by Tammy Lee Morris

Created on: July 15, 2009

Dill isn't just for pickles - add it to your container garden for an easy-to-grow crop that will attract butterflies and add beauty to your yard. While dill may not be a typical plant you would think of for a container garden, it's a low maintenance and quick-growing plant - making it a great choice for any garden.

Advantages of container gardening

Container gardening is an excellent choice for homeowners who have limited outdoor space for a growing plants. The containers can be easily moved to any location in the yard and can be grouped for aesthetic value or spread out in the yard, depending upon the needs of the homeowner.

Homeowners with poor soil quality will also find container gardening a great choice for putting their green thumb to use. Containers can be filled with potting soil and compost without the time, work and expense of amending large plots of soil.

Proper containers

In order to grow dill in containers, the most important thing to remember is to use a properly-sized container. Dill grows tall and leggy, reaching a height of about two to three feet, so choose large, spacious containers that will complement and hold your dill plants.

Choose pots and containers that are tall and wide to offset the thin height of dill plants. Since dill is tall and spindly with a splayed flower head at the top of the stem, better symmetry will be achieved by using a wide pot.
If your container of choice is very tall, try filling it no more than three quarters full of potting soil to offset the height of the dill plants.

Seeds or Established Plants?

When planting dill in containers, you can start with seeds by broadcasting them on the soil in your chosen container. Cover the seeds lightly with the soil then water. If you prefer, established dill plants can be found at local garden centers. Be sure to water your plant thoroughly before transplanting.

Location

The wonderful thing about a container garden is that the location is flexible. Pots and containers can be moved to make the best use of daily sun or moved to suit the mood or yard needs of the homeowner. Just remember that a large, filled flower pot is not light. For very large containers, place them on rolling dollies before filling with soil. The wheels of the dolly will make moving the pot easier later on. If you're like a number of gardeners, a pot or container may change locations several times over the course of a growing season.
Water frequently

Since container gardens don't have the luxury of allowing the plants to access stored groundwater, they need frequent watering. The soil in containers also tends to dry out more quickly. Water your container garden dill plants frequently and deeply.

Whether you add one plant or a dozen, dill will be an eye-catching addition to your container garden.

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