Dill is an herb that is commonly grown in home gardens. It has a wide variety of uses and can be used fresh or dried as well. It has been around since ancient times and it’s still popular today because of its versatility as well as its wonderful taste. The first thing to know about growing dill is how much sun dill needs.
How Much Sun Does Dill Need?
Dill is a shade-loving perennial, but it needs more sun than that. It will grow in partial shade, but the leaves won’t be as large or as flavorful. You’ll get the best results if you plant your dill in full sun. If you’re growing yours indoors, keep it on a windowsill that gets at least six hours of direct sunlight every day.
Does Dill Prefer Full Sun?
Dill is a plant that prefers full sun. In fact, dill always seems to grow best and be at its most productive in direct sunlight. However, it can withstand some shade—partial shade is usually fine for dill plants. Full shade will make your dill struggle and eventually die off, but unless you live in a really dense forest or something like that, partial shade shouldn’t be an issue for most gardeners.
Full sun is important for your dill all year long—but especially during the summer months and when you’re growing the plant outdoors in warmer climates where days are longer and temperatures are higher (especially if you have no way to control ambient temperature).
In contrast, winter isn’t nearly as crucial; in cooler climates, with shorter growing seasons you might find yourself needing less sunlight than usual during these months because of how much less energy your plants will expend (and therefore how less energy they’ll need).
This principle also applies to wetter areas where rainfall makes it hard for roots to grow deep enough into the soil without being exposed to rainwater runoff early on; since deeper roots tend toward better absorption of nutrients from soil particles this means that more leaves may end up dying off due to lack of nutrients even though overall growth has slowed down due to lack of sunlight exposure!
Can Dill Grow in Shade?
Dill grows best when it gets at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. To be more specific, you should plant dill in a location that receives at least three hours of direct sunlight every morning and three hours of direct sunlight every afternoon. However, if your garden doesn’t receive this much sun for most of the day, don’t worry about it too much. Dill does grow well in partial shade conditions.
In general, plants prefer to be planted in locations with lots of light because they need ample amounts of energy from the sun to perform photosynthesis and create food for themselves via their leaves and stems. If a plant cannot photosynthesize enough energy from its environment (because there isn’t enough light), then it will have problems growing properly and producing fruit or flowers
Where Does Dill Grow Best?
Dill is an herb that grows best in full sun, but it can tolerate partial shade. This hardy plant will grow in most soil types and makes a great addition to your garden. It’s typically grown from seed, so planting dill seeds at the right time of year is important for getting a good harvest.
If you plan on growing dill in your vegetable garden, it’s helpful to know which vegetables like to have dill nearby so they can benefit from its pest-repelling properties and beneficial nutrients. Here are some common companion plants for dill: tomatoes (which grow better with the help of this flavorful herb), carrots (helpful against carrot flies), cucumbers (good for repelling squash bugs), and cabbage family plants like broccoli (protects them from cabbage moths).
Can Dill Get Too Much Sun?
Although dill plants are fairly robust, they can get sunburned and leggy if they’re exposed to too much sunlight. This can happen when the plant has not had adequate time to send out runners and make a strong root system. You can avoid this by making sure your dill has enough space between plants or starts off in a pot where it will be protected.
Dill leaves that get too much sun will also become bitter, as well as develop unsightly yellow blotches on their leaves due to sun scalding. Botrytis is another fungal disease that attacks dill, but luckily it’s rare in warm climates like Florida’s—so if you grow your own herbs in your backyard garden or hydroponic window box farm (yes, those actually exist), then you probably don’t need to worry about this problem!
Signs Your Dills Aren’t Getting Enough Sunlight
If you suspect that your dill is not getting enough sun, look for the following visual signs:
- Leaves are yellowing
- Leaves are turning brown
- Leaves are dropping off
- Curled leaves or a puckered appearance on some of the leaves
When Is The Best Time To Plant Dills
Dills should be planted in the spring. It can be started indoors, but dill does best when direct-seeded in the garden.
If you want to start dill indoors, sow seeds in pots or trays that are at least 4 inches deep and 6 inches wide. Fill them with a moistened growing medium of peat moss, vermiculite, or milled sphagnum moss. Plant seedlings in individual pots at least 2 weeks before transplanting outdoors.
Sow dill seeds directly outdoors when the soil warms to about 50 degrees F (10 C). Soil temperature determines how long it takes for seeds to germinate; warm soil will speed up germination time.
Space rows 12 to 24 inches apart and plant seeds 1/2 inch deep with two seeds per inch of row spacing. Thin plants to one per inch of row spacing once they are established and 4 inches tall.
Conclusion
Dill is a popular herb for seasoning dishes, but it’s not a plant that everyone can grow. Dill does best in full sun, but if you don’t have a sunny location for your garden, you can still grow dill indoors. The key is to provide lots of light and warmth to your indoor herb garden so the plants will produce plenty of leaves.
