Growing

Giant Dill Heads Going to Seed

by

The last rain storms that we had roll through here bent over the very tall dill plants so far that they don’t want to straighten up.

The seed heads that are still in flower have re-aligned themselves with the sun and are growing upright now, even though the thick main stems are bowed over.

Looking down on the dill weed from above you can see the plants are bowed to the ground.
Looking down on the dill weed from above you can see the plants are bowed to the ground.

There’s still plenty of time to make the dill pickles!

The seeds that drop now may have time to sprout before the days get too short. Keep a lookout for baby dill plants that could be harvested before the weather gets freezing cold.

After the weather freezes we’ll have to rely on dill weed or dill seed in the cupboard as it won’t overwinter, even if protected from freezing temperatures.

Caterpillars Attack Dill Weed

by

Dill weed plants on one side of the garden appear to have been mowed down overnight. Well, not exactly mowed to the ground, but these herbs quickly became half as tall.

The culprits were caught in the act —

Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Eats Dill Weed
Black Swallowtail Caterpillar Eats Dill Weed

I was worried that the plants wouldn’t recover, but once the offending critters were removed the plants were able to keep on growing. They aren’t as tall as the rest of the dill in the garden, perhaps just 2 feet tall, but they matured just the same and are now producing flowers.

The moral of this story is to be ever vigilant in your garden.

Never give up on your green friends. They may just surprise you like the dill herb did in this case. Happy ending! 🙂