence of diseases such as cone smut on the dill blossom.

Choosing the ideal planter for the dill

Dill usually reacts relatively sensitively to attempts to transplant it, so it should be sown in the final container for cultivation and harvesting if possible. This planter should not be an ordinary balcony box, but a plant pot that is as high as possible. This gives the dill, which is a deep root, enough space for its root system to develop.

Harvesting dill from the pot for use in the kitchen

Although dill can often be more flexibly cared for when grown in a pot in terms of its light and location needs, pot culture often produces less large yields than growing outdoors. For pot and outdoor growing alike, dill seeds need to be sown before the end of June if you want to harvest mature dill seeds before winter. However, you can also use dill plants grown all year round to refine the following dishes with the dill tips:

  • Dill potatoes
  • salad dressings
  • fish marinades
  • spice butter

tips and tricks

Store-bought soil for growing dill in pots often offers better protection against diseases and pests than using your own substrate from the garden.

WK

Category:

Vegetable garden