How to Harvest and Save Dill Seeds

You can collect dill seeds from the parent plant after they turn brown. 

Then, you should dry them out before storing them in a dry, dark place.

Dill, a relative of celery, is a popular garden herb, and people use both its seeds and leaves to spice many dishes.

Additionally, many growers use dill to pickle cucumbers.

So, for gardeners who harvest a lot of cucumbers, dill is a vital companion herb to grow.

However, oftentimes, the wind blows dill seeds away so they can spread where they may and populate a wide area. 

Thus, if you want to harvest them to plant in your garden, you’ll need to follow specific steps to ensure you get your seeds before they’re gone.

In this article, you will learn when and how to harvest dill seeds as well as how to store the seeds for the next growing season.

When Is the Right Time to Harvest Dill Seeds?

The right time to harvest dill seeds is after the plant flowers.

Thus, if you want to collect dill seeds, you need to let a few plants produce blooms, which usually happens in the summer. 

However, you shouldn’t start gathering seeds immediately. 

Instead, it is best to let the dill seeds begin to dry a bit while they are still on the plant.

You can tell when you should harvest the seeds because the flower will turn a bit brown.

But just keep in mind that you shouldn’t wait too long to harvest your seeds, or the wind will blow them away.

How to Identify Dill Flowers

Of course, if you are going to tell when your plant blooms, you need to know what a dill flower looks like, and, luckily, they’re easy to identify. 

You can tell a dill flower because they are star-shaped and appear bright yellow in color.

Therefore, they’ll be hard for you to miss. 

Read Also >> Why Save Seeds?

How Do You Harvest Dill Seeds?

The best way to collect dill seeds from the plant when they are ready to harvest is by clipping the full head of the plant and placing it in a paper bag or plastic storage container.

Then, let the stem and seeds sit in the bag for about a week in a dry and warm place.

This process will allow the seeds to dry out completely.

Once they are dried, you will need to sift through the different parts of the plant to extract the small seeds.

And when doing this, you can recognize these seeds by their brown body and light green tips. 

They are also flat and oval-shaped and have faint stripes running lengthwise across them. 

Methods to Sift Dill Seeds

There are a few different methods you can try to get the excess flower away from the seeds. 

First off, you can manually crush up the plant bits through the bag and then spread the contents onto a pan or cookie sheet. 

Next, you’ll need to pick out the small seeds with your fingers.

Alternatively, you can winnow the unwanted plant parts away with a fan.

The seeds will be a bit heavier, so they should stay put. 

But don’t get too carried away with the winnowing because the seeds are tiny.

Thus, make sure you turn the fan on low and only let it blow on the seeds long enough to let most of the extra bits get blown away. 

Lastly, you could also vigorously shake your container causing the seeds to separate from their shells while still in the bag.

Therefore, the seeds will be loose when you pour out the bag’s contents.

Read Also >> How to Harvest and Save Poppy Seeds

How Do You Store Dill Seeds?

You can store dill seeds in envelopes, plastic bags, or small storage containers for use at another time.

But just make sure they are completely dry before storing them.

Any moisture retention can damage the seeds or encourage mold and mildew growth.

Additionally, don’t forget to label your storage container because the seeds are so small it can be easy to mistake the container for being empty.

You should also put the harvest date on your container so that you know if the seeds have expired. 

And, by the way, if properly stored, your dill seeds can last about three to four years.

Finally, ensure you keep your dill seeds in a dry, warm environment so they stay viable.

Read Also >> How to Store Seeds Long Term?

Conclusion

Dill is an essential herb to grow for most gardeners, especially those that harvest cucumbers for pickling.

So, if you want to harvest your seeds to grow next year, you need to follow these simple instructions: 

• Let the parent plant come to bloom before attempting to remove the seeds
• Collect the plant’s flower head in a paper bag and allow it to dry out
• Separate the seeds from the other plant material 
• Dry the seeds completely before storing them in a warm place