AeroGarden Dill: How to Grow, Prune and Care This Classic Herb
Dill, often called dill weed, has a grassy flavor with a citrusy undertone. You can use dill in marinades, pickles, and yogurt-based sauces. Now, you can have access to fresh dill whenever you want, with an AeroGarden.
Dill is compact and doesn’t need a lot of space, making it a perfect choice to grow with an AeroGarden. All you need is a couple of weeks before you can harvest fresh dill and continue to do so for months.
When using an AeroGarden to grow dill, the only thing you need to worry about is that the herb’s water requirements are met. Besides that, dill is a relatively forgiving herb that grows rather easily to an impressive height of almost three feet. You can get pre-seeded pods for dill or make your own with a grow anything kit and store-bought seeds. Fill in the water and the nutrient solution and clock in the seed pods. In a couple of weeks, you will be able to prune fresh dill right from your countertop.
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How Long Until the First Dill Harvest?
You can start snipping fresh dill leaves as soon as they are about 8 inches tall, which with an AeroGarden should take roughly two to three weeks. However, since dill can sometimes grow too tall and busy for an indoor garden, you must trim the harvest-ready plant two times a week to keep the leaves under control.
How Long Does Dill Last?
You can harvest dill for anywhere between four months to six months when taken care of properly. Since the dill grows to be quite tall, I have been able to harvest fresh dill from my Aerogarden for the entirety of the growing season, which, if you include, the time taken for the herb to be ready for harvest is approximately seven months.
How to Prune AeroGarden Dill?
Pruning your AeroGarden dill is essential to promote healthy growth. Start by trimming the top 2 inches near the light using sanitized scissors. It’ important to never prune more than 1/3 of the dill plant so that there is no sudden shock to the plants system.
How do you Harvest dill without killing the plant?
You can start harvesting AeroGarden dill as soon as you see 4 to 5 leaves growing and continue to trim fresh leaves for at least four months. Since dill doesn’t have stiff stems, you can use kitchen scissors to trim the leaves at the top or cut the stem near the pod. Once you have cut the top leaves, adjust your lighting to the top of mature plants accordingly to promote the healthy growth of the plant.
Similarly, as I have mentioned earlier, please do not take off more than ⅓ of the plant, which can then cause it to wilt. Remember to water the fronds before you plan on harvesting. Another tip is to pinch or cut the plant flower before it blooms to prevent it from going to seed. According to Jill MacKenzie and Shirley Mah Kooyman of the University of Minnesota, “[You can] harvest green dill foliage anytime during the growing season until the umbrella-like flower clusters open.”
How to Preserve Dill?
Since dill tends to lose its flavor rather quickly after being trimmed, you can preserve it longer using the following methods.
Fresh Preserve
You can store fresh dill in the fridge for 10 to 14 days by wrapping the leaves in a moist paper towel and storing it in a plastic bag. Another method is to quickly rinse the dill and place it in an air-tight jar with a little bit of water so that the pruned stems are soaked in it. Then, place the pot in the fridge, replacing the water every two to three days. This method will allow the dill to remain fresh for up to three weeks.
Frozen Preserve
Rinse the dill leaves and then let them dry to get rid of any excess moisture. Afterward, place the dill in the freezer, in either freezer bags or air-tight containers.
Dry Preserve
You can use dill for up to a year in its dried form. Hang the leaf stems upside down for a couple of weeks till the leaves become crisp. Remove the leaves from the stem and ground them to your liking before storing them in an air-tight bottle.
What if Dill Gets Too Long?
Dill is a tall herb plant and tends to get too long if not trimmed or pruned regularly. If your dill plant seems too “wild,” cut the leaves from the top or remove entire stems accordingly. Also, remove any leaves that are going to seed when you plan to use dill in food.
Does Dill Grow Back after being Cut?
If you trim dill leaves regularly from the top or close to the pod label, they will continue to grow for four months or more. Just remember to trim and pinch any flowers before they bloom periodically. After flowering, the dill herb will die and require you to plant new seeds.
Even though the dill seeds will keep on maturing even after cutting the plant, the action will stop the herb leaves’ growth.
Which AeroGarden is the Best Choice for Growing Dill?
Another benefit of growing dill is that it doesn’t consume a lot of space. Thus all AeroGarden models would work well for its growth. However, I recommend smaller models like the AeroGarden Sprout, a 3-pod indoor garden, for under $100.
How to Transplant Dill from AeroGarden to the Soil?
If you wish to transplant your AeroGarden dill to soil to outside containers, you can follow these steps.
- Take the plant out of the seed pod and remove the grow basket by cutting it lengthwise using good-quality scissors. You can try to save the grow basket by wriggling the grow sponge out and using it later.
- Place the plant in a peat pot and pack it down with good-quality soil.
- Plant the peat pot in a garden bed or containers that receive at least six hours of sunlight. Make sure the hole is dug ½-inch deeper than the peat pot. Ensure the pot sits ¼ to ½ inch under the hole and fill it in with the remaining soil.
- Ensure the peat pot rim is buried under the soil so that the plant roots get enough moisture.
Does dill need Sun or Shade?
Dill thrives in sunny conditions. Therefore, if you are planting dill outside, do it where it receives full sun. This herb is quite forgiving and will keep growing and self-seeding if left on its own. However, it prefers well-drained soil with neutral to slightly acidic pH.
My final thoughts
I hope that this guide will answer all your questions about growing and harvesting AeroGarden dill. For any more queries, you can leave a comment.
