Greens are an additional source of vitamins in salads and hot dishes. Summer residents are advised to purchase Aurora dill, a relatively young variety that meets the requirements.
Description of the variety
Aurora ripens early; only 20–25 days pass from the moment of germination to the harvest of greenery. Belongs to the category of the best varieties for greens, the internodes are close together. The plant itself is very powerful. The leaves have a persistent rich aroma characteristic of the culture. In order to harvest the crop earlier, gardeners plant it in winter.
Growing
Dill is a picky and unpretentious crop. Growing it on the plot is not difficult; even a beginner can cope with it.
They are sown not only directly into the ground, but also in seedlings. This is done to obtain their own planting material. To speed up seed germination, soak them in warm water for 24 hours. Change the water as it cools. From such planting material, seeds will appear in 3-4 days.
Planting begins a month before transferring to the ground. Seeds are sown in prepared containers with soil and covered with glass or polyethylene. After the emergence of shoots, it is removed. The optimal temperature for seed germination is +18 ⁰С. Water as needed, without allowing the plants to dry out too much.
After 6-7 true leaves appear on the plants, the dill is transferred to open ground or a greenhouse.
Direct sowing into the ground
Seeds are sown in spring or autumn, depending on the desire of the summer resident to get an early harvest. Since the plants are cold-resistant, seeds can be planted very early.
Feature of all varieties of dill is that it propagates very easily by self-sowing. Therefore, to get greenery in early spring, it is enough not to remove umbrellas from the garden in the fall.
Planting begins with the preparation of seed material. Before planting the seeds, they are dried.
The planting site is prepared in advance, as fertilizers are required. At 1 m2 add:
- 20 g urea;
- 30 g superphosphate;
- 2-3 kg of humus.
You cannot add ash, dolomite flour and lime to the soil, this will inhibit the development of the crop.
The soil is first loosened, moistened, and only then the seeds are sown.
Features of care
To obtain good bushes, it is recommended to thin out the seedlings. You may have to do this several times.Otherwise, caring for the plant is no different from any other cultivated plant. Weeding, watering, loosening.
Removing weeds is important at the initial stage, until the plant gains strength and begins to grow. Then the weeds will no longer bother you. IN watering dill needs every week, water calculation is 5 liters per 1 m2.
Plants do not need fertilizing, but only if everything necessary for growth was added at the time of planting. Those who wish can water the dill several times a season with the following composition:
- 1 teaspoon of urea;
- 500 ml mullein;
- 10 liters of water.
Mulching your beds will help retain moisture in the soil.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Aurora dill variety has positive and negative properties. But despite this, it is still gaining popularity.
Pros:
- Great smell and taste.
- Cold resistance.
- Unpretentiousness.
- Due to the fact that the internodes are close together, dirt practically does not accumulate during rain.
- High immunity.
- Resistance to pest attacks.
Minuses:
- The relatively young variety does not inspire confidence in experienced summer residents.
Having grown Aurora on the plot, each summer resident will appreciate the pros and cons of the variety.
Pests and diseases
Breeders promise high immunity to diseases in Aurora dill. Therefore, no preventive measures or treatments are required. The plant will protect itself.
The crop is not afraid of attacks from insects that can destroy greenery. This is why gardeners value the view.
Harvest and storage
Everyone wants to preserve greens in winter. Dill of the Aurora variety is cut and dried, thus preparing a supply for the winter. They begin to do this after the first umbrellas appear; the greens are washed and dried, then put into rag bags for storage in winter.Cut off young greenery after the dew has dried. The leaves wither during the day, so it is not recommended to harvest it later than 11 o’clock in the afternoon.
The entire stem along with the umbrellas is dried; for this, the plants are washed, tied in bunches and hung in a well-ventilated area.
You can’t dry it in direct sunlight; the greens will turn yellow and lose their smell.
Some even freeze chopped greens. This way it retains almost all the properties of a fresh plant.
Useful properties of dill
The crop is grown not only to produce aromatic herbs, but also for medicinal purposes. The benefits of eating greens are very great, since they contain vitamins, acids, essential oils and other equally useful components.
When taking dill regularly, the following body reactions are observed:
- activation of hematopoietic processes;
- choleretic and diuretic process;
- disinfection process;
- strengthening effect on the cardiovascular system;
- analgesic processes;
- normalization of digestion;
- expectorant effect and much more.
The medicinal effects of dill are very extensive. There are many options for preparing decoctions, infusions from the leaves, stems and roots of the plant.
The opinion of summer residents regarding the Aurora variety
Manufacturers advertise their seeds, but positive reviews from gardeners work best. In their comments they share their impressions and give advice.
Alexandra: “We tried many varieties, but we couldn’t find a good one that would be enough to eat in the summer and to store in the winter. I accidentally saw Aurora dill in the store and decided to take another chance. Although I haven't read any reviews about it. I didn’t regret it, the smell and taste of the greens are excellent, there are a lot of leaves. Collected for salads and cut for freezing.Finally we were able to prepare the required volume. I won’t look for anything else, the variety is the most suitable for our needs.”
The Aurora dill variety is very young, but nevertheless is becoming in demand due to its beneficial properties, unpretentiousness and early ripening.
