Dill in Containers - Tips and Tricks?

HerbyDan

Hello, Gardener's World Forum!

Despite being an avid grower of container herbs, dill is the one herb to have always eluded me and performed with limited success.

My approach is typically to sow thinly, direct in 12'' deep troughs in well-draining compost-perlite mix. These are left in the greenhouse from Mid-February. I thin seedlings to 10cm apart and move outside after the last frost. However, seedlings tend to topple in wind (though they still grow). Slug control is also another challenge. Plants are eventually harvestable but not as prolific a crop as one would want.

I'd be very interested to hear if anyone has any successful 'recipes' they have for growing dill in a container(s)! Indoor sowing and/or growing? Plugs or direct? Container sizes? Succession?

(Thanks for reading! - Dan)

Ilikeplants

I direct sow in a raised bed. Hoping to get a lot more this year. Time will tell. I don’t know if slugs get them or not. One might have ended up in a container so I might try both in the ground and container. All down direct outside.

HerbyDan

Thanks for the reply! Wish I had a raised bed, lucky thing haha. Any varieties of dill that you sow? When do you direct sow your dill? Is wind not an issue for you?

Be good to hear how you get on with a container! Maybe worth trying direct sowing into a container (rather than getting a headstart under glass), might reduce legginess.

Ilikeplants said:

I direct sow in a raised bed. Hoping to get a lot more this year. Time will tell. I don’t know if slugs get them or not. One might have ended up in a container so I might try both in the ground and container. All down direct outside.

Ilikeplants

Not sure what variety. I was given one full plant in a small pot which I put in the ground. The next year I had a couple sprout and last summer I collected the seeds of those which still smell very dilly. So I’ve down some and will sow the rest in both containers and ground, indoors and outside so will see what happens. Wind shouldn’t be a problem on damp soil, covered lightly and watered in. It’s such a lovely aromatic plant even if you don’t use the herb. Good luck.

Blue Onion

I suggest you just keep it trimmed back to 12-18 inches and just collect the fresh growth rather than a focus on seeds.  That way the wind won't be an issue.  

Ilikeplants

I misunderstood the question of wind - of course you’re not going to sow seeds on a windy day lol.
My dill was about 12 inches, strong stemmed and still produced those lovely seed heads.

HerbyDan

Ilikeplants said:

Not sure what variety. I was given one full plant in a small pot which I put in the ground. The next year I had a couple sprout and last summer I collected the seeds of those which still smell very dilly. So I’ve down some and will sow the rest in both containers and ground, indoors and outside so will see what happens. Wind shouldn’t be a problem on damp soil, covered lightly and watered in. It’s such a lovely aromatic plant even if you don’t use the herb. Good luck.

Useful information, thank you! Good luck with your dill trial too, will be interesting to hear how you get on

12 inches tall seems quite short for dill - it might be a smaller variety (maybe Dukat? That's what I have). I've also read Fernleaf and Bouquet are good ones to try in pots too

HerbyDan

Blue Onion said:

I suggest you just keep it trimmed back to 12-18 inches and just collect the fresh growth rather than a focus on seeds.  That way the wind won't be an issue.  

Good tip, thanks! The leaves are always the priority for me with dill (if one were wanting a seed crop, it'd be very easy to just make them bolt hahaha)

Do you grow dill in open ground, or have you tried containers too?