How to Germinate Dill

Dill is the common name for Anethum graveolens, a perennial species of flowering plant grown around the world as a culinary herb. The small, brownish seeds and feathery foliage are both used in cooking for their distinctive flavor, which is subtly sweet and reminiscent of the spice caraway. Dill grows easily from seed and will quickly achieve a mature height of three to five feet, but it is best to germinate the seeds indoors in late winter three to five weeks before the last frost so the seedlings are large and well-established by planting-out time.

Loam
Compost
Medium-grit sand
5-inch-deep nursery pots
Spray bottle
Propagation mat

Instructions

- 1
  Combine equal measures loam, compost and medium-grit sand to create a suitable soil mixture for germinating dill seed. Use fresh, sterile components in your soil mixture to avoid passing on viruses or fungal infections to the dill seedlings.
- 2
  Fill 5-inch-deep nursery pots with the soil mixture. Rough-up the surface of the soil mixture in each pot using your fingernails.
- 3
  Place two dill seeds in each pot. Press the seeds firmly onto the surface of the soil without covering or burying them since they require light to germinate.
- 4
  Spritz the soil in each pot five or six times with a water-filled spray bottle. Water the dill seeds whenever the soil surface feels barely moist. Do not let the soil dry out completely.
- 5
  Place the pots on a propagation mat near a large window. Set the temperature on the propagation mat to 68 F. Turn off the propagation mat at night.
- 6
  Watch for germination 15 to 20 days after sowing the dill seeds. Pluck out and discard the weaker of the two dill seedlings from each pot.
- 7
  Transplant the dill seedlings into a permanent bed just after the last spring frost. Choose a sunny bed with moderate drainage and avoid shaded areas.

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