Dill

Table of Contents

1. Description
2. Origin
3. Uses
4. Culture
5. Sources
6. Thanks to...

Anethum graveolens L.
Family: Umbelliferae

Common names: dillweed, dillseed, dill

Description

Dill is a herbaceous annual with a round, erect stem. It grows 30 to 60 cm tall and has compound trifoliate, finely divided, threadlike blue-green leaves. Flowers are yellow and are borne in an umbel. Although the fruit is commonly call a 'seed' it is actually a dry half-fruit called a schizocarp. They are approximately 3 mm long, flat, ovate and dark brown.

Origin

Southeast Europe/Southwest Asia: Dill is a very important herb and is grown commercially in India, Pakistan, Egypt, Fiji, Mexico, the Netherlands, United States, England, Hungary, and Germany. This herb exists in two general types: the familiar garden dill (A. graveolens) (known as American or European dill) and Indian or Japanese dill (A. sowa). European dill is the most common type and is grown in temperate and subtropical countries around the world. There are a number of different varieties of A. graveolens, each with it's own fragrance or growth properties. Dill has been used as a medicinal and culinary herb for thousands of years and was cultivated in ancient Egypt, Palestine, Greece and Rome. An essential oil (0.8-1.6% fresh weight) can be produced from dill and contains carvone, limonene, anethofuran, "-phellandrene, and other terpenoids.

Uses of Dill and Claims

• Culinary:
  • Leaves are usually used fresh in soups, salads, seafood, poultry, eggs, stews, casseroles, vegetables, dressings, sauces, herb butters, sour cream, cream cheese, and dips.
  • Seed is usually used as a condiment, in pickles, vegetables, bread, pastries, soups, sauces, and gravies; the immature (called dillweed) or mature seed heads are also used whole in pickles.
• Medicinal: little used in western medicine but is sometimes used in folk medicine to cure tumors, treat bruises, colic, cough, hemorrhoids, insomnia, jaundice, scurvy, sores, and stomach problems; used by the Vietnamese to treat intestinal diseases; essential oil is considered by some to be a very effective vermicide against hookworms.
• Industrial: none

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Culture

• Propagation: Usually seeded commercially by drilling 25 to 50 cm apart with a grain drill depending if grown for herb or seed. Seed should be sown shallow, 3 - 5 mm deep, as light may enhance germination. Germination takes 7-14 days, scheduled planting can provide a season long supply.
• Soil Type: Dill is a cool season crop and is adaptable to many soils, but slightly acidic (pH 5.6-6.5) with good drainage is preferred. Dill needs full sun. Germination can be poor in droughted, sandy soils or on clays where crusting is a problem.
• Cultivation: Dill can also be grown in greenhouse for fresh herb sales. CAUTION: dill can be invasive if allowed to go to seed.
• Harvest: Dill herb is harvested before the development of flower buds and dill umbels for pickling are harvested while in flower.

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Sources

• Halva, S., L.E. Craker. 1996. Manual for Northern Herb Growers. HSMP Press.
• Keville, K. 1994. Herbs an Illustrated Encyclopedia. Friedman/Fairfax publishers.
• Kowalchik, C., W.H. Hylton Eds. 1998. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Rodale Press.
• Small, E. 1997. Culinary Herbs. National Research Council of Canada. Ottawa.

Thanks to

This demonstration garden was a result of the efforts of Dr. Alan McKeown, Vegetable Scientist, University of Guelph and was made possible with grants from the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the Tobacco Diversification Program.

 

The information on this page was originally written by Jan Schooley, former Ginseng and Medicinal Herbs Specialist.