I have them volunteer by the hundreds in the garden. Perhaps they might do better that way.

Dill takes a while to germinate, and stays small for a while after that. It also likes cool weather. Next year, start the dill earlier. (But not too much earlier, because it bolts soon after maturing.)

If you keep the potting mix moist, I'll bet you'll get more plants germinating over the next few weeks.

I overwinter dill and it is great by March.

For what he has had to go through (growing up), I think he is doing as well as could be expected ;-)

(FarmerDILL ;-)

I had come to suspect it was a heat thing from my failures over the years too. But the idea of trying to overwinter some never occured. Doesn't it die from frost fairly easy? Any tips for trying the overwintering? I can grow fennel to beat the band but I can't get more than a few spindly, short dill either.

(Jon, I'm wondering if the man in question will be attracted to the thread title?)

LOL, John!

Well, that explains it. My Mom always grew dill in the summer, but we lived much further north back then....There's another one that has to be grown differently here.

Overwinter it, huh? I can certainly try that. Thanks, folks.

You know, dill always seems to be an issue. Even here in Michigan, my dill is always ready a month before the cucumbers. So, it makes pickling problematic.

I vowed to (but of course have NOT) pickle just a couple of quarts of dill heads and foliage in the dill pickle solution, so that when the time came, I could open the jars, reheat and use the brine, and pack the pickled herb into the pickle jars.

I think that you might have a lot more success growing dill if you actually "winter sow" the seeds sometime between November and January, and let them come up naturally in the early spring. Yes, it will be far, far ahead of the cucumbers, but that seems to happen anyway.

Good luck. It grows like a weed for me, but is NEVER ready when I need it!

Dennimi- that is about the most brilliant solution I've ever heard! My dill geeks in the winter and of course, cucumbers grow late spring, early fall.

First time growing dill. Direct seeded in mid June. Our weather has been crazy cool and wet. The dill is doing good...up healthy to about 8 inches. The cukes are basically just sitting there waiting for the sun.

denninmi...I also like your idea. After packing the jars, would you process them or just let them sit while you wait for the cukes?

You know folks here is a trick my Dear Dad used. Early dill was put in a bag in the freezer and was good to go at pickle time. IT keeps well, do not blanch, but put in fresh. I have some in the freezer right now.

Curt ;)

I sow dill seed in the fall and have tons of it come very early spring from what I've sown and self-seeding. By the end of May it starts going to seed.

If I actually got off my lazy behind and did it, I would process them the same way as the recipe called for -- regular pickles in a BWB, refrigerator pickles in the fridge. Depends on the recipe you intend to use.

Well, all this is said and at the community garden in the local park, the public planting area is ripe with dill!! We've had massive heat, but the children keep the garden watered and grow the dill in part-shade.
I just put up dill pickles today!

First couple years dill was scarce after planting some seed but now I have to pull it up by the bushels full as it is taking over- so don't worry... you WILL have dill... & may regret it at times! Was funny when a City-bred & raised neighbor came over & I showed her some dill & she said 'it smells just like pickles!' 'Yes, I said (holding back a giggle!), that is why they are called 'dill' pickles!!

I can't have potato salad until the dill comes up in the Spring... the only way back home (Iowa) the farm women made potato salad!