🌿 Dill

Dill is a delicate, feathery herb with a distinctive aniseed and citrus flavour, indispensable with fish, potatoes and cucumber pickles. It is quick and easy from seed, and the airy foliage and yellow flowers look attractive in borders and attract hoverflies.

It grows tall and can be knocked over by wind, so choose a sheltered spot. Keep it away from fennel, since the two cross-pollinate and the flavour suffers. Dwarf varieties suit pots.

Varieties to try

Bouquet (tall, good for seed and leaf)Fernleaf (dwarf, compact, slow to bolt)Mammoth (tall, productive)Dukat (heavy leaf, aromatic)Hercules (strong leaf flavour)

Sow directly outdoors from April to August, 5 mm deep, in rows 30 cm apart, in a sunny, sheltered spot with light, well-drained soil. Dill dislikes being transplanted as it has a taproot, so sow where it will grow, or use deep pots.

Sow a short row every 3 weeks for fresh leaves all summer, as plants bolt quickly in warm weather. Thin seedlings to 20–30 cm apart. Dill self-seeds readily if you let it flower.

Top tips

• Sow where it will grow.
• Sow every 3 weeks.
• Choose a sheltered spot.
• Keep away from fennel.

Water in dry spells, as drought triggers bolting, but avoid overwatering. Support tall plants with canes or twiggy sticks. Feeding is unnecessary in reasonable soil, as too much nitrogen reduces flavour.

Aphids and caterpillars may occur, but the flowers attract natural predators such as hoverflies and ladybirds. Cut back the flower heads to prolong the leaf harvest, or leave them to set seed. Dill is hardy, but dies at the end of the season.

Top tips

• Stake tall plants.
• Don’t overfeed.
• Cut flower heads to extend leaf harvest.
• Let a few self-seed.

Watch out for

AphidsSwallowtail and other caterpillarsBolting in heatWind damage

Snip the feathery leaves (dill weed) when plants are 20 cm tall, from about six weeks. Take leaves from the outside, or cut the whole plant 5 cm above the base for regrowth. The flavour is strongest just before flowering.

For seed, wait for the flower heads to turn brown and form flat seeds, then cut the heads and dry them in a paper bag. Use the yellow flowers and green seed heads for pickling. Harvest in the morning.

Top tips

• Snip leaves regularly.
• Pick before flowering for best taste.
• Use flower heads for pickles.
• Dry seed heads in a paper bag.

Add fresh dill to salmon, potatoes, egg dishes, cucumber salad, yoghurt sauces and soups at the end, as heat quickly reduces flavour. Use flower heads in pickled cucumbers (dill pickles) and in gravadlax. The seeds flavour breads and pickles.

Fresh dill keeps for a few days in the fridge with stems in water. Freeze chopped in ice-cube trays for the best flavour retention; dried dill loses most of its aroma. Dill vinegar and dill butter are good ways to preserve it.

Top tips

• Add at the end of cooking.
• Freeze in ice-cube trays.
• Use flower heads in pickles.
• Make dill butter for fish.