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Dill weed growing


Growing dill in home gardens

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A quick guide to dill

Dill, Anethum graveolens, is a tender annual in the carrot family (Apiaceae). It is native to Asia Minor and the Mediterranean region. The tall, leggy plant is popular for pickling, but you may also use the foliage and seeds in soups, salads, breads, party dips and fish dishes. In cut flower arrangements, floral designers value dill as a feathery green filler.

Soil pH and fertility

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Planting

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Harvesting

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Jill MacKenzie and Shirley Mah Kooyman

Reviewed in 2018

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How to Plant and Grow Dill

Anethum graveolens

The smell of dill takes me straight to my happy place: Mediterranean-style meals, warm spring days, and soft feathery plants.

Life doesn’t get much better than that does it?

Luckily, those of us who love this aromatic herb don’t have to rely on the market for a fresh supply, as we can easily grow our own.

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I’ll take you through every step in the process of growing this wonderfully ornamental and tasty plant.

And so you know what lies ahead, here’s what I’ll cover:

What You’ll Learn

Cultivation and History

If dill makes you think of tasty Mediterranean dishes like it does for me, there’s a reason for that.

While its exact origin is not entirely certain, this herb is likely native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia – places where it is widely used in the local cuisine.

These days, it easily naturalizes in other locations with Mediterranean-type climates, such as California.

But it also escapes cultivation and grows like a weed in places with decidedly non-Mediterranean climates, such as the northeastern US.

Growing to a mature height of 3-4 feet tall on average, this annual plant has branching, hollow stems graced with soft, fern-like leaves.

These feathery leaves are a cool toned, bluish-green hue.

This herb holds its tiny yellow flowers up in a flattened cluster called an umbel, which is about six inches wide.

Although dill looks a lot like fennel, these two aromatic plants are in the same family, but are not as closely related as you might think.

In addition to fennel, dill has many other tasty and fragrant relatives, including caraway, parsley, anise, and cilantro.

These herbs and spices are all members of the Umbellifer (Apiaceae) family, so called because of their umbrella-shaped flower heads.

Dill’s genus name Anethum comes from the Greek word for this plant, which means “strong smelling.”

The English name refers not to its smell, but to its medicinal use.

The word “dill” is thought to have Norse origins, coming from a word that meant to lull or to soothe, referring to its reputation as a stomach soother.

But dill goes back even further in time than the Vikings, having been used as food and medicine for thousands of years.

The name anethum is mentioned in the Bible, and it was used as a flavoring in ancient Egypt, tracing its culinary use at least as far back as 5,000 years ago.

Like its cousin cilantro, both the foliage and the seeds of this plant are used culinarily.

The leaves are used as an herb referred to as dill weed, distinguishing it from its dried fruits, which you’ll find on spice racks labeled as dill seed.

Essential oils are extracted from both the seeds and the leaves, and are used by herbalists for medicinal purposes.

Remember the soothing origins of the English word for this plant?

Its medicinal use has been widespread, to treat gastrointestinal issues in Asian, European, and Native American traditional medicine, and the medicinal properties of various parts of this plant are still being studied today.

Modern research backs up its traditional use as a carminative, to reduce or prevent flatulence.

The essential oil from this herb has antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, and it is even used to help preserve food in industrial food manufacturing.

In addition to culinary and medicinal uses, this plant also has a well-deserved place in ornamental gardens.

Its feathery foliage provides a soft backdrop for garden plants with contrasting textures, and its bright yellow flower heads add a wispy layer of color – both of which are useful in designing one’s own charming little cottage garden.

Propagation

With all those wonderful uses, you’re probably ready to start your own patch of homegrown dill!

There are a couple of things you should know before you get started.

The first is that it is a cool season herb that is hardy to 25°F, and can be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 2-11.

That means it is accessible to most of us North American gardeners, but is best grown in springtime – whenever spring happens to occur in your area!

You can sow seeds as soon as you can work your soil in the spring, provided temperatures don’t fall below 25°F.

The other thing you need to know before you plant this herb in your garden is that although it is an annual, it has a tendency to self-sow.

When seeds from mature plants fall on your garden soil, they are happy to grow into full sized plants next year without any help from you.

So if you plant this herb once, you may not need to plant it again.

This is even the case in my garden in northeast Utah where plants have to contend with extremely dry conditions, harsh wind, sub-zero winter temperatures, and short summers.

Since starting seeds a few years ago, I find volunteer dill plants scattered throughout my garden every year.

I consider this a boon instead of a problem since dill is one of my favorite herbs, and it seems I never have too much.

However, if free dill in future growing seasons doesn’t sound like something you want, I’ll make some recommendations on how to prevent these weedy volunteers a little later.

From Seed

The best way to plant this herb in your garden is to grow it from seed instead of setting out transplants.

This is because it has a long, sensitive taproot, joining a few other garden staples, like carrots and beets, that do not appreciate transplanting.

When dill is transplanted, it tends to immediately bolt –  that is, if it doesn’t simply die. So do yourself a favor and go the best route by planting this herb from seed.

When you’re ready to sow your seeds, here’s how to do it:

Just so you know, germination can take 10-14 days, or sometimes longer.

When the seedlings are a few inches tall, thin out the weaker ones so that there is one plant spaced every 4 inches.

And don’t forget to eat the thinned seedlings!

If you live in a dry climate like I do, growing your dill plants 4 inches apart will work great.

However, if you live in a more humid climate, leave 6 inches between each plant instead.

Providing plants with a little extra room will allow for better air circulation and help prevent disease, while still allowing you to maximize your harvest.

And despite its reputation, this herb is not an aggressive grower, so make sure to remove any weeds around your young seedlings.

How to Grow

Dill is pretty low maintenance as far as herbs go. It gives and gives, and it really doesn’t ask for too much in return.

But if you want it to give you all it’s got, do it a favor and provide it with the best possible growing conditions.

Sun

This herb grows best in a full sun location, with 6-8 hours of sunlight per day.

You can still grow dill if you’re working with part shade, but its stems will not be as sturdy, so you may need to stake it.

Another situation where staking can be helpful is if your area is prone to high winds.

In my garden, we frequently receive strong afternoon winds, and so far my dill plants – grown in full sun – have managed to remain upright without staking.

I think since they are trained from a young age to withstand these winds, they develop stronger stems as a result.

So consider your growing conditions and decide whether staking is prudent for your situation or not.

Soil

This herb’s main requirement is well-draining soil, with a slightly acidic pH of 5.6-6.5.

If you are starting with clay soil, work some compost into it, or consider growing in a raised bed or in containers.

Apart from requiring good drainage, dill is not very picky and can grow in poor soils, which is why it has such an easy time establishing itself without help from the gardener.

If you aren’t sure what type of soil you have, consider conducting a soil test through your local extension office to find out.

Water

Once established, this herb is fairly drought tolerant. Just make sure established plants receive about an inch of water per week.

And when watering, try to water at the soil level with a watering wand or drip irrigation lines.

Overhead watering, such as with sprinklers, can put your herb at a higher risk of infection since many fungal diseases thrive in wet conditions.

Fertilizer

As mentioned above, this herb will happily make itself at home in poor soil.

However, working an organic fertilizer such as well-composted manure or vermicompost into your soil will give you greater yields of both foliage and seeds – as well as more fragrant, tastier dill, thanks to an increase in essential oil content.

In my garden, I work well-composted sheep manure into my rows before sowing seeds. If you have a supply of comfrey in your garden, you can also fertilize with comfrey tea.

If neither of those options are available to you, you can feed your crop lightly with an all-purpose organic fertilizer.

Dr. Earth Home Grown Organic and Natural Tomato Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer

I recommend Dr. Earth Home Grown Organic and Natural Tomato, Vegetable and Herb Fertilizer, available at Nature Hills Nursery.

Growing Tips

This herb is pretty easy to grow – any plant that can self-seed so easily must be fairly flexible by nature.

But to help ensure a successful dill crop, here are a few more tips:

I mentioned earlier that dill self-seeds from one year to the next quite easily.

If you want to let this herb perpetuate itself, but not wherever it wants to, try sowing it into a dedicated bed and remove any seedlings that pop up elsewhere in your garden.

On the other hand, if you want to prevent self-seeding altogether, cut back flower heads while they are still yellow, to prevent mature seed from forming and potentially escaping into your garden.

These flower heads are extremely fragrant and can be used in cooking or in flower arrangements.

Cultivars to Select

Remember, this plant offers a variety of different uses – you can grow it for the foliage, for its seeds, or just for garden beautification.

Some cultivars are best suited to particular uses.

Some are slower to bolt, meaning you get a longer harvest of leaves. Others go to seed earlier, providing you with seed heads for cucumber pickling at an earlier date. And there are height variations as well.

Think about your preferred uses for this herb and choose your cultivars accordingly. Here are a few options:

Bouquet

‘Bouquet’ flowers early and produces an abundance of seeds. This is a great choice if you want a lot of fresh cut flowers or seeds to use in the kitchen.

This cultivar can grow to 24-36 inches tall at maturity and has a 4- to 8-inch spread.

‘Bouquet’

‘Bouquet’ is ready to harvest in 40-60 days.

Organic ‘Bouquet’ seeds are available for purchase in an assortment of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.

Elephant

‘Elephant’ is a late-flowering variety, which means you’ll have delicious fresh dill weed throughout more of the growing season.

This cultivar reaches 30-48 inches in height, and has a 16- to 24-inch spread.

‘Elephant’

‘Elephant’ comes to maturity in 60-90 days.

‘Elephant’ seeds are available in a variety of packet sizes at Eden Brothers.

Hera

‘Hera’ is considered a bunching dill, producing lots of fragrant foliage. It is slower to bolt than many varieties.

This cultivar is also on the smaller side, reaching 18-24 inches in height with a spread of 8-12 inches.

‘Hera’

‘Hera’ reaches maturity in 40-60 days.

Organic ‘Hera’ seeds are available for purchase in packs of 400 seeds from Burpee.

Want more options? Get even more of our favorite cultivar suggestions here.

Managing Pests and Disease

Luckily for lovers of this herb, dill tends to attract more friends than foes in the garden.

Deer don’t care for it, and most of the insects that are attracted to it are interested in feeding on the nectar from its flowers, not munching on its leaves.

However, this herb is prone to the same diseases and pests as its close relative caraway – you can learn more about these in our in-depth article on caraway diseases and pests.

There are a few insects you’ll want to look out for as well.

Insects

Generally, dill is more attractive to beneficial insects such as pollinators than problematic ones, making it a good companion to have in the garden.

Since some insects can spread disease, make sure you inspect your plants for the following unwanted pests:

Aphids

Aphids sometimes colonize this herb, and if they do, they can transmit viruses.

Your first defense in keeping an aphid problem in check is to inspect plants regularly.

Aphids on dill plant.

If you spot aphids on the foliage, wash them off with a strong jet of water from the hose to remove them.

To prevent aphids from setting up camp in your dill patch, work on attracting beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps, green lacewings, hoverflies, and ladybugs, all of which will prey on aphids and help keep populations in check.

Luckily, this herb attracts all of these beneficial insects.

But you’ll want them around before your dill blooms, so make sure you have other pollinator-friendly plants around to provide them with food and shelter throughout the gardening season.

Another way to prevent aphid problems is to use companion plants to repel them.

There are many research studies showing that alliums such as garlic and onions are effective at repelling various types of aphids to protect a wide variety of main crops – ranging from cereal crops in China to tomato crops in Zambia.

If aphids are a concern, try growing alliums with your dill.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

This herb is a host plant for black swallowtail caterpillars – which turn into black swallowtail butterflies.

Although it will nibble on your dill, many gardeners do not consider this caterpillar to be a pest.

Black swallowtail caterpillar

The caterpillar form has a few different stages – so before you squish any caterpillars you find on this plant, make sure you identify it properly.

Black swallowtails are also attracted to other members of the carrot family. The adult butterflies lay eggs on these plants, and when the eggs hatch, the caterpillars use them as food.

Most gardeners are willing to sacrifice a little dill to these guys if they show up, in exchange for the chance to view them flitting around in their beautiful mature form.

Black swallowtail butterfly and flowering dill

However, if needed, the caterpillars can be relocated. A stand of Queen Anne’s lace, another member of the carrot family, would be a good alternative, providing them appropriate food and shelter.

Root-Knot Nematodes

Root-knot nematodes – not to be confused with beneficial nematodes – also affect carrots, kale, and many other broadleaf plants you may be growing in your garden.

Above-ground signs of these pests can be difficult to recognize – plants may appear stunted, or may wilt for no apparent reason.

Pulling up the plant will reveal knots on the roots, thus the name of this pest.

To manage an existing problem, try solarizing your soil to kill the pests, or giving the problem area a break from veggie growing and instead grow a cover crop of marigolds in the infested area.

You can learn more about dill pests and how to treat them in our dedicated article – coming soon!

Disease

In keeping with its easygoing nature, this herb isn’t particularly prone to disease.

Most diseases can be prevented by making sure you don’t grow these plants in overly wet or humid conditions. Don’t overwater, provide well-drained soil, and allow adequate spacing between plants to encourage airflow.

Dill affected by powdery mildew

Generally, gardeners in humid climates are more likely to have problems with disease than those in arid climates.

Here are some of the diseases that can affect this plant:

To learn more about managing diseases in dill plants, make sure to consult our article on this topic – coming soon!

Harvesting

Hopefully, your dill-growing adventure will take you straight to harvest time with no pest or disease issues. This is usually the case.

When your plants reach maturity, you will have the choice of harvesting either the foliage or the seeds from this aromatic plant – or both!

Dill Weed

Your dill weed harvest can begin as soon as your seedlings are a few inches tall.

Harvesting leaves will encourage the plants to grow bushier and will help to delay flowering – this is important if you’re more interested in leaves than seeds.

Young leaves contain the most aromatic oils and are therefore the tastiest. So don’t wait for them to get bigger, go ahead and harvest the leaves regularly as it grows.

To harvest the leaves, simply pinch the stems off with your fingers – or use a pair of garden scissors.

Just make sure not to defoliate the plant – take no more than 1/4 to 1/3 of the leaves from each plant at harvest time.

This herb needs to keep some of its leaves so that it will be able to photosynthesize and continue to grow.

And keep in mind that leaves taste best when they are freshly picked.

So, during the growing season, harvest your herb just before you’re going to use it rather than picking lots at once and storing it in the fridge.

Another good time to harvest is right after flower buds form – that’s when new leaves will be the most aromatic.

At this point you can also cut the flower heads back to encourage your plant to keep producing foliage.

Or, you can let your plant go to seed, in which case it will direct its energy away from foliage production to seed production.

Dill Seeds

If you want to expand your homegrown spice collection, planting dill is an easy way to get started.

Let your plants flower and go to seed, but keep your eye on the flower heads as the seeds develop – when they turn tan colored, it’s time for action.

Cut off the umbel and place it in a paper bag.

As they dry, the seed heads will shatter and drop their seeds. By collecting them in a paper bag, you can maximize the number of seeds collected. If you allow them to dry on the plant, the seeds will drop off and fall onto your garden soil.

Set the paper bag aside in a warm, well-ventilated spot to let the seed head continue drying out.

Alternatively, you can also spread seed heads on a window screen to let them finish drying.

To test if your seeds are dry, try pressing your fingernail into a few of them. If the seeds bend, they are not ready yet. If they break or shatter, that is a sign that they are nice and dry.

When seeds are thoroughly dry, store them in a small spice jar and place it – with pride – on your spice rack.

And you may want to package some to add to your seed collection for sowing next year too!

Preserving

Don’t wash the herbs until you are ready to use them.

You can store fresh leaves in the fridge. Place them in a plastic bag at 32-41°F and you can expect your harvest to keep for 1-3 weeks.

Like basil, dill is at its best when fresh. However, if you want to preserve some for later, drying and freezing are great ways to create a stash for yourself for the cold months when your garden is at rest.

My preferred way to preserve this herb is to mince it, place it in a small ramekin, cover with oil, put the lid on the ramekin, and then store it in the freezer.

I find that dill preserved in this way is nearly as good as when it is enjoyed fresh from the garden – and what a nice surprise it makes when I’m digging through the freezer looking for meal ideas. It can be used in a similar way to pesto, if you want to add some minced garlic and chopped toasted nuts.

You can read more about freezing fresh herbs here.

To dehydrate this herb, wash it first , and use a paper towel to pat the foliage dry. If you have a dehydrator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for drying herbs.

You can also dry this herb at room temperature or in the oven. Store the dried herb in a cool, dry location in a jar with a lid.

Learn more about drying and storing herbs in our full guide.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

Although pickles may be the first thing that comes to mind when you start mulling over your options, why not return to its Mediterranean origins for the most enticing cooking ideas?

Dill is one of the star ingredients in the traditional Greek cucumber and yogurt dish, tzatziki. You can find the recipe for a deliciously creamy tzatziki over at our sister site, Foodal.

Photo by Lorna Kring.

And to go with your tzatziki, how about pan-fried potatoes sprinkled with dill and minced garlic? That’s another dish that will have you feeling as though you are steps away from turquoise Mediterranean waters.

Or if your culinary daydreams take a wintery turn, you might consider sprinkling it on top of a warming bowl of borscht.

But don’t just stick to the tried and true – this herb is also a welcome ingredient with unexpected pairings.

Fresh dill brightens up the earthier ingredients in this scrumptious recipe on our sister site Foodal for brussels sprouts with bacon and fennel seed.

You can also try using this herb to make a chicken soup feel light and fresh.

And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this conversation back around to our beloved pickles.

Photo by Fanny Slater.

Have you ever made fermented dill pickles from scratch? If not, now’s the time to give it a try. You’ll find a recipe for lacto-fermented garlic dill pickles also on Foodal.

If that sounds great, but a bit too complicated for you at your current energy level, why not enjoy it as a simple herbal tea?

Just boil some hot water, place some fresh dill leaf or a flower head in your mug, and you’ll have your own homemade tummy-soothing infusion to enjoy.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:Annual, self-sowingWater Needs:Moderate
Native to:Mediterranean, western AsiaMaintenance:Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):2-11Soil Type:Average to poor
Season:Summer-fallSoil pH:5.6-6.5
Exposure:Full sunSoil Drainage:Well-draining
Time to Maturity:40-90 daysCompanion Planting:Garlic, onions, leeks, soybeans
Spacing:4-6 inchesAvoid Planting With:Carrots, fennel, caraway, cumin
Planting Depth:1/8 inch, surfaceAttracts:Bees, parasitic wasps, green lacewings, hoverflies, ladybugs, black swallowtail butterflies
Height:8-48 inchesFamily:Apiaceae
Spread:4-24 inchesGenus:Anethum
Tolerance:Light frostSpecies::graveolens
Common Pests:Aphids, armyworms, chalcid flies, cutworms, root knot nematodesCommon Disease:Carrot motley dwarf, carrot redleaf virus, carrot mottle virus, cercospora leaf blight, damping off, downy mildew, powdery mildew, root rot

A Soothing Seasoning

Well, gardener, now that you have completed your education in all things dill, you could probably use a mug of that soothing and refreshing dill tea right about now. I know I’m ready for one!

Do you have any of your own dill-growing tips or recipes to share? If so, please let us know in the comments below!

And for more information about growing your own herbs and spices, check out some of dill’s fragrant relatives next:

Photos by Lorna Kring and Fanny Slater © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Product photos via Burpee, Eden Brothers, and Nature Hills Nursery. Uncredited photos: Shutterstock.

How a poisonous plant similar to dill can cause trouble

Six people have already suffered from hogweed in Volhynia this year. And earlier it was thought that this plant would boost agriculture...

Anyone who has heard of such an insidious plant as hogweed, resembling a giant dill when flowering, bypasses it by the tenth road. And those who have not heard can be seriously affected by it, since hogweed juice deprives the skin of protection from ultraviolet radiation, which leads to very severe sunburns. Unfortunately, such a misfortune happened to the editor-in-chief of Ukrinform, Viktor Zhovanik, who helped his parents uproot weeds in the Sumy region and came across a hogweed. Ignoring slight redness on the body, our colleague went to work for another week, and after spending the weekend under the sun, he got a very severe skin lesion. Now he is undergoing treatment in one of the Kyiv hospitals, and the whole team wishes him a speedy recovery, but since it happened, Ukrinform decided to find out more about the insidiousness of this plant and whether it can be eradicated, because people in Ukraine have been stumbling upon it for many years . nine0003

The story of one burn: at least a week in the hospital, half a year - for skin renewal

Hogweed grows up to three meters high, it has large leaves resembling dissected burdock, and flowers are in the shape of an umbrella. The plant produces a brown sap that is poisonous to humans. Victor says that although after a while he felt how the skin on his hands was burning, he considered that it was from nettles or ants. “After a week, everything started to heal, but on the weekend I went on a picnic with my family, and in the evening of the same day both hands were swollen, the skin was hot and throbbing, blisters the size of grapes formed. The emergency room said that the burns are very serious, so you need to be treated only in the hospital, ”says our colleague. And it's a complex process. nine0003 This is what hogweed burns look like after exposure to the sun

First, the blisters caused by the burn are cut so that no liquid accumulates there, and the skin is treated and tightly bandaged. Then - dressings, ointments, droppers, tablets. “I was diagnosed with allergic contact dermatitis, that is, inflammation of the skin, and you need to carefully follow all the recommendations of doctors, because this inflammation can also go to intact areas of the skin,” says Victor. Now his colleague is better, he says that he hopes to be discharged in a week, but adds that the skin affected by burns will be able to recover in about six months. nine0003

In the meantime, doctors warn: if the hogweed juice gets on the skin, then you need to thoroughly wash these areas and try not to get in direct sunlight for 2-3 days. If a burn occurs, seek medical attention immediately. Olena Bachinskaya, an allergist at the Kyiv City Allergological Center, says that patients rarely come in with cases of burns or allergic reactions from plants - in the summer, several such visits per month. “If there is a small local reaction due to contact with some plant, then a person can simply drink an antihistamine pill and everything will pass. If the reaction is strong, there is intoxication of the body - you should go to the doctor immediately, ”the doctor says. nine0003

Hog parsnip was supposed to raise the agriculture of the USSR to its feet

Due to the invasion of the dangerous cow parsnip, the Volyn region is now particularly suffering - this year 6 Volynians have already been hospitalized with its burns, about which reports Volin Post . As we now know, it also grows in the Sumy region, and, according to colleagues, along the roads of the Kyiv region. But most of all, hogweed is common in the western regions, as well as in Polissya. It grows mainly in moist places: on the banks of rivers and in floodplain forests, as well as in meadows, along roads and railways. Ukrinform decided to ask biologists how this poisonous plant got into Ukraine, because it became known only during the Soviet Union. nine0003 Miroslav Shevera, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Botany. N.G. Kholodny National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

According to Miroslav Shevera , Candidate of Biological Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Institute of Botany. N.G. Kholodny National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, two poisonous species of this plant are common on the territory of Ukraine: Sosnovsky's hogweed and Mantegazzi's hogweed, both native to the Caucasus. Sosnovsky's hogweed appeared in Ukraine in 1949, it was brought from Kabardino-Balkaria (Northern Caucasus) and first sown in the botanical garden. Grishko. “Over time, it began to be cultivated at agricultural stations, in particular in the 60s in Transcarpathia. It was a big program to increase yields, in which hogweed was used as a green manure,” says Miroslav Ševera. nine0003

In the late 1970s, Soviet scientists found another use for hogweed - as an additive to livestock feed, and its active cultivation began again in the western regions. “But in just a few years, they noticed that the cows did not like him very much, and a bitter aftertaste appeared in their milk, so over time they stopped using it for this purpose,” the scientist says. Another species, Mantegazzi hogweed, was brought to Ukraine in 1927, namely, to the Osmolodsk forestry in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, but as an ornamental plant. And subsequently both species were found in a feral state: Sosnovsky - in the 80s, Mantegazzi - in the 60s. Miroslav Shevera says that while there were collective farms and state farms, the distribution of these plants was controlled, but with their decline, they began to spread rapidly across Ukraine. nine0003

It is possible to get rid of a dangerous plant in a few years, if there is a desire

Hogweed is considered an aggressive plant, or, as scientists say, invasive, that is, it poses a threat to flora and fauna. It forms colonies on tens of square meters, grows very quickly, has a long flowering period and many seeds. In addition, hogweed can self-pollinate and is very prone to hybridization. All these properties allow it to spread very actively throughout the territory. But at the same time, Miroslav Ševera says that it is not easy to get rid of this aggressive plant, but it is possible if you set yourself such a goal: “An effective fight against hogweed will be at least 3-4 years of mowing it even before seeds are formed, as well as removing rhizomes. In places of mass distribution - also plowing. True, many seeds remain in the soil, which can retain the ability to germinate for up to ten years, so you need to carefully monitor the areas where it grew. A few years ago, there was a special city program in Uzhgorod, according to which cow parsnip was actively mowed, and now it is much less there.” nine0003

In general, in Ukraine, the fight against hogweed belongs to the competence of city, settlement, village chairmen, who must get the owners of land where hogweed grows to destroy it. This is stated in Article 33 of the Law of Ukraine "On Local Self-Government in Ukraine" and the Land Code of Ukraine.

But in all this history of the appearance of hogweed in our open spaces, one question remains unanswered: how could an unknown plant be brought into the country without knowing in advance about such harm? Perhaps for this we should “thank” the Soviet breeder Pyotr Vavilov, who at 19In the 40s, he convinced the then leadership of the benefits of hogweed and defended his dissertation: the plant, they say, should raise the war-weary agriculture. Miroslav Ševera says that scientists do not yet have an exact answer to this question, but emphasizes that before starting to grow a plant that is not native to the region, scientists need to remember two main approaches: analyzing the impact of this plant on nature and humans, as well as studying the facts, not whether this plant has done harm in other countries.

Yulia Gorban , Kyiv

, near roads, houses. The plant has large white tube-shaped flowers and large leaves, but Datura seeds are especially poisonous.

Poisoning can be detected by the following signs: dilated pupils, intraocular pressure, heart palpitations, vomiting, headache. If you drink water after the plant enters the stomach, then an unpleasant taste will appear in the mouth. nine0003 Belladonna

Belladonna grows on forest edges, near rivers, and also likes beech and oak forests. It has tall stems and many branches, but fruits that look like small cherries and even taste sweet can attract people.

The first signs of belladonna poisoning appear within 20 minutes. A person's voice is hoarse, the throat dries up, the heartbeat quickens, the pupils dilate. Poisoning can be fatal, such as paralysis of the lungs or circulatory failure. nine0003 Artemisia ragweed

Artemisia ragweed grows in orchards, orchards, roadsides, pastures, wastelands. A plant that looks like wormwood or hemp produces poisonous pollen.

During the flowering period, when pollen concentration reaches its peak, ragweed can cause allergies. A few grains of pollen is enough to cause inflammation of the eyes, difficulty breathing, tearing of the eyes, and at especially large doses - conjunctivitis.

Henbane black

Black henbane grows near roads or houses, in fields. It has a very unpleasant smell, grows up to one and a half meters tall, has sticky leaves and large flowers of an off-white or yellowish color with villi.

You can get poisoned by this plant by tasting the seeds or young sprouts. Signs of poisoning appear after 10-20 minutes: the mouth dries up, hoarseness begins, the skin turns red, the pupils increase. In severe cases, a person may lose consciousness or even fall into a coma. nine0003 Spotted hemlock

Spotted hemlock grows in wastelands, roadsides, gardens, forest edges, meadows. It can also be found in landfills and near roads. The leaves of a young plant are similar to carrots, parsley or dill, so it may not be recognized. The inflorescence is similar in shape to an umbrella, and consists of many small flowers.

This pseudo-parsley contains the liquid alkaloid coniine, which causes poisoning. A person has a headache and dizziness, increased pressure, possible heart palpitations, nausea. The pupils also dilate, the skin turns pale, it becomes difficult to swallow, convulsions and even ascending paralysis appear. There is a risk of dying from suffocation, and as a result of contact of the plant with the skin, dermatitis appears. nine0003 Poisonous hemlock, or hemlock

Poisonous hemlock, or hemlock, grows in floodplain meadows, near rivers and lakes. It has a branched stem, bi- and triperine leaves, and in summer it bears white small flowers that form an umbrella.

If the milestone got into the stomach, within 20 minutes the first signs of poisoning appear - diarrhea and vomiting. Other symptoms include increased salivation, abdominal pain, and seizures that can lead to death.

Aconite, or wrestler

Aconite, or wrestler, grows on the banks of rivers, mountain meadows and even along roads, most importantly - on moist soil. It has rounded leaves and dark blue or purple flowers and grows in bushes.

Aconite contains a poisonous alkaloid - aconitine, which causes itching on contact with the skin, and if it enters the oral cavity, it causes pain and burns. After contact with the plant, the condition quickly worsens - breathing first becomes faster and then slows down, there may be dizziness, muscle paralysis, a decrease in temperature and chills, and involuntary urination. For a lethal outcome, only two milligrams of aconitine is enough. nine0003

Prepared by Maryana Ryabchenyuk

Is every weed worthy of expulsion? | Kitchen garden | Dacha

Alla Anashina

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

845

"AiF. At the dacha» No. 11. Why do ornamental plants turn into weeds? 05/06/2009

Everyone has their own litter

Somehow I brought bags with seeds of the best varieties of dill to my Ukrainian friends. Before I had time to say a word, how these seeds ended up in a pot with borscht. The hostess laughed and nodded towards the luxurious dill that had grown from self-sowing in a huge garden. She had to weed out this juicy dill every day, freeing up living space for other growing vegetables. nine0003

How difficult it is to draw the line between a cultivated plant and a weed! In favorable conditions, many crops become weeds, begin to grow in the wrong place, becoming like classic weeds. At first, they do not cause much anxiety, they are willingly accepted as a gift by friends and neighbors. However, after a while, the summer resident already sends his "favorite" flower to the humus heap in wheelbarrows.

The garden forget-me-not has become a real disaster in my area. Once I was given several bushes with blue flowers. Then I grew a forget-me-not with white and pink flowers from seeds. The touching composition was placed in a semi-shady place opposite the decorative pond. The idyll ended after a few years. Forget-me-not seedlings bloomed in all flower beds and in the garden, appeared under currant bushes, gooseberries and raspberries. Then they ended up in a greenhouse and settled in flower pots next to indoor plants, even climbed into hanging planters! Now this delicate plant is taking root on a gravel path, gradually turning it into an elegant flowering ribbon. Forget-me-not has acquired a new quality - resistance to trampling. My neighbors also suffered, who at first were touched by the “border strip” of sky-blue color along our fence. Now they send full buckets of weeded forget-me-nots into the humus. And since its counterpart, the field forget-me-not, also weeds on the site, I sometimes find myself in a stupid position, supplying my acquaintances with seedlings of an obvious weed. nine0003

No one believes my stories about how I have to resist the onslaught of asparagus (asparagus). Once I grew it from seeds, strictly following the instructions. Now the seedlings appear in a humus heap, which by the end of spring resembles a green cloud. Asparagus sprouts even in the cracks of cemented blind areas. And since asparagus has chosen a bed of dill, it often ends up in a bowl of soup. My acquaintances also faced the unbridled reproduction of this culture. They have a huge fluffy bush growing on the site. Its numerous offspring is the No. 1 weed in the garden. This crop is especially annoying in the potato field, where the seeds annually fall with humus. nine0003

Each summer resident has his own list of weeds in his territory. It is possible that it includes pyrethrum maiden, carob oxalis, cypress spurge, evening primrose, perennial daisy, Turkish carnation, aquilegia (catchment), Matron's hesperis (night violet, or Matrona's evening), rudbeckia, garden quinoa and some bluebells.

Running into a neighbor

And how much trouble sometimes all types of mint cause! And the silver wormwood of Louis, garden tansy with charming corrugated leaves, kanufer (kanuper), red meadowsweet and lilies of the valley after a while begin to crowd their neighbors, trying to occupy their territory. This company should include bergenia, Canadian goldenrod, most perennial asters, point loosestrife and many other crops. Enviable activity is shown by wild rose and hops. Perennial Sakhalin buckwheat (Sakhalin mountaineer) is easy to start, but it is almost impossible to keep it within the required limits. nine0003

Change of status

But some "real" weeds are so ornamental that they can become a decoration of the site. It is impossible not to pay attention to the extravagant appearance of the thistle, which grows not in a littered wasteland, but in a well-groomed rockery or flower garden. It is difficult to call field violets, some bluebells, field cornflower, cloves (several species) and Veronica long-leaved, capable of decorating garden compositions, as weeds.

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