Saving Dill Seed

This post is part of my series on saving cut flower seeds.

Please see the Save Your Own Cut Flowers post about methods for selecting, harvesting, processing, and storing your seeds!

Dill

Anethum graveolens

Very similar in processing to Ammi. Allow the seeds to really dry out and get brown on the plant before collecting the seed heads. Save some for your spice jar and pickle hoard, too. Super easy. My favorite dill variety for cutting is ‘Bouquet’.

Simply wait for the seed heads to turn brown and begin to shatter when you shake them; then snip them off into a labeled bucket. Dry on a screen or hanging upside down in a bag for about a week to ensure they’re really dry. Then just rub the heads between your hands or on a screen to separate them from the umbel.

After rubbing, pass your batch through your screens and winnow to remove light material. You should get a good amount of seed that will be much less expensive than buying it in and will germinate like a dream. Store in a freezer if you have space, or in a cool dark place that has a stable temperature.

Learn more about seed saving in my on-farm workshops!

Giant dill flower becoming a seed-head.