There is an opinion that dill grows like a weed and does not require special attention. However, any gardener involved in the cultivation of this crop knows that the germination and yield of a plant depends on a number of factors.
Duration of germination of dill in the open ground
In the open ground, dill is planted in early spring and before winter. To obtain early germination, seeds are sown in autumn in open ground without preliminary soaking, greatly deepening them into the ground. In this way, dill emerges in early spring, during the appearance of the first greenery on the site.
In spring planting, the similarity of dill in the open field depends on many factors. Weather conditions are able to shift the germination period depending on the outdoor temperature:
- when the air warms up only 4-6 degrees, dill emerges only 15-18 days after sowing;
- at a constant air temperature of 18-20 degrees, the plant rises by the 14th day after the correct planting.
Significantly affects the germination of the chemical composition of the soil on the site. It is believed that in soil with high acidity and a high content of essential oils, the term of germination of dill can increase by 5-7 days.
How many dill sprouts in the greenhouse?
Basically, dill is grown in large volumes in heated greenhouses. The timing of seed germination in a greenhouse depends on watering and temperature conditions. Dill in greenhouse conditions grows on 12-14 days after planting, but this indicator depends on the particular crop variety.
Early ripe varieties
These types of crops are able to sprout the very first and give a harvest 35 days after sowing. However, they are not recommended for planting in greenhouse conditions, because in comparison with late dill they give less foliage and begin to bloom actively after the formation of 6 leaves on the stem. Basically, early ripe varieties are used to obtain the first greens for salads and to collect umbrellas and stems for canning.
Common varieties:
- Aurora;
- Griboedovsky;
- Further.
Mid-season varieties
The dill stalk begins to form a week later than the early species, which allows the foliage to gain the necessary mass for a good yield. Mid-season dill varieties are considered optimal for growing in a greenhouse. They germinate 14-18 days after planting in sheltered soil under all conditions.
The main varieties:
Late ripening varieties
These dill varieties are ideal for growing in heated greenhouses year-round. Due to the close location of the internodes, they are called bush. Lush greenery, which emerges a bit later than early and medium grades, is ideal for storage and rich in vitamins.
Common varieties:
The germination time of dill at home on the windowsill
At home, the culture is grown for constant consumption of fresh herbs. Unlike natural conditions, home growing can affect the germination period and crop yield. If dill receives enough light, then at a room temperature of about 20 degrees and good soil moisture in the tank, it will rise in 10-13 days.
Due to the lack of the ability to grow leaves instead of cut for a constant crop, it is recommended to plant dill every 10-12 days in a container on the windowsill.
When growing indoors, it is important not so much the dill germination period, but the lush mass of greenery. Experts do not recommend choosing early ripe varieties of culture in order to achieve early seedlings. It is better to choose late-ripening species that hatch a few days later than their early counterparts, but provide rich foliage instead of long stems.
Factors affecting crop germination
Dill germination time varies depending on many reasons that must be considered when planting crops.
Landing time
This factor is relevant when sowing in open ground:
- You can start sowing dill early - April 5-10. In this case, the seeds are not soaked directly on the frozen ground. In the process of melting the remnants of snow, the planting material will gain the necessary moisture and hatch.
- The optimal time for spring planting is considered the end of April (20-25), when the ground warmed up enough.
- Winter sowing is carried out in October-November - this allows dill to spring in the spring 10-14 days earlier.
Soil condition
Despite the unpretentiousness of dill, the soil on which the planting of seeds is planned should be adapted for the normal growth of greenery. With high soil oxidation, there is a high probability of absolute inconsistency or a significant slowdown in the biting of planting material. The lack of moisture and dry soil will not allow seeds to swell and slow down the appearance of the first leaves on the bed.
Lighting
It is believed that for friendly seedlings and the full growth of dill, the daylight should be at least 15 hours. For this reason, for planting crops, select illuminated places in an open area of the garden and provide full lighting in the greenhouse and on the windowsill.
Seed quality
So that the expectation of germination does not become useless for sowing dill, you need to choose only high-quality planting material. For this, seeds collected in their garden, it is necessary to ensure decent storage until the very planting.
In order to avoid poor germination of dill, seeds should be purchased in specialized stores.
The quality of planting material is checked by this method: the seeds are lowered into water, good ones sink to the bottom, and unfit ones will remain floating on the surface.
Landing
There are a number of rules that must be followed when sowing dill into the ground. Deviation from planting standards significantly affects the timing and quality of crop germination.
Important points:
- Moisturize the soil before planting. In an open area, seeds planted in dry soil will sprout only after rain. In greenhouse or home conditions, they will not be able to accumulate a sufficient amount of moisture without initial watering.
- Sprouted seeds must not be thrown into grooves - This can lead to the repulsion and breakage of seedlings. Sprouted planting material is laid out neatly.
- It is forbidden to plant germinated seeds in dry soil - this will lead to the death of planting material.
- It is forbidden to plant seeds to a depth of more than 2-3 cm - This significantly postpones the germination period of dill.
- Do not overly thicken the sowing in the garden - optimally use 1 g of planting material per 1 square. m plot. Furrows are made at a distance of 4-5 cm from each other.
- When growing at home, planting seeds is best done directly on top of the soil, sprinkling evenly on top with a thin layer of soil.
- Thinning thickened shootsso that they do not interfere with neighbors, growing greenery.
How to accelerate the emergence of dill seedlings?
In order to accelerate the germination of dill and not harm the seeds and future lush harvest, it is worth following the proven recommendations of agronomists. Scientists have determined that elevated levels of essential oils, glucosides and alkaloids in the soil inhibit the growth of dill. There are several methods that increase germination and reduce the waiting time for the first leaves of the crop in the garden due to leaching of chemicals that prevent hatching:
- Before sowing, the seeds are thoroughly washed in warm water, and then soaked for a day in clean water, which is changed every 3-4 hours.
- Insist a solution of 2 tbsp. l wood ash and 1 liter of warm water for 48 hours. The liquid is carefully poured into another container, trying not to shake, so as not to shake the sediment, which is not needed when soaking. Seeds are placed in the solution without sediment, having previously hidden them in a tissue nodule. After 5 hours, planting material is dried and proceed to sowing.
- A gauze bag with seeds is dipped for 1-2 minutes in water with a temperature of 60 degrees. Then the nodule is transferred to a container of water at room temperature, changing the liquid every 8 hours. After drying, the seeds are planted in the ground.
- Wrapped in tissue seeds are dipped for 15 minutes in vodka, which during this time manages to dissolve the oil, but does not harm the sprouts. After soaking, the planting material is washed and planted in the prepared soil.
- The composition of biostimulants is diluted according to the instructions, which include the following chemical elements: copper, iron, boron, cobalt, zinc and magnesium. To achieve early germination, the Ribav-Extra and Kornevin preparations have proven themselves. Planting material is placed in the composition for 24 hours, unless otherwise specified on the product packaging.
Proper seed treatment allows you to achieve 100% germination already 4-6 days after sowing.
To accelerate dill seedlings, there is a norm of mineral fertilizers per 1 hectare of soil, which contributes to a good crop yield:
- 60-70 kg of potassium;
- 78-85 kg of nitrogen;
- 75-80 kg of phosphorus.
Based on these standards, before planting dill, the soil is fertilized with nitrogen for the growth of the plant's vegetative organs. Potassium is introduced for the qualitative assimilation of carbon dioxide by the plant. For good assimilation by the developing root system of phosphorus dill, appropriate phosphorus bait is introduced into the soil. Thanks to adequate nutrition, the crop will not only quickly appear in the garden, but will also produce abundant greens.
When planting in late autumn, dill seeds are deepened by 1-2 cm more than usual and covered with sawdust or fir branches to prevent freezing. In the spring, after the snow melts and the onset of sunny weather, the shelter is removed and the sun is allowed to warm the beds.
Observing the rules of planting and recommendations to accelerate the emergence of crops, you can achieve friendly and fast sprouts of dill in the open ground and in greenhouse conditions. Experienced gardeners are advised not to chase the timing of hatching greens, but to take care of the splendor and stability of the dill crop in the beds.