Description : |
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Dill is an annual plant that reaches 2–4 feet tall with blue-green feathery leaves. The small yellow flowers are arranged in clusters called umbels.
Dill likes to be planted in cool weather. In warm winter areas that don't experience a hard frost, you can plant dill in fall or winter. In cooler areas, plant dill a week or two before your last hard frost. After the first sowing, plant again every 10 days or so for a continuous crop. |
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| When growing in containers, use a deep container to accommodate the long roots, and remember that you will eventually have a plant that is three feet tall. Plants grown in containers may require staking. |
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Medicinal Uses : |
| Dill has a very long history of herbal use going back more than 2,000 years. The seeds are a common and very effective household remedy for a wide range of digestive problems. An infusion is especially efficacious in treating gripe in babies and flatulence in young children. |
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| The seed is aromatic, carminative, mildly diuretic, galactogogue, stimulant and stomachic. It is also used in the form of an extracted essential oil. Used either in an infusion, or by eating the seed whole, the essential oil in the seed relieves intestinal spasms and griping, helping to settle colic. Chewing the seed improves bad breath. Dill is also a useful addition to cough, cold and flu remedies; it can be used with antispasmodics such as Viburnum opulus to relieve period pains. Dill will also help to increase the flow of milk in nursing mothers and will then be taken by the baby in the milk to help prevent colic. |
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Culinary Uses : |
| The taste of dill leaves resembles that of caraway, while the seeds are pungent and aromatic. Freshly cut, chopped leaves enhance the flavor of dips, herb butter, soups, salads, fish dishes, and salads. The seeds are used in pickling and can also improve the taste of roasts, stews and vegetables. Try grinding the seeds to use as a salt substitute. Both the flowering heads and seeds are used in flavored vinegars and oils. |
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Other Uses : |
| To brew a stomach-soothing tea, use two teaspoons of mashed seeds per cup of boiling water. Steep for ten minutes. Drink up to three cups a day. In a tincture, take 1/2 to 1 teaspoon up to three times a day. To treat colic or gas in children under two, give small amounts of a weak tea. Many herbalists recommend combining dill and fennel to ease colic in infants. |
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The seed contains up to 4% essential oils. It is used in perfuming soaps, medicines and as a food flavoring. |
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Some compounds of dill (d-carvone is mentioned as one of them), when added to insecticides, have greatly increased the effectiveness of the insecticides. |
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Cultivation : |
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