Dill Out Of Season

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

After the publication of the article "Vitamin conveyor" a lot of questions came about growing dill at home. Many tried to sow it on the windowsill in winter, but most did not succeed. Either he didn’t want to get up at all, or he was thin and pale. We will try to analyze all the reasons for failure

Growing good, lush dill on the street is no problem. At home, you will have to make every effort to get excellent greens.

The reasons for failure lie in the following factors:

• old seeds;

• lack of light;

• too high room temperature;

• excess or lack of moisture;

• violation of the diet (exclude pure nitrogen fertilizers from the "diet").

Preferences

Dill is the most light-loving crop of all greens. Short daylight hours are not suitable for normal growth. In the period from March to September, it is grown without additional lighting, the rest of the time additional lighting is needed.

Daylight hours for dill are 12 to 15 hours a day. If the weather outside is sunny, then it is enough to turn on the daylight lamps in the morning and in the evening for a total of 4-5 hours. On cloudy days, they give the whole norm (all 12 hours).

Fertile, loose soil is the key to a good harvest. It is prepared from a mixture of sand, humus, peat (or ready-made storey soil). Peat must be high-moor peat with low acidity. The ratio of the components is respectively 1: 2: 2.

If it is not possible to purchase peat, then the ratio of sand to humus is 1: 3. This mixture is enriched with a complex fertilizer nitroammofoski, a matchbox on a bucket of substrate, mixing thoroughly.

Moisture is the main ingredient to achieve good results. During the growing season, the soil is kept in a moderately moist state. As soon as the top layer dries up, watering is organized in small doses.

The optimal mode is within 15-21 degrees. At high temperatures, low light and humidity, the bushes stretch, turn pale, dry quickly. The quality of the greens is deteriorating.

Variety selection

Which variety to sow in the winter-spring period plays a decisive role in the cultivation issue. With good agricultural technology, varieties poorly adapted for home conditions will nullify all the efforts of vegetable growers. Do not rely on outbred seeds of garden specimens.

Dill is divided into several types according to the ripening period:

• early;

• mid-season;

• late.

The advantages of the early variety Gribovskiy are in a quick yield of the harvest. But at the same time, the plants produce less greenery. A delay in harvesting leads to a loss of the commercial quality of the product.

Late-ripening dill (Tetra, Kibray) is characterized by a prolonged harvest period (within 2 weeks without loss of quality), a large number of leaves in one rosette.

To increase the period of consumption of dill, all 3 species are sown indoors.

Selection does not stand still. The most popular are bush forms of a fragrant product (Gourmet, Russian size, Bushy, Salute). Planted in the open field in the Middle Lane, they do not have time to give seeds. At home, it is possible to acquire your own seed. There is a double benefit - greens plus savings on seeds.

A feature of such varieties is the long period from germination to the formation of a stem with a peduncle. In addition to the main rosette of leaves, additional shoots are formed in the axil of each leaf. The green mass of the plant increases. A distance of 15 cm is set between such bushes. In a closer arrangement, side branches do not grow.

Even in the open field in the summer, such a picture is observed. Self-seeding in the beds is more lush, bushy, bright green. The standing of plants is rare. Artificial crops in rows look paler, less lush, quickly stretch and fade into color.

The conclusion follows: the number of plants per unit area should not exceed the norm.

Seed preparation

The presence of essential oils in dill seeds contributes to the expectation of seedlings for more than 2 weeks. Even longer with poor moisture. To accelerate germination for a week, pre-sowing treatment is carried out in two ways:

1. Bubbling in water for 18 hours with an aquarium compressor (oils are washed out, oxygenated).

2. Soaking in warm water for 2 days, with a mandatory change of liquid every 8 hours.

Before sowing, the seeds are slightly dried to a loose state.

Choice of capacity

Pivotal dill root. It goes deep inside, so dishes for growing at home are taken with a height of 10-15 cm. Small pots will not work.

Sowing

Pierce holes in the bottom of the container. Pour a layer of expanded clay (drainage), then 10 cm soil. Cut grooves 1 cm deep, moisturize well. Seeds are laid out, covered with earth. Cover with a bag. Shoots appear in a week.

Care consists in additional lighting, watering with potassium permanganate, fertilizing with complex fertilizers 1 time in 2 weeks. After 5-8 weeks, depending on the variety, they start harvesting. The vacated containers are occupied with a new batch of dill seeds. During the winter, 3-4 waves of luscious greenery are obtained.

Observing all the above recommendations, you will always have fragrant, vitamin-rich green products on your table.