Medicinal herbs: dill

September 3, 5:20 PMNashville Gardening ExaminerDena Bolton

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Dill is one of the easiest herbs to grow from seed.

Dill (Anethum graveolens) probably does not instantly spring to mind when you think of medicinal herbs. Most likely you think of using dill in meat dishes, with vegetables, or in sauces and dips. You might use pungent dill seeds in your pickling spices or the feathery leaves in salad dressings. However, dill does have healing properties.

It is generally believed that dill is native to the Mediterranean region and southern Russia. It is an ancient herb, even being mentioned in the Gospel of Matthew in the Bible as being used to tithe. Dill seeds were burned as incense by the ancient Greeks and Romans, and the ancient Romans chewed the seeds to freshen their breath. The Romans also made wreaths of dill to crown their war heroes and hung the flowers in their banquet halls. During the Middle Ages, dill was believed to prevent storms and was used to ward off the "evil eye."

The name dill comes from the Norse word dilla meaning "to lull." In fact, the herb was actually used at one time "to lull" people to sleep and to treat insomnia. Later, European and American herbalists used dill to treat flatulence and other gastrointestinal disorders, as well as colic in babies. They also gave it to nursing mothers to stimulate the production of breast milk.

Dill is quite easy to grow from seed. While it is an annual, it self-seeds quite readily. This means you could easily have a nice crop of dill year after year. Dill does not like to be moved once it is planted; therefore, you should plant it in a permanent spot, preferably at the back of the border. (Dill grows to be about 3-feet tall, though I have had some that had gotten even taller.) Plant your dill in full sun in moderately-rich, well-drained soil that is kept evenly moist. Do make sure that it has some protection from the wind, which can damage the stalks. You may also need to stake your dill. In addition, if you are interested in collecting the seeds, remember that dill does not usually produce viable seeds until the second year. You can however, improve your chances of having seeds the first year by planting your dill seeds as early as possible; i.e., immediately after the last frost of spring.

Dill is a great herb to freeze for future use. Simply place entire stalks in freezer bags and then just chop off what you need. To harvest the seeds, cut the stalks 6-8 inches long below the umbels. Tie up with a string and hang upside down in a paper bag. (The seeds will drop into the bottom of the bag as they dry.)

If you are interested in using dill for your gastrointestinal issues, a simple infusion can be made by boiling one cup of water. Add 2 teaspoons of dill to the hot water, cover, and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain and drink 1-2 cups per day, taking only ½-cup at a time. You can also add 8 drops of dill oil to one pint of water and then take 1-8 teaspoons as needed.

Interestingly, regular use of dill as a culinary herb can be enough to impart its healing benefits. Furthermore, dill is more nutritional than you might imagine. One tablespoon, for example, of dill seeds has as much calcium - 100 mg - as ½-cup of skim milk.

Now that you know that dill is a medicinal herb as well as one that works well in the kitchen, you must know that it should be included in your herb garden. You can then have some fresh dill dip to your health.

References:

Byers, Dorie. Herbal Remedy Gardens. North Adams, MA: 1999, pp. 28-9.

Kowalchik, Claire and Hylton, William H., eds. Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Press, 1998, pp. 160-1.

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