Many people love the aromatic taste of fresh dill, and therefore a considerable part of gardeners are planting dill before winter in the Leningrad region. Even inexperienced vegetable growers can cope with growing such a plant, since it does not require constant care. However, to get a good harvest, you will still have to become familiar with the popular varieties of dill and the characteristics of its cultivation.
What are zoned varieties?
Before planting greens, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the concept of zoned varieties of dill.
It is no secret that climatic conditions affect the yield and quality of planted vegetables. In some regions of the country, certain varieties simply will not be accepted and will not germinate. That is why there are special zoned varieties that are ideal for growing in certain climatic conditions.
Such varieties of plants are created by breeders specifically so that they can be grown without problems in certain regions of the country. These varieties are endowed with resistance to local diseases and pests that are most often found in this area.
Varieties for the Leningrad region
There are a number of varieties that take root better than others in the Leningrad region. Therefore, before planting greens before winter, you should familiarize yourself with their features.
Gribovsky
Many gardeners in the Leningrad region grow on their plots dill Gribovsky. This variety was bred from garden varieties of greens back in 1992.
The characteristic features of the variety are semi-spreading bushes about 30 cm high and small rosettes, each with 3–5 leaves. All leaves on the plant are green and covered with a faint waxy coating. The leaf sizes are average, their length is 18–20 cm and width 15–17 cm.
The plant is grown in open ground or in a greenhouse. Experienced gardeners recommend planting the Gribovsky variety in greenhouses, as they can achieve better yields. To do this, you will have to make sure that the air temperature in the greenhouse does not fall below 15–20 degrees. Thanks to this, you will be able to collect at least 60–70 grams of greens from each bush.When grown outdoors, the yield will be about 50 grams per plant.
Kibray
Another variety that is often found among gardeners in the Leningrad region is Kibray. This plant is classified as a late-ripening type of dill, as it ripens two months after planting. The Kibray rosette grows up to 35–45 cm in height. It is covered with large green leaves, on the surface of which a faint waxy coating is noticeable. The leaf blades of the bush are distinguished by their dissection and pleasant aroma.
The main advantage of Kibray is its productivity, thanks to which at least 65 grams of greenery are harvested from each bush.
How to plant dill before winter?
Dill is planted before winter in mid-autumn. In this case, special attention is paid to site preparation. The garden is being prepared for planting greenery in the first half of October. It is no secret that dill bushes grow better in fertile soil and therefore before planting you will have to fertilize them. Organic and mineral fertilizers are added to the soil, which will increase the amount of useful components in the soil.
When the site is prepared for planting, the beds are prepared and holes are created for planting the seed. The holes are created at a distance of about 15–20 cm so that the plants do not shade each other in the future. Then the seeds are placed in the created grooves and covered with frozen soil. If the greens were planted correctly, the first shoots will appear in the spring.
Features for the Leningrad region
Before planting dill in the Leningrad region, you should familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of planting greens in this region.
Seed preparation
In order for the plant to grow better, it is recommended to prepare the seeds before planting. To do this, all planting material is washed in warm water and soaked for several days.When soaking, 20 grams of wood ash are added to the water. Then all the soaked seeds are dried under the sun.
How to plant?
Having prepared the seed, begin planting dill. To do this, beds with holes for planting seeds are created on the site. The holes are created small, the depth of each of them is 2–3 cm. Several seeds are placed in each hole, after which they are covered with earth and watered with water. If desired, the beds are covered with fallen leaves so that the ground freezes less in winter.
How to care?
Particular attention is paid to caring for dill, since the quality of the harvest depends on it.
Watering
Like most other plants, dill needs periodic watering. If you do not regularly moisten the soil, the greens will lose their beneficial properties and taste. After the first shoots appear, the seedlings are watered once a day. In summer, the number of waterings is increased to twice a day.
Feeding
To get a good harvest, you will have to regularly feed the greens. Nitrogen and other mineral fertilizers are periodically added to the soil, which will saturate the soil with nutritional components.
Weeding
Dill bushes do not tolerate weeds and therefore it is recommended to regularly loosen the soil and weed the grass. This is done once a month so that many weeds do not appear near the seedlings. If you do not weed, the grown weeds will absorb all the nutritional components from the soil.
Shelter from the heat
If possible, in the summer it is better to hide the dill from the sun's rays so that the greens do not begin to wither from the heat. To do this, special stands are installed near the beds, onto which any opaque material is attached to create a shadow.
Pest treatment
To protect greens from pests, you will have to take care of their protection. To do this, it is recommended to use a mixture of tobacco dust. To prepare it, tobacco dust is mixed in equal proportions with sand. Then the prepared mixture is sprinkled on the soil near the bushes.
Disease Prevention
To avoid wasting time fighting diseases when growing greens, it is recommended to plant varieties that are resistant to the most common diseases. It is also recommended to observe crop rotation and not plant dill in the same place every year.
Collection and storage
Greens are collected when the seeds in the umbrella are completely dry and can be separated from it without any problems. When harvesting dill, the bushes are carefully removed from the soil and dried. The harvested crop is well stored in any room with a temperature of at least 5–10 degrees above zero.
Conclusion
Growing dill before winter Many gardeners do this. In order to properly plant greens in the Leningrad region, it is recommended to familiarize yourself with the peculiarities of planting and growing plants in this region.
