Can the Dill Plant Take a Hard Freeze?

Culture

• Because dill plants develop long tap roots that do poorly if disturbed, dill is best planted directly into the garden about two to three weeks before the last spring frost in temperate climates, which occurs roughly between mid-March and late April, depending on where you live. Dill is grown during the summer in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 7, during spring or fall in USDA zone 8, and during the winter in USDA through 9 to 11. Intense heat causes dill to bloom, and once this happens, leaf production ceases and the plants go to seed. Dill plants, like other annual herbs, are killed by the first hard frost in fall.

Propagation

• Dill goes best in loose, well-draining soil that has been amended with plenty of organic material, such as compost. It can also be grown outdoors in pots that are tall enough to provide at least 12 inches of depth for its long taproot. It needs full sun and gets long and straggly if deprived of light. The seeds should be planted 1/4 inch deep. You can also broadcast the seeds across wide rows that are 2 feet apart and rake a 1/4-inch layer of soil over them. While beds and new seedlings should be kept moist, the soil should be allowed to dry out between waterings once the plants are established. When the seedlings are 2 to 4 inches tall, thin them to 18 inches apart, as crowding affects air circulation around the base of the dill plants.

Harvesting Dill

• Routinely pinching the flower heads off dill plants keeps leaf production going until the first frost. If you're growing dill for seed, it's important to allow the flower heads to open completely. The seeds set soon after the tiny blossoms fall off, and continue to dry if left on the plants. When they start to fall from the heads, collect them and store them in tightly covered jars in a cool, dark place. To harvest fresh dill leaves for drying, snip the leaves off close to the stems just before the flowers open, discarding damaged or faded lower leaves. Bundle them loosely with string and hang the bunches in a warm, airy place. Once completely dry, dill leaves can be crushed easily and stored in a cool, dry place. Fresh dill can be cut from the plants as soon as the leaves develop, or about eight weeks from the planting date. Cut fresh leaves gently with pruning shears so you don't damage them. Undamaged leaves last longer in the refrigerator.

Side Notes

• Side-dress rows of dill with compost tea two or three times during the growing season, recommends the Harvest to Table website. Make compost tea by steeping aged compost in water for several weeks. This highly concentrated liquid passes its benefits on to plants more quickly than compost. Pour the compost tea along the row, a few inches from the base of the dill plants, and allow it to seep into the soil. While dill plants are usually killed off by a hard frost, it's likely that, if some of the flower heads are left on the plants, a few seeds will fall to the ground where they may germinate the following season.