When to plant dill before winter with seeds and how to grow with video

Dill is considered one of the common types of greens due to the possibility of using it in cooking various dishes. The plant is valued for its taste characteristics and noticeable spicy aroma. Experienced gardeners often plant dill before winter to get early shoots of greenery and free up beds in early spring for the next plantings.

Dill varieties for autumn sowing

When choosing a variety of greens for planting in the fall, it is important to consider several factors. First of all, you need to calculate how long a particular type of dill will sprout.Early varieties ripen 7-10 days earlier than late varieties, but they have a smaller mass and not very dense foliage. Also, early-ripening varieties quickly form a stem and are more suitable for germination in film greenhouses. Suitable varieties for autumn sowing include Kibray, Salut and Umbrella.

In addition, when planting, you should find out what temperature the variety can withstand in order to avoid the death of sprouts. Bush-type varieties are popular for autumn planting, the seeds of which tolerate frost well and slowly form stems. The optimum temperature for planting all bush varieties is 3-4 degrees.

When is it better to sow dill: in autumn or spring

Required timing of sowing greens may vary depending on the region of cultivation, soil conditions and atmospheric conditions. Due to the ability of dill to withstand frosts down to -3 degrees, the first seeds can be planted in early spring after the snow melts.It will be possible to get an early harvest in April if the average temperature exceeded 10 degrees Celsius.

Dill should be sown in the fall if you want to get a harvest in early spring. Overwintered seeds in the ground begin to germinate 2 weeks earlier than spring plantings. When sowing in autumn, there is a risk that late frosts will lead to freezing of seedlings.

Podzimny planting dates

The most common mistake gardeners make when planting greenery in winter is the wrong timing. Due to early planting, the seeds germinate quickly, and during the first frost, the sprouts die. Sowing is best done in November, when the soil is slightly frozen and the seeds will not swell and grow. A month before planting, compost or humus is introduced into the soil with the addition of potassium-phosphorus top dressing. Nitrogen fertilizers are not used for winter planting.

Seed preparation

Before sowing dill, seed should be prepared. There are several ways to prepare seeds for planting. The simplest of them is to wash and soak in water for a day to swell. Wood ash or other general purpose fertilizer can be added to the water. The temperature of the soaking liquid should be 20-25 degrees.

During the day, the water should be changed 3-4 times to wash out the substance that slows germination from the seeds.

Another method of preparation involves burying seeds in damp, unheated soil to a shallow depth 2 weeks before sowing. Seed material must first be dried and poured into a cloth bag. Before sowing, the seeds should be laid out on paper and dried until scattered.

Preparing the beds

Dill needs open and brightly lit places with fertile, loose soil. On such beds, plants become lush, fragrant and have strong stems. When preparing the beds for planting, you need to dig deep into the ground, crushing all the lumps, and then add organic top dressing (humus or compost). Having fertilized the soil, the surface of the beds is leveled.

Open field seed holes are best placed in a north-south direction so that the crop rows are evenly lit and warmed up. The distance between the rows of dill should be about 20 cm for the free formation and development of the root system. Before the first frosts, the soil sags slightly, and the bed becomes ready for planting.

Landing

To plant dill, you need to make grooves on the beds no more than 2 cm deep, sprinkle seed in them and cover with earth.If frost is likely, you can protect the beds with covering material. In autumn, greens should be planted at a temperature of 3-4 degrees. After planting, mulching is necessary so that in winter a crust does not form on the surface of the soil, which can later create an obstacle to germination.

Irrigation of seedlings immediately after sowing is not recommended, as dry land will allow moisture to be retained in the soil.

The place for crops should be well lit and closed from constant wind. It is better to place greens behind vegetables, flowers and other herbs. A significant condition for planting dill is the proximity to growth-friendly crops. Do not place the plant next to cumin and fennel. Cucumbers, cabbages and vegetables of similar characteristics are suitable predecessors.

Care

The unpretentiousness of the culture allows you to grow dill, subject to the standard list of care rules. To properly grow greens, it is enough to comply with the following requirements:

1. Periodically, you need to visually inspect the beds to identify and eliminate weeds.
2. Dill needs moderate watering without stagnation of moisture in the soil.
3. When a plant is affected by diseases or pests, the beds should be treated with insecticidal fertilizers and the damaged parts of the greenery should be removed from the beds.
4. To protect autumn planting from frost, you can use a film or other covering material as an additional measure.
5. Do not fertilize or spray the plants during the growing season, as the use of pesticides can significantly reduce the yield.
6. Re-sowing greens is allowed every 15-20 days to get the maximum possible yield.
7. The soil should be regularly maintained in favorable condition by weeding and loosening.

Harvesting

Dill can be cut at a plant height of 15-20 cm, 3 weeks after germination. When growing bush varieties, greens can be cut repeatedly. When harvesting, it is recommended to first treat the plants with water and only then cut them at a level of 2 cm from the ground. At the same time, the roots should remain in the soil and, with further care, form a new crop. To make it large, bush varieties should be grown.

Growing ordinary types of dill, you can pull out the sprouts with roots, shaking them off the ground and washing in clean water. When fresh, the plant can be stored for 10 days if the crop is left in a cool room or refrigerator. If canning umbrellas are needed, they can be cut at the beginning of the seeding period, 2 months after the first sprouts appear. When planting a crop in several approaches, it will be possible to collect fresh greens on an ongoing basis throughout the season.

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