Any dish with dill is not only tastier. It looks more attractive and becomes much more useful. In winter, a vegetable garden and garden under the snow. Green harvest will not be soon. How to grow dill on the windowsill, so that you always have on hand fragrant vegetation rich in useful elements and vitamins? So, you know, at home dill feels great, no worse than in the open ground.
This process does not differ in any special difficulties, tricks, but certain agrotechnical requirements are still worth observing. To get a good result, to provide yourself with fresh herbs throughout the year is quite feasible. Dill grows well in the fall and winter - when our body especially needs vitamin supplements.
Dill grown at home, photo:
What is the use of dill for the body
The useful properties of dill were known even in antiquity - greens and seeds were widely used for the preparation of healing broths. Today, rarely can anyone argue about the importance of dill for our diet. The plant not only gives a piquant taste to dishes, but also contains a powerful vitamin complex, as well as a source of valuable macro- and microelements. Dill improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, cleanses the intestines (thanks to green fibers), its useful components normalize metabolic processes in the body, eliminate bloating.
Learn the features of growing dill on the windowsill - with viral, colds, this plant will come to your aid. With high blood pressure, nervous irritation or sleep disturbances, a decoction of dill greens (seeds) will become a real medicine, natural and harmless. An exception to taking is hypotension (so as not to lower the pressure even more), individual allergic reactions. Even pregnant women, nursing mothers will help dill. The first - it will help get rid of toxicosis, prepare the body for breastfeeding, the second - will increase lactation, if circumstances so require. For more confidence, it is better to consult your doctor, and then feel free to use dill, teas, and infusions from it. And now, let's start with the most basic - with the choice of a variety that is ideal for home growing.
Pot with dill, photo:
Dill on the windowsill - varieties
You can sow seeds at any time of the year, for harmonious development and growth they will need good lighting and fertile soil. An interesting fact is that for indoor breeding of this culture there are no special varieties! Many people unknowingly try to acquire early varietal species - this is not worth doing. Firstly, in terms of maturity, the early ripe species will outstrip the usual variety by about 10 days, and secondly, it will not have that characteristic spicy aroma to which we are accustomed. Early dill is short-lived, and its bushes are not at all as lush as in late-ripening or mid-ripening varieties.
According to the recommendations of experienced gardeners, to plant dill for the winter, give preference to varieties: "Gourmet", "Russian Size", "Salute", "Richelieu". Grades are distinguished by special bushiness: “Dill”, “Kibray”, “Amazon”, “Buyan”. Such greens from home beds are good not only for their intended use, it will also decorate your interior, will delight your eyes with bright colors, splendor. If you still want to choose an early variety, then take "Gribovsky" or "Grenadier" - they have the best indicators for home breeding, if you rely on the feedback of gardeners from thematic forums on the Internet.
Before you grow dill on a windowsill in winter, take care of the containers for it. For these purposes, elongated plastic or clay trays (pots), which can be purchased in the corresponding departments of supermarkets or flower shops, are best suited. The tank should have sufficient depth, because in addition to the soil down, it will be necessary to lay a layer of drainage (expanded clay, medium-sized crushed stone or small pebbles). It goes without saying that the bottom of the pots should have drainage holes.
Suitable tank with soil mixture, photo:
Dill - how to grow at home
After you have decided on the variety, you need to choose the right soil. For these purposes, a ready-made soil mixture for indoor flowers is well suited. You can also independently mix equal amounts of neutral soil and garden loose soil. Or take the same proportions of peat, humus, soddy soil - such a composition will really like dill. In order to be sure that there are no harmful bacteria, bake the earth mixture in the oven (about half an hour), and then let it sit for 24 hours.
How to grow dill - what to do with seeds? An important nuance: seeds should be preliminarily prepared (“wake up”). Soak them in warm water for about 8-10 hours. In this case, water should be changed periodically after 2.5-3 hours. Experienced gardeners generally recommend dipping the dill fruits for at least a day, while changing the water every 5 hours. In any case, both options "work", and the procedure itself accelerates the emergence of seedlings, the growth of greenery.
Sometimes several crystals of potassium permanganate are added to water, this nuance is especially relevant if the seeds are not of the first freshness and have been stored with you for more than two years. After the fruits are slightly swollen from the “bath”, they should be laid out to dry using a clean cloth. During soaking, you will see that some seeds have sunk to the bottom of the tank. They are no longer suitable for planting, it is better to remove them immediately.
How to grow dill? In landing tanks, on top of the drainage layer, pour clean river sand. The sand is laid in a thin layer, it is also recommended that it be preliminarily calcined in the oven. Soil is laid on the sand, be sure to moisten. Seeds can be buried as you like - with grooves or simply with a uniform scattering over the area of the pot, after which they should be sprinkled with a thin layer of peat (about 1 cm), squeezed a little. Then cover the container with plastic wrap, place in a warm place (+18 .. + 20 ° C). It will take about 10 days to wait.
The film will create a greenhouse effect. If you plant dill for the winter, then put the pot closer to the battery - this way you will create the necessary microclimate for successfully biting the sprouts. Raise the film periodically to remove condensation. As soon as the shoots appear, the container should be transferred to the windowsill or any bright place where the greens will grow further. Sprouts need light, this culture is photophilous in itself, so dill must spend all stages of life in a bright place.
Sprouts, photo:
Dill - how to grow? South windows are the best place to place pots of herbs. In winter, when daylight hours are very short, your mini-garden will have to be illuminated. Cure time should be approximately 5 hours. In this case, the lamps should be placed above the containers at a distance of about half a meter. Special phytolamps are also great for these purposes.
Dill on the windowsill in winter - growing features
The optimum temperature regime for a favorable growth of dill is +18 .. + 20 ° C. Keep in mind, if the column of the thermometer rises much higher, then the plants will lean to one side, become lethargic, pale. If you feel a lack of light, the dill will begin to stretch in length, the stems will become thin, there will be few leaves. This is a long day culture. At 10-12 hours of light day there is an increase in green mass. And for the formation of fruits, you need 14 hours. In our case, obtaining seeds is not so relevant, because we grow a plant for fragrant greens.
Biological features of dill imply sufficient moisture saturation. This is especially important during the period of nibbling seedlings and, in fact, the growth itself. It is important to find a middle ground here, as with a saturation with moisture, the culture begins to wither, the earth grows moldy, and if it is lacking, it ceases to grow leaves, becomes coarser. Watering dill for the winter should be often, but in moderation, it is also recommended to practice spray irrigation. If the plant is grown in summer, then watering or spraying should be done more often. For these purposes, the water should have a suitable temperature (not lower than 30 ° C), be settled or thawed.
The tricks of growing dill on greens are as follows: in addition to the requirements for lighting and watering, weeds should be disposed of in time. If the green grows too thick, it can be thinned out - remove the weaker representatives. This plant loves freedom, so this procedure is important for the comfortable development and growth of shoots. Do not be lazy, daily turn containers with dill 180 degrees, so they will grow more evenly without stretching in length. Once a month, you can make fertilizers, for this purpose, complex feeding is optimal. Many gardeners practice biohumus or water-diluted BIUD (1:20). Do not overdo it with top dressing, if you planted seeds in fertile soil, then fertilizer additives should be minimal.
Harvest photo:
How to grow dill at home
Based on the foregoing, the most important criteria for growing dill are high-quality lighting and proper hydration. The higher the temperature in your apartment - the more actively you should water the ground, irrigate the ground part of the plants. At first, as soon as the seedlings appear, it is advisable to lower the temperature near the containers with plants with the arrival of night. This is done so that the sprouts gain strength, and do not stretch up. This plan can be realized by moving the pots to the balcony before nightfall. You can also open the window so that the plants "breathe" fresh air. Naturally, consider the season outside the window outside temperature.
Now you know how to plant dill for the winter. How to grow it all year round. Because for this plant there is no time limit in the timing of planting. Light, daylight hours - an important criterion for dill. In spring and summer it will be much easier to provide yourself with fresh herbs than in late autumn or winter.
How to grow dill on the windowsill - the instructions are simple: well-chosen soil, a suitable and bright place, additional lighting (if necessary), proper watering. If you follow these simple rules, you will always have lush, juicy, healthy greens at hand!