How to grow dill from seeds at home?

Psychologists note that the sight of green houseplants helps to survive the winter time. If dill and other spicy herbs are grown on the windowsill, the benefits of such plantings will be many times greater, because the plants will not only remind you of summer, but also replenish the diet with vitamin greens.

Despite its unpretentiousness in the garden, in the conditions of an apartment, dill requires more attention, but in response to proper care it will certainly delight you with fragrant foliage and a long growing season. How to grow dill at home? What are the features of sowing and caring for this crop, and what can prevent you from getting a bountiful harvest of greenery on the windowsill?

Choosing a variety of dill for the windowsill

If, when sowing parsley or celery, the appearance of a peduncle should be expected only the next year, then when growing dill from seeds in a dry warm room microclimate, the plant can bloom, practically without forming foliage. Therefore, the productivity of the vegetable garden on the windowsill primarily depends on the choice of the variety for sowing.

Today there are several dozen worthy varieties that have proven themselves in the open field. For a pot culture, plants that give green mass as long and abundantly as possible are suitable. Examples of such varieties include:

• Asparagus bouquet.
• Superdukat.
• Beam.
• Abundant.
• Kibray.

Dill plants that form a dense green bush on the windowsill feel good.

If necessary, actively growing shoots can be pinched to cause branching and the appearance of new foliage.

Growing dill from seeds at home

Like other umbrella crops, dill is characterized by tight germination. This is due to the essential oils that protect the seed, but also slow down its pecking. How to grow dill at home and bring greenery closer?

If you do not take special measures, it will take at least two weeks to wait for the emergence of seedlings even with regular watering, and in order to speed up the biological process, the seeds are soaked before sowing. To do this, use warm water or a solution of biostimulants, and in the latter case, after a daily stay in a solution of Kornevin or Ribav-Extra, the sprouts appear already on the 3-4th day, and the germination rate increases to 100%.

What containers are suitable for growing dill from seeds? A wide container or pot with drainage holes is prepared for sowing dill. The capacity is selected in such a way that several plants planted at intervals of 7-10 cm are not too crowded.The drainage layer, 1.5–2.5 cm thick, is made of fine expanded clay or stone chips.

The soil for growing dill at home should be loose, retain moisture well, not acidic and fertile. A ready-made soil mixture for vegetable crops or seedlings is quite suitable, or you can get soil by mixing garden soil, peat, sand and humus in equal proportions. Sowing is carried out in moist soil to a depth of about a centimeter. In order to initially avoid excessive seedling density, the seeds are sealed at intervals of 2-3 cm, sprinkling with a layer of peat on top and carefully compacting the soil.

As shoots appear, they are additionally thinned out so that the plants do not interfere with each other and do not stretch out due to lack of space, nutrition and light.

Care features

However, such a measure is clearly not enough. Even a south-facing room is less illuminated than a garden bed, and the air is sometimes drier and warmer than the ideal crop temperature range of 16-22 ° C. Therefore, it is more difficult to grow dill on the windowsill than in the open field.

Although the culture is cold-resistant, dill bushes grown at home will not lose their ability to grow even when the temperature drops to +8 ° C. But, once in a hot room, with a lack of watering, the plants refuse to form leaves and quickly release flower stalks. Dill reacts well to moisture, but here it is important to remember: "the higher the temperature, the more often and more abundantly watering."

• If it is cool enough on the windowsill, excess moisture can cause root rot and plant death.
• In hot weather or when the heating is on, the absence of moisture is quickly recognized by sluggish discolored shoots.
• At temperatures above +25 ° C, dill on the windowsill should be regularly sprayed, this will help the plant to cope with increased dry air and heat.

Watering is carried out as the soil dries, in small portions, preventing the formation of a dense crust on the soil.

So that, as the bushes grow, they do not experience a deficiency of nutrients, they feed the dill on the windowsill twice a month. To do this, you can use complex additives with a low nitrogen content, so that this element does not accumulate in the greens entering the table.

Lighting conditions for growing dill from seeds

Green crops in the apartment are assigned the brightest places, while taking care that the direct rays of the sun do not fall on the pots.

If sowing dill even at home takes place from March to August, plants create lush bushes on well-lit windowsills and do not require additional lighting.

But most often dill is grown at home in the winter. And here you cannot do without artificial illumination of landings. It is best to hang a special phytolamp at a height of 50-60 cm from the home plantation, which gives the spectrum necessary for the plants. If this is not possible, white fluorescent lamps will do. Taking into account the illumination, daylight hours for dill on the windowsill should last up to 13-15 hours. Such a measure is especially important at the stage of emergence, until the plants have risen and matured.

By receiving the required amount of light, the bushes will not lean against the window pane, stretch out and look weakened.

How to grow dill on a windowsill so that the supply of greens to the table is uninterrupted? Unlike parsley, which for a long time releases new leaves instead of the collected ones, dill practically does not form greens after cutting. Therefore, 14–20 days after the first sowing, the next batch of seeds is sown. In this case, on the windowsill there will always be dill ready to harvest with marketable greens of approximately 10 centimeters in length.

How to grow dill at home in winter - video

Greens on the table should be all year round - this is what doctors advise, and they are right.No vitamins from the pharmacy are able to replace natural products either in quality or in effectiveness. Prudent housewives grow these greens at home, in addition to always having the freshest vitamins at hand, green plants improve the indoor climate. Compared to other indoor plants, dill is not considered capricious. But here, too, you need to know a few secrets. The correct approach to growing this crop will avoid many troubles. How to start growing dill at home?

How to grow dill on a windowsill

Variety selection

The correct choice of seeds determines not only the appearance of plants, but also their biological development. This means that you need to pay attention not only to the growing season, but also to the size of the dill. Experienced growers advise using mid-season varieties Gribovsky, Richelieu or Grenadier for growing at home. If you want to increase the ripening time of ripe dill, then you can sow late-ripening varieties together with mid-ripening ones. The proportions are approximately 50x50.

Practical advice. Dill seeds quickly lose their germination. Do not purchase them more than two years old.

The late-ripening Kibray variety has proven itself well, it has an excellent smell and wide leaves, can be used both as a seasoning for various dishes, and as an element of decoration.

Dill Kibray

But we must remember that this variety requires strict adherence to all the recommended growing rules. Early ripening varieties give green mass in the shortest possible time, but then quickly stretch out and throw out peduncles. It is considered not advisable to sit them down. We'll have to wait about a month for the crop to appear, so that in a week or two it would no longer be possible to use it.

Seed preparation

Dill seeds need to be prepared before sowing

The better the seeds are prepared, the faster the seedlings will emerge and the stronger the plants will be. It is better to soak in warm water overnight. It is advisable to do disinfection at the same time.

Soaking seeds in potassium permanganate

For this, a weak solution of potassium permanganate was used earlier. Today it is problematic to buy it. Firstly, not every pharmacy sells potassium permanganate. Secondly, it is sold only by prescription of doctors. Is it possible to do disinfection at home without potassium permanganate? You can, for this, use one of the proposed methods.

1. Etching with boric acid. For a two-hundred-gram glass of water, you need to take a teaspoon of boric acid. It is necessary to soak for no more than 2-3 hours at a solution temperature of approximately t ° = + 25-30 ° С. Next, the seeds must be removed from the solution and rinsed thoroughly under running water.

   Boric acid

2. Etching with hydrogen peroxide. Take a 2-3% peroxide solution and soak the seeds in it for 7-8 minutes. After dressing, the seeds must be rinsed.

   Hydrogen peroxide for seed treatment

Take seeds with a reserve, it is better to thin out the seedlings later than to have an insufficient number of plants.

There are options for sowing dill seeds without presoaking and dressing. We do not recommend doing this for several reasons. First, the time of emergence of shoots increases by 5-6 days. Second, they become more uneven. If the soaked seeds give all shoots with an interval of several days, then in dry seeds, it can take up to two weeks between the appearance of the first and last shoots.

With regard to dressing, diseases in the early stages of development have not yet benefited any plant. It is not worth risking the harvest, especially since not so much time is required for all the preparatory operations.

Recommendations for sowing dill

Sowing seeds

You can plant large containers at once or grow seedlings first, and then transplant them. We recommend using the first method, it is faster, easier and easier.For dill, cylindrical pots with a volume of about 1 liter or long rectangular pots with a wall height of about 10 centimeters are suitable.

We prepare containers for sowing

Drainage from ordinary pebbles or expanded clay must be done to the bottom.

Drainage in a pot

It is better to use purchased land. There is no such - do it yourself. Take one part of sod land and mix in one part of river washed sand. It is advisable to add vermicompost or dumb humus to the soil. For lovers of mineral fertilizers, we recommend using complex kits. The instructions for use are indicated on the packaging, follow the recommendations of the manufacturers and everything will be fine.

Pot with soil

Recently, coconut soil has been very popular. What can you say about such a substrate? does incredible things. In all respects, the soil made from coconut shavings is in no way superior to the mixtures familiar to our compatriots.

Coconut substrate

Except for the price, of course. There is a desire - buy expensive "coconut" mixtures, there is no desire - use ordinary substrates. In both cases, the yield will be the same. It depends not only and not so much on the soil, but on the correct observance of all recommendations for growing dill.

Step 1. Use a stick to make grooves in the ground at a distance of about five centimeters, the depth of the grooves up to 2 centimeters.

The grooves can be pushed through with a plate

Step 2. Carefully sow the presoaked and treated seeds into the grooves. If you wish, use a match or a toothpick to slightly trim them and distribute them evenly along the entire length of the groove. It is recommended to sow not very densely; it is enough to make two parallel rows on a standard oblong pot. If the soil is not very damp, dampen it with a cooking spray. It is much easier to sow on wet ground, the grooves keep their shape and depth, the walls do not crumble.

Sowing seeds into grooves

Step 3. Cover the seed grooves with soil, no need to tamp. Place the pot on the windowsill and wait for the shoots to emerge. Make sure that a hard crust does not form on the surface of the earth, it prevents the emergence of seedlings.

A pot of seeded dill under a film

It is recommended to cover the container with cling film or polyethylene, the optimum temperature is no more than + 20 ° C. If everything is done correctly, the first shoots will appear 5-6 days after sowing. As soon as sprouts have appeared, the film is removed, the backlight is used, the temperature regime is controlled.

Seedling care

Dill is a light-loving plant, in winter it is imperative to use additional lighting. For this, it is recommended to use economical LED lamps, the height of their location must be adjustable. With a lack of light, the plants become very elongated, the stems become thin, and the number of suitable leaves decreases.

Practical advice. Pulling of plants can also be observed at too high temperatures. If it is very warm on the windowsill, then you can put the plants on the floor at night.

Photo of growing dill on a windowsill

The soil is regularly watered, but not overflowed. Dill reacts equally negatively to both lack of moisture and its excess. Once every two weeks, the plants should be fed, use complex mineral fertilizers for this purpose. The optimum temperature is no more than + 18 ° C, with an increase in the stems are very stretched. Greenery on the window can be grown all year round.

Top dressing of dill with saltpeter

After the emergence of all shoots, it is necessary to do thinning. Too dense crops oppress each other, their growth slows down. Leave the plants at least two centimeters apart.

Dill needs to be thinned out if it is sown too thick

In addition to leaves, dill roots are also used for cooking.After the plants have used all the branches or have thrown out the peduncle, it is recommended to keep them on the windowsill for about a week. Then dig up the roots, rinse them thoroughly in running water and dry them. The dried roots can be stored for up to a year; during cooking, they are used both in whole and in crushed form.

How to make a backlight for dill

How to make a backlight

As we mentioned above, dill reacts negatively to an increase in temperature. This means that in addition to the standard requirements for the backlight, there is one more thing - it should not emit heat. During manufacture, use only "cold" lamps. Fluorescent lighting fixtures give completely cold light. But their use is not recommended due to the presence of mercury vapors inside and the resulting problems during disposal.

Fluorescent lamps

The second way to minimize the heating of the dill during backlighting is to increase the distance between the lamp and the plant. The disadvantage of this method is that you will have to use more powerful bulbs, and this is an additional cost for energy carriers.

Any backlight should be of universal use. Do not make a separate backlight for each plant grown at home. The more the number of articulated joints and the possibilities of adjusting the position of lighting devices, the wider the range of their application. During manufacturing, the rules of the PUE should be unquestioningly followed, cable connections should be made taking into account the existing regulatory requirements. It must be remembered that during watering, water can enter the power lines, and this significantly increases the risk of electric shock. In addition, the backlight is installed on the windowsill, so it will not be difficult for children to get to it. Childhood curiosity can have dire consequences if safety rules are not followed during the manufacture of the backlight.

Practical advice

1. Lighting should be uniform from all directions. Use aluminum foil to create this light; nowadays, it can be purchased without any problems in specialized stores. There are even portable screens - very easy-to-use devices. They not only make the illumination uniform, but can also be folded / unfolded and thereby increase / decrease the area.

   Use foil for even lighting

2. As soon as the plants begin to tilt in one direction or another, turn the pots 180 ° daily. The slopes of the plants indicate irregular and uneven lighting. At the same time as turning the pots, try to adjust the lighting fixtures in height and angle to the plants. With the correct adjustment of the position of the lighting fixtures and the optimal choice of power, the plants develop without deviations.

   Don't forget to turn the dill box

3. In winter, it is enough to illuminate the plants on the windowsill for 5-6 hours a day. If the plants are located far from natural light, then artificial lighting should be kept for about 15 hours. It is highly recommended to periodically lower the temperature to + 8 ° C. This can be done by any means, up to the removal of the dill to the glazed balcony. Of course, if the weather permits.

   Dill seedlings in a pot

4. It is better to water with rain or melt water. If this is not possible, tap water must be defended for at least a day to remove chlorine. Dill has a negative attitude to bleach, in addition, it inhibits the reproduction of beneficial bacteria in the ground, and without them, it is impossible for plants to assimilate nutrients. There are recommendations to use the so-called "magnetic" water for irrigation. To obtain it, ordinary water is passed through a special magnetic funnel.At present, agronomic science has not proven the positive effect of magnetic water on plant development, but many vegetable growers have noticed a very positive effect.

   Dill on the windowsill fell out due to improper watering - photo

5. In 3-4 weeks after the appearance of the first shoots, the plants can be covered with earth. This technique increases yields, makes plants more vigorous, and increases the number of leaves. In addition, the process of throwing out peduncles slows down.
6. Sometimes there are cases when, after the appearance of the first two leaves, dill sharply slows down growth. Neither backlighting nor temperature changes help. Do not be alarmed, this is a feature of the development of dill. The inhibition period lasts no more than a week, then the vegetation of plants is normalized, growth continues at a normal pace.

   Growing dill in an apartment

7. After feeding the plants with liquid fertilizers, it is recommended to spray the leaves with clean water. Thus, the leaf burns will be excluded, chemical compounds will not get into the food.

Subject to agricultural technology, the first crop of greens can be harvested one and a half months after sowing.

Video - How to grow dill at home

Growing dill at home. It is convenient when there is always fresh greens at hand - the prepared dishes with it become more aromatic and tastier, so you can often find dill on the windowsill among prudent housewives.

At home, this unpretentious plant feels no worse than in the garden, and with good care it gives a lot of lush greenery.

Growing dill at home

It would seem that even inexperienced gardeners should not have any questions about how to grow dill at home: after all, you just need to sow seeds in a pot of soil and do not forget to water the seedlings, removing the weeds.

But in fact, instead of the expected dense thickets of fragrant dill, thin pale blades of grass, practically without aroma, sway sadly in the pot. What's the secret? How to plant dill at home and get greens no worse than those that are sold on the market all year round?

Choosing a variety of dill for home growing

How to grow dill on a windowsill? Before you start growing, you need to seriously consider the selection of suitable seeds. There are no special varieties for growing at home.

All varieties of dill differ only slightly from each other. The main difference is the ripening time. On this basis, dill varieties are divided into early, mid-season and late. Early varietal species acquire the necessary green mass in a very short period of time, but they quickly grow into flower stalks.

Late-ripening varieties of dill also form abundant foliage, but at the same time they have late maturation of seeds, they do not have time to ripen over the summer. Therefore, late varieties are ideal for growing at home. Late-maturing species include:

• Kibray;
• Amazon;
• Alligator;
• Dill;
• Buyan;
• Salute.

In addition, the early-ripening Grenadier and the mid-ripening Richelieu have proven themselves well for growing at home. The Gribovsky (early) variety is distinguished by its early maturity, it is not picky in care, it tolerates temperature changes well, is resistant to various diseases and gives a good harvest. In addition, Gribovsky has an amazing taste and aroma.

Preparing the soil for growing dill at home

Growing dill at home begins with preparing the soil. Dill growing in open ground is not picky about the composition of the soil, but to grow dill greens at home, you must carefully prepare the soil mixture. Prepare land for planting dill in the fall. It should be loose garden soil. Mix with commercially available neutral potting soil before planting.

In order for dill to grow well, it needs a sufficient nutritional area.For growing late-ripening varieties of dill, the distance between plants should be at least 15 cm, and for bush varieties even 30 cm.

Preparing seeds for growing on a windowsill

Seeds should be prepared before sowing. They are soaked in warm water for at least 8 hours, and the water is changed several times. Some growers prefer to soak even for a whole day. After that, for a few more hours (3 - 5), you need to soak the seeds for disinfection in a weak, pale pink in color solution of potassium permanganate. Swollen prepared seeds are dried on a cloth or cotton pads before planting. Nothing will grow from seeds that have not sunk to the bottom when soaked, they can be thrown away immediately.

Planting dill at home

In order to germinate dill seeds as successfully as possible, it is worth planting it starting in October. Typically, dill is grown indoors during the winter. Therefore, it can be sown from mid-autumn to early spring.

As in open field conditions, it will be correct to sow dill in a pot in a well-moistened soil. First, water is poured to a depth of only about 1 cm, without touching the edges of the grooves. Then you need to evenly distribute the seeds and sprinkle with pre-prepared earth on top.

Dill care at home

However, such a measure is clearly not enough. Even a south-facing room is less illuminated than a garden bed, and the air is sometimes drier and warmer than the ideal crop temperature range of 16-22 ° C. Therefore, it is more difficult to grow dill on the windowsill than in the open field.

Growing dill at home. Although the culture is cold-resistant, dill bushes grown at home will not lose their ability to grow even when the temperature drops to +8 ° C. But, once in a hot room, with a lack of watering, the plants refuse to form leaves and quickly release flower stalks. Dill reacts well to moisture, but here it is important to remember: "the higher the temperature, the more often and more abundantly watering."

• If it is cool enough on the windowsill, excess moisture can cause root rot and plant death.
• In hot weather or when the heating is on, the absence of moisture is quickly recognized by sluggish discolored shoots.
• At temperatures above +25 ° C, dill on the windowsill should be regularly sprayed, this will help the plant to cope with increased dry air and heat.

So that, as the bushes grow, they do not experience a deficiency of nutrients, they feed the dill on the windowsill twice a month. To do this, you can use complex additives with a low nitrogen content, so that this element does not accumulate in the greens entering the table.

Growing dill at home video

Where to buy seeds and seedlings with delivery

The Scientific and Production Association "Sady Rossii" has been introducing the latest achievements in the selection of vegetable, fruit, berry and ornamental crops into the wide practice of amateur gardening for 30 years.

In the work of the association, the most modern technologies are used, a unique laboratory for microclonal reproduction of plants has been created.

The main task of NPO Sady Rossii is to provide gardeners with high-quality planting material for popular varieties of various garden plants and novelties of world selection. Delivery of planting material (seeds, bulbs, seedlings) is carried out by Russian post.

We are waiting for you to shop at the Sady Rossii NPO.

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The sight of fresh greenery on the windowsill improves mood, helps to survive the dull winter season. Dill or other indoor herbs will not only delight you with their appearance, but also become a vitamin supplement to your diet.

When grown outdoors, dill is unpretentious, but indoor cultivation should provide all the necessary conditions for obtaining fragrant greens.

Choosing a variety of dill for growing in an apartment

When growing celery or parsley, flowering should be expected in the second year of growth. With dill, the situation is different: it can bloom in the very first year, practically without giving any greenery. A successful harvest directly depends on the selected variety.

There are dozens of varieties that grow well outdoors. For growing on a windowsill, you should choose those that give green mass abundantly and for as long as possible.

Among them:

• Buchkovy
• Asparagus bouquet
• Kibray
• Superdukat
• Abundant

They form a dense bush and feel good on the windowsill. Pinch actively growing shoots to stimulate branching.

How to plant dill on a windowsill with seeds

How to grow dill on a windowsill in an apartment in the photo for shoots 10 days

Dill is difficult to grow, like all other umbrella crops. The seeds contain essential oils that slow down pecking.

Presowing seed treatment

Seeds must be processed before planting, otherwise, even with abundant watering, the emergence of seedlings can be expected for 2-3 weeks. For a day, soak the seeds in warm water or a solution of a growth stimulant: the germination rate of seeds is almost 100%, they will germinate in 3-4 days.

Container preparation

Choose a wide pot or container with drainage holes for planting. Place a drainage layer (a mixture of stone chips and expanded clay) with a thickness of 1.5-2.5 cm at the bottom.

Priming

The soil needs a loose, fertile, neutral reaction. You can use a versatile growing medium for seedlings or vegetable crops. A soil mixture is suitable: in equal proportions, garden soil, humus, sand, peat.

How to sow

Moisten the soil. Cover the seeds to a depth of 1 cm, keep a distance of about 2-3 cm. Sprinkle with peat on top, press down a little. As seedlings emerge, thin out, leaving gaps of 7-10 cm so that the plants do not suffer from a lack of space, lighting and nutrition.

How to sow dill on the windowsill, look at the video:

To always have greenery

After cutting, dill greens are practically not formed again. For a regular harvest, re-sowing is carried out in 10-14 days. Thus, on the windowsill there will always be dill with herbs about 10 cm long, ready for cutting.

How to care for dill on a windowsill

Lighting and illumination

Lighting is required bright, but without direct sunlight. Place on east or west facing windows. When grown between March and August, the plant creates lush bushes - there is enough natural light.

Most often, dill is grown indoors in winter, so you can't do without additional lighting. At a height of 50-60 cm above the home plantation, hang a phytolamp, it gives the required spectrum, you can use fluorescent lamps. The length of daylight hours should be 13-15 hours. This is especially important at the stage of development and strengthening of seedlings.

If you do not provide sufficient light, the shoots will grow thin and weakened.

Watering and air temperature

• Indoors, the air is warmer and drier than on a street bed: in addition to lighting, it is necessary to ensure optimal temperature conditions and humidification. A temperature range of 16-22 ° C will be ideal for a plant, even when the temperature drops to +8 ° C, dill does not lose its vitality.
• High air temperature combined with insufficient watering only leads to the release of peduncles, and the leaves practically do not appear.
• Adhere to the rule: the higher the air temperature, the more often and more abundantly you should water.
• If the air temperature is cool, excessive moisture will lead to rotting of the root system.
• Water as the topsoil dries.Add water in small portions so that a crust does not form on the surface of the soil.
• Insufficient watering is indicated by lethargy and discoloration of the shoots.
• If the temperature is above 25 ° C, spray regularly.
• For irrigation and spraying, use soft water (melt, rain, tap water, at least within 24 hours).

Top dressing

Make sure you get enough nutrients. Apply complex mineral fertilizers for greens every 2 weeks, the nitrogen content should be low so that the greens do not accumulate nitrates.

It happens that even if all the necessary conditions are met at the stage of appearance of 2 leaves, the growth rate slows down - do not be alarmed, the period of inhibition of growth will last about a week.

Another video about growing dill on the windowsill: