My dill germinated but most of them look wilted…

(Question)

Hello,

Located in Ontario, I sowed seeds of several herbs in small pots.
Placed inside the house – beside patio door (sunny until early afternoon) -, all of them germinated but dill look very fragile and most of them wilted in pots… Are they dead or recovering later? I’ve been watering well. But is there any tip I should know?
I’m going to purchase a raised garden. When should I move them to it?

Thank you!

(Answer)

Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners concerning your dill. Dill grows best in full sun (6-8hrs) in a sandy or loamy soil that drains well. Dill is in the carrot family and like carrots they produce a strong tap root as a result, does not respond well to transplanting. It is for this reason that dill is usually sown directly into the garden bed after the last frost date which depending where you live is between May 11-20.

As for why your seedlings are wilting could be due to a couple of reasons. Are you overwatering your seedlings?  Did you sow the seed in soilless mix? Are they located too close to the patio door window? It has been quite cold the last week with temperatures falling below 0 overnight. It could  be that the tender seedlings are too cold.

If you decide to sow dill directly into your garden Growing Dill in Home Gardens and Growing Dill are excellent resources. Toronto Master gardeners also have a Garden Guide on How to Grow Dill. We also have a Garden Guide on Growing from Seed which you might find of use.

May 2, 2022