Dill does not sprout

[dfad]

I have an issue with dill. Since I got my aerogarden a year ago, it never sprouts. Neither stock Aerogarden brand dill pod, nor 3rd party seeds - 'Fernleaf' and 'Bouquet' from Plantation Products.

Previously, when I lived in different climate, I did not have any issues with outdoor dill, it grew well even on poor sand-like soil under relatively low sunlight. So these issues in 'resort' conditions of aerogarden confuse me a bit.

Sprouting in soil and transferring to aerogarden pod does not seem to be the best approach for so gentle sprouts as dill has.

Any advise?

[lynnee]

dfad , some people sprout seeds in wet paper towels in the dark, then transfer the germinated seeds to AG pods. You can make the transfer by wetting an AG sponge and slitting it down the side so that you can lay the sprouted seed in gently.

The paper towel method is described in this thread (moderator Sher is away for a little while):
aerogardenaddicts.com/thread/3374/pre-sprouted-swiss-chard

It runs in my mind that I've grown Dill successfully using the AG herb garden settings, and even transplanted it to soil outdoors. I don't care much for Dill, so I was only growing it as part of an AG herbs kit.  (Of course it grows if you don't want it!)

I would suggest that you keep trying, and be very patient. Sometimes seeds can take weeks to germinate. I've always had trouble with Curly Parsley, but finally have a reasonably healthy plant that took weeks to germinate, and more weeks to raise its head above the AG grow deck.

[Shawn]

I'm sorry I can not help, I have never grown Dill

[waterphoenix]

I sprouted my Bouquet dill in the way Lynnee described. Laid 5-10 on top of a wet paper towel, in a closed Tupperware. I put the tup on a warm surface like the top of a fridge or a seed starting mat. The bouquet dill ended up being almost taller than me!

[judib]

I’m new to AGing, so maybe newbie luck, but my dill pod was one of the first to sprout in my herb garden set.  It only has one sprout, but it was pretty quick.  Oddly, I’ve had trouble outdoors getting dill to germinate. 

[conwaygardens]

I can get it to sprout, but within a week or two it is the  most straggly and sad plant in this hemisphere. 

I don't have any use for dill, and want to grow it is a host plant for swallowtails.

You can NEVER have too many swallowtails. (Plus it allegedly keeps the deer from stuff planted around it.) 



Anyone have experience with fennel?

[conwaygardens]

I can get it to germinate, but in a week or two it looks like it's hoping to die.

I want it just as a swallowtail host plant, because you can NEVER have too many swallowtails!

[lynnee]

Feb 15, 2022 20:41:06 GMT -5 conwaygardens said:

I can get it to sprout, but within a week or two it is the  most straggly and sad plant in this hemisphere. 

I don't have any use for dill, and want to grow it is a host plant for swallowtails.

You can NEVER have too many swallowtails. (Plus it allegedly keeps the deer from stuff planted around it.) 



Anyone have experience with fennel?

Are you growing the dill together with other herbs, or by itself? What kind of nutrients are you using? What kind of water are you using?

It could be that dill simply needs a long time for the seedlings to develop. I could never get AG curly parsley to sprout or grow until this year, when I finally got a tiny sprout. Over the course of a few months, the single sprout finally turned into a healthy plant that looked and tasted like a bunch of parsley from the grocery store. I gave it standard AG nutrients, and a little CalMag because it was sharing an AG with a tomato.

[Shawn]

Feb 15, 2022 20:41:06 GMT -5 conwaygardens said:

I can get it to sprout, but within a week or two it is the  most straggly and sad plant in this hemisphere. 

I don't have any use for dill, and want to grow it is a host plant for swallowtails.

You can NEVER have too many swallowtails. (Plus it allegedly keeps the deer from stuff planted around it.) 



Anyone have experience with fennel?

I have never grown dill so I am of no help, sorry.