High Elevation Gardening Web Log "Blog"

Dill is easy to cultivate in loose, fairly rich soil and full sun. Some gardeners start seedlings in a cold frame or greenhouse and transfer them outdoors after danger of frost is passed. If the seed is sown directly into the plant's permanent bed, drills should be spaced 10" apart. Dill seed can take up to 12 weeks to ripen in our climate. Dill will often reseed in the garden if the flowers are left to go to seed.

The leaves, called dill weed, and seeds provide a distinctive flavor and aroma to a wide range of culinary favorites, including pickles, breads, potatoes, fish, dips, and spreads. An excellent and healthy paste for salmon is dill weed mixed with olive oil. A cousin to fennel, dill has many herbal medicinal uses as well as culinary ones. Don't gather dill leaves until the plant has established itself well. Then you may pick small portions of the leaves from each plant and either use them fresh in cooking or dry them for 2-3 days in a warm dark place. More drying time than that may lose their flavor and color. Harvest dill seeds when they are light brown.

Dill has many ancient ties, particularly to the Egyptian civilizations. Records found in Egyptian tombs suggest that physicians considered the herb a powerful digestive aid even in those long ago times. The Greeks believed dill bestowed good luck and fortune and could ward off hexes. Dill is native to the Mediterranean region and Southern Russia, where it is used extensively in their cuisines. Today, Europeans use dill with fish and wild game. Norwegians use dill with a variety of sauces and fish dishes. In India, bunches of dill weed (leaves and young stems) are cooked as a vegetable in dishes that feature potatoes, garlic, onions, and Indian spices. In America the prime use of dill seeds is in pickling.

Dill seeds, like fennel seeds, are considered a carminative, a reliever of flatulence, and have been used to sooth the stomachs of babies and adults alike. Colicky babies respond well to a teaspoon of seed crushed between two tablespoons and then gently simmered in 8 oz of water for 10 minutes, cooled and strained into a baby's bottle. The infant drinks the tea, burps, and falls asleep. Adults can crush two teaspoons and simmer, as done for babies, and then sip the strained tea for relief of gas (flatulence), heartburn, and stomach cramping. Leaves can be used in place of seeds for similar effect.

Dill seeds and leaves have been used by herbalists for increasing mother's milk and treating breast congestion which may come with nursing. It is also considered a stimulant to the appetite and a simple tea may be taken several times a day for these reasons.

The Herb of the Year has been an official project of the International Herb Association for the past two decades. For those interested in past and future herbs of the year may check the IHA web site www.iherb.org/hoy.htm, as well as, herbalist Jim Long's extensive coverage in The Herb Quarterly, Winter
2009, www.herbquarterly.com.

Susan B. Collins is a Master Gardener volunteer. Dana Prom Smith, a Master Gardener volunteer, is coordinating editor for the Master Gardener Column. He can be contacted at stpauls@npgcable.com. For gardening questions, call the Master Gardener Hotline at 774-1868 ext.19 or visit the Master Gardener Web Site: highelevationgardening.arizona.edu.