What to do if dill grows poorly and why such a problem could arise

Dill is an unpretentious herb. However, without proper care, instead of a thick and green culture, thin blades of yellow or red color may grow, or plantings will not grow at all.

What causes this problem? Why dill does not rise and grows poorly? Detailed answers to these questions are in our article.

Reasons why dill grows poorly

Dill is an annual plant traditional for Russian flower beds. Every year, gardeners sow new seeds to keep fresh and aromatic grass on the table throughout the season.

But there are several reasons that negatively affect the growth of grassy crops:

• unsuitable soil;
• violation of the technique of planting seeds;
• improper watering;
• insufficient protection against disease and pests;
• improper plant care;
• uncomfortable conditions for growth.

Poor soil composition

Before planting seeds, the soil is prepared and fertilized using organic fertilizers. Per sq. m make 0.3 buckets and 1 tbsp. l. mineral mixture "Kemira universal". Furrows are watered with manure solution.

Reference. Dill grows poorly in soil with high acidity. However, gardeners do not recommend adding lime.

Landing errors

To avoid mistakes when planting seeds, follow these rules:

1. Per sq. m of well-moistened soil, 1 g of seeds are planted.
2. The seeds are planted carefully so as not to damage them. Planting in dry soil increases the risk of plant death.
3. Deep furrows are not made under the seeds. They are planted in the ground to a depth of no more than 2 cm. Otherwise, the emergence of seedlings is delayed.
4. In order for the dill to grow throughout the season, the seeds are planted in stages, different varieties are used. It is enough that 14 days pass between plantings.

Wrong watering regime

Plants are watered by drip 2-3 times a week with warm water. Cold water causes disease. In the heat, 5-7 waterings are carried out.

Severe waterlogging leads to root rot, loss of aroma. But dry soil also stops crop growth.

Diseases and pests

In case of untimely treatment, the plant dies. Therefore, it is so important to prevent the emergence of pests such as aphids, bedbugs, and stop the spread of diseases of the black leg, phomosis.

For this, preventive measures are used:

1. The land for sowing is prepared in advance. All weeds are removed and the soil is treated with antifungal agents.
2. Before planting, the seeds are disinfected. For 20 minutes they are dipped in a solution of potassium permanganate. Add 2 g of the preparation to 200 ml of water.
3. Plants are not poured so that the soil does not become waterlogged and waterlogged.
4. For full breathing of the roots, the soil is regularly loosened.

Lack of lighting

A dill bed is built in a lighted place. With a lack of light, the stems and leaves of the plant stretch out, become pale and turn yellow.

Seed problems

Seeds for planting dill are best purchased in specialized stores or harvested in advance.

Reference. If dill is spread by self-seeding, then it manages to germinate. But in this case, the plant loses its original varietal qualities.

For planting, use well-ripened seeds that were stored in a dark and dry place.

Dill varieties

There are three types of dill varieties: early, medium and late. They differ in the period of seedling formation.

Early varieties develop in 1-1.5 months. They have little greenery - on average six leaves, but they produce high-quality seed material. These varieties include Aurora.

Medium varieties grow in 1-1.5 weeks after early varieties. They have more greenery. Up to 10 leaves are formed on one bush. The best mid-season varieties are Alligator, Umbrella, Richelieu.

Late varieties germinate 2.5 months after germination, forming an average of 10 leaves. Salute belongs to the late varieties.

Why dill did not rise

One of the reasons why dill does not sprout is the essential oils that cover the seeds. To make the plant germinate faster, do the following:

1. The seeds wrapped in gauze are immersed in warm water (temperature 50-60 ° C) for two minutes.
2. Then the seeds are cooled in water at room temperature (20-25 ° C). Leave in this form for 48 hours.
3. The water is changed six times and the seeds are washed.
4. Dry on a soft cloth before sowing.

So the shoots sprout faster.

Means to stimulate the growth of dill

What if all the conditions for the care of the crop are met, but dill still grows poorly? In such a situation, additional means are used to stimulate its growth.

Top dressing

Organic and mineral dressings are used to stimulate the growth of dill.

Organic

Organic fertilizers are made from animal or vegetable products. They are well absorbed by the root system. Organic fertilizing is often applied before sowing seeds.

1. Manure - an excellent fertilizer for dill. Mullein contains nitrogen. Thanks to this substance, a green mass appears. Top dressing is used when 2-3 leaves are formed on the plant. For a day, 1 liter of manure is soaked in 10 liters of water. Dill is poured with a solution.
2. Ash. Gardeners use ash to feed plants. In the morning or evening hours, it is scattered around the beds, loosened and watered.

Mineral fertilizers

The composition of mineral dressings contains substances necessary for proper growth and development - phosphorus, nitrogen and potassium.

Mineral fertilizers are applied several times per season. Watering is done once and plants are sprayed 2-3 times. Water the dill after two weeks, as the sprouts appeared. Spray the culture after the active growth phase. The break is 14 days.

Ammonium nitrate. Top dressing with ammonium nitrate is carried out so that the dill bush, and not turn yellow. Contribute 8 g of substance per sq. m.

Elimination of agrotechnical errors

There are a number of traditional agricultural practices that can help growing dill:

1. The rules for planting a herbaceous culture (soil, planting site, soaking and disinfecting the soil) are observed.
2. Crop rotation: every year, dill beds are located in different places. Weeds are removed.
3. The plant is planted in early spring.
4. On dense plantings, remove excess bushes so that there is a distance of about 15 cm between them.
5. A different seed is planted each year, or a variety is replaced every three years.

Disease and pest control

With improper care, the plant begins to hurt, pests appear on it. In this case, gardeners use folk remedies or chemicals.

1. Powdery mildew. The plant appears white bloom, the culture withers, becomes tasteless and unfit for food. Ash is used to fight the disease. Half a glass of ash is poured with a liter of boiling water, insisted for two days. After that, filter and add 5 g of laundry soap in a mushy state. Plants are treated with the solution twice with a break a week. A broad spectrum chemical called Bayleton takes effect within three hours of treatment.
2. Blackleg... Rotting of the root collar occurs. The dill turns black, seedlings become weak and die. They fight the disease with folk methods: onion husks or an ash solution.Plants are sprayed or granules of the preparations "Baktofit" or "Trichodermin" are introduced into the soil.
3. Fomoz. With fomoz, black spots appear on dill. The disease is caused by a harmful fungus that produces several generations per season. Spores are spread by wind or rain. The affected areas of the plants are removed, the rest of the bushes are sprayed with Bordeaux liquid.
4. Aphid. Aphid colonies destroy plants. To prevent the appearance of pests, gardeners recommend planting chamomile next to it. She will scare away pests. When aphids appear, the plants are sprayed with tobacco infusion. 200 g of leaves are crushed and filled with 2 liters of water. The solution is insisted for 24 hours. Filter it and add 20 g of grated soap. Plants are treated in the morning and evening.
5. Bed bugs. They feed on plant sap and destroy the crop. Most often they sit on the tops of plants. They are removed by hand.
6. Cicadas. These are white butterflies, about 5 mm in size. They feed on plant sap. Brown spots appear on the dill, and the shoots dry up. They fight pests with garlic infusion: add 250 g of chopped garlic to 1 liter of water, leave for a week. Then the solution is diluted with water in a ratio of 1:50 and the culture is treated.

Tips from experienced summer residents

In order for dill to grow well and not be delayed in development, experienced gardeners advise:

1. Sow dill in open ground in spring, in April-May.
2. Use a watering can or a spray hose for irrigation.
3. When grown in a greenhouse, maintain the optimum temperature for the growth of dill at 13-17 ° C.
4. For accelerated ripening, the culture should be planted in seedlings. Seedlings are grown at home. Previously soaked seeds are planted in containers with soil. Add humus to it. The land is well watered. Next, cover with foil and leave in a warm place. After 1.5-2 weeks, sprouts appear, the film is removed. When five leaves have appeared on the culture, the seedlings are planted in open ground.

If you leave plants on seed, do not pull off the leaves from it so that the culture grows healthy and strong.

Conclusion

For the full growth and development of plants, dill seeds are disinfected before planting, soaked and planted in fertile soil in a sunny and well-ventilated place. Water it 2-3 times a week, and in the heat - every day.

Top dressing is applied 3-4 times per season. Before sowing, fertilize the soil well. Two weeks after the emergence of shoots, the soil is fed by the root method. The sprouts are irrigated only after the active growth phase. The irrigation interval is 14 days.