From the mouth of my four-year old granddaughter while exploring plants in Oma's Gardens, "it smells like pickles Oma!" Why yes it does and ranch dressing and spring! That is what dill smells like to me. What really makes it nice however, is how easy harvesting dill seed really is.
When to Harvest
The dill plants themselves take about 90 days to fully form seed heads and during this time you simply enjoy their beauty and their smell. Knowing when to harvest can be broken into the following items to look for:
- Smell - For a short period of time when the seed heads start to form they seem to me to have the strongest aroma. This does not last long as once dill starts to bloom it has begun its walk towards the completion of its life cycle. Why? Dill dies once the seed heads are fully formed.
- Appearance - The stems of the dill will start to dry out and turn yellow and brown. They become brittle and easy to break.
- Seeds - The seed heads will fully form, showing clearly their signature light and dark brown pattern, and they will also start to fall to the ground. If you want dill to return to your space, simple let some of them fall and they will be back again in your next season!
Fully formed Dill Seed Head How to Harvest
Clip the dill where the stem and seed head form a joint. Place them in a bag and give them a quick shake. The seeds should start to fall within the bag. You can pour them onto a paper plate (helps you to see them) and clean any dirt, stems or bugs (yes it's been outside it's a plant) off of them. Place your dill seed in a glass jar with a lid and set them aside for using as a spice in your food, canning for pickles or using for next season! Most of all... Enjoy!
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