There’s nothing better than growing your own fresh ingredients from home, especially when it comes to herbs and spices. How to prune dill is easy.
Found in recipes from across the world, dill is a tasty herb that is loaded with flavour and easy to grow, making it an obvious addition to any home garden.
However, this does not mean that growing dill does not come with its setbacks, as the plant needs a certain level of care to grow and thrive.
For example, if you want to maintain the height and structure of your dill plant, then you will need to prune it regularly. So if you want to know how you can prune your dill without any issues, then you have come to the right place.
In the following article, we are going to teach you how to prune your dill, while also explaining the different kinds of dill available and how you can harvest each one.
We have also gathered some important information about how you can grow your own dill from the comfort of your home. So if you want to learn more about this amazing herb, here’s everything you need to get started…
Different Types of Dill
When it comes to planting your herb garden, there are several different types of dill that you can choose from, with each one offering its own distinctive properties. So to aid you in your decision, we have outlined some of the most common varieties of dill in the following sections:
Bouquet Dill
Considered to be the most common dill grown by home gardeners, bouquet dill can often be identified by its fragrant leaves, which are commonly used for cooking and picking purposes.
Mammoth Dill
Otherwise known as long island dill, this variety of dill is very large and is capable of growing to heights of 5 feet.
However, this particular herb will only thrive in outdoor conditions, as it requires a vast amount of sunlight to grow. In terms of its uses, mammoth dill is commonly used for pickling, although it also features in a host of other recipes.
Fernleaf Dill
This variety of dill is considered a dwarf species, with the plant only reaching heights of 18-inches when fully grown. For this reason, fernleaf dill can be planted in outdoor containers or grown inside the home, with the herb commonly being used in decorations and flower arrangements.
Dukat Dill
Dukat dill is yet another species of dwarf dill, which means it can be grown indoors or in garden containers.
However, this dill sets itself apart from the other varieties we have mentioned with its vibrant colour and lush foliage. For this reason, dukat dill can commonly be found in refreshing salads and creamy slaws.
Vierling Dill
If you want to grow dill throughout the year, then vierling dill takes a long time to bolt and is capable of thriving in warmer conditions.
How To Prune Dill
When it comes to planting dill, it is possible to let the herb grow wild and take small cuttings for cooking before letting it complete its natural lifecycle.
Because dill is considered easy to grow, the herb will continue to propagate each year without your intervention, although pruning can also have a beneficial impact on the plant.
In terms of growth, dill is capable of reaching heights of 3-4 feet, with mammoth dill even reaching 5-6 feet when fully grown. For this reason, you may find it difficult to grow the herb in your home garden, as it could become difficult to control.
This is why pruning is so important, as it can help encourage your dill in a more workable and bushy formation.
Beyond this, different types of dill can flower sooner than others, which means you will have to prune the blooms if you wish to continue growing your dill throughout the year.
This is because once dill begins to seed it will die, which means you will have to replace the herb with a new plant. By pruning the flowers before they open, you can halt this process and avoid the risk of cross-pollination with other plants.
Fortunately, the process of pruning your dill is relatively simple, regardless of whether you are pruning the herb to make it busy or prevent flowering.
However, if you are regularly harvesting your dill, then you won’t have to prune the herb. While it is possible to use your fingers during the pruning process, you can also use garden shears or even a pair of scissors.
While it is common to prune any unruly part of the plant, we recommend pruning at the branch, especially when it comes to deflowering the herb.
In most cases, your dill plant will begin to bloom in the joints of the branches, which means you should prune it just above where the flower will sprout.
After you have finished pruning your dill, you should not throw away any of the cuttings, as these can still be used for a range of different uses. For example, dill can easily be added to salads and dressings, with the herb lasting in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
What Can Dill Be Used For?
While dill can be used for a variety of different recipes, the herb is probably most associated with dill pickles, as the plant can be used to infuse the vinegar with its distinctive tang.
For this reason, pickles are the best way to utilize your dill after it has been harvested, as there are countless pickling methods attributed to the herb.
So you may want to experiment with the different uses of dill after your plant has yielded a bountiful harvest.
Most picking recipes will often use fresh dill to achieve the best results, while others will use the flower of the dill to create a distinctive flavour. In most cases, you will need to pickle the flowers while they are still buds, as this is known to produce a more powerful tartness.
However, this does not mean that you should feel limited, as even yellow blooms or brown seeds can be pickled, just try each one out and see what you prefer.
Beyond pickles, dill can also be featured in countless recipes from buttermilk salad dressing to salmon taurines. So if you have an abundance of dill growing in your garden, one look online will yield plenty of recipes for the herb.