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Bouquet Dill is an excellent performing heirloom cultivar and a must have addition to your herb or vegetable garden. Dill is known for attracting beneficial pollinators and predatory insects to your garden which help ward off pests that may attack your other plants such as brassicas, basil, asparagus, onion, corn, cucumbers and lettuce. This is primarily due to the aroma of the umbel flowers, which bloom when temperatures heat up.
Bouquet Dill grows large yellow flower clusters and aromatic, flavorful dillweed leaves. Dill is grown for its seeds as much as its leaves. The feathery leaves are often used to season eggs, potatoes, and meats, but particularly fish. Bouquet Dill leaves and seeds are famously used in pickling and can be stored for years. Pair with home-grown Boston Pickling Cucumbers for dill pickles that will blow you away! Though the origin of dill’s famous association with the pickle is not known, a 1640 recipe from the cook of England’s King Charles I requires dill in its pickled cucumbers.
Bouquet Dill is very aromatic, with a hint of caraway flavor. Dill leaves are known as the dill weed herb, while dill seed is used as a spice. You will find dried dill weed sold in the spice section of the supermarket, but the flavor pales in comparison to fresh dill weed. This seed can also be used to grow microgreens.
NAME: Dill (Anethum graveolens)
VARIETY: Bouquet
DAYS TO MATURITY: 60
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
TYPE: Biannual, typically grown as an annual
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 3 – 11
SUNLIGHT: Full sun needed
SOIL: Moderately fertile, well-draining soil pH 6.0 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 18 – 24 inches
SPACING: 9 – 12 inches apart
TEMP: 45 – 85 °F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
While it’s possible to start Bouquet Dill seeds indoors, it is not recommended for beginner gardeners due to dill’s sensitivity to root disturbance.
Indoor starting may result in stunted growth or transplant shock for dill seedlings.
If you still choose to start seeds indoors, use seed trays or biodegradable pots filled with well-draining potting soil.
Sow the seeds thinly on the surface of the soil and lightly press them in.
Keep the soil consistently moist and place the trays in a location with plenty of sunlight or under grow lights.
Transplant seedlings outdoors once they have developed several sets of true leaves, being careful not to disturb the roots.
Bouquet Dill seeds are best sown directly outdoors in the garden.
Choose a sunny location with well-draining soil.
Prepare the planting area by loosening the soil to a depth of about 6-8 inches and removing any debris.
Scatter the seeds over the prepared soil surface and lightly cover them with a thin layer of soil.
Water gently to settle the seeds into the soil.
Keep the soil consistently moist until germination, which typically occurs within 7-14 days.
If you are planning on growing dill in a container, it needs to be at least 2 feet deep and 1 foot wide for large, mature plants; smaller containers equal smaller plants!
If you are starting your container-grown dill indoors under grow lights, simply move the entire growing container outside when conditions are warm enough.
Bouquet Dill is a relatively low-maintenance herb that grows well in most garden conditions.
Water regularly to keep the soil evenly moist, especially during dry periods.
Avoid over-fertilizing dill, as it can lead to excessive foliage growth with reduced flavor.
Provide support for tall dill plants, such as staking or trellising, to prevent them from bending or breaking in strong winds.
Remove any weeds that compete with dill for nutrients and water.
Harvest the fern-like dill leaves as soon as they reach a desirable size; peak quality of the leaves occurs when the tiny flowers on the heads begin to open.
The best time to harvest is in the morning after the dew dries.
Store stems of fresh dill weed loosely wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator and use within a day or two — dill tends to wilt and get mushy rather quickly after it has been picked.
The heads can be gathered as soon as most of the tiny flowers have opened.
