# Dill Doesn't Smell



## Guest (Aug 17, 2006)

We've been harvesting some of our herbs and found that our dill just doesn't smell "dilly" faint smell but not worth the bother of harvesting it. Not much flavor either. I know I snipped a few pieces a week ago to use with potatoes and it was great then. I have two patches the one I used that did smell and doesn't anymore and then a more recent planting that has no smell. What's going on?? :shrug:


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

My first guess would be it is too cool and damp for it. Most herbs are more pungent if allowed to dry out and not get too much water.


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## turtlehead (Jul 22, 2005)

I know next to nothing about herbs - this is my first year with them - but everything I've read says to pick them as soon as the dew has dried off of them in the morning. That is when their oils are at their peak. If you wait until afternoon, the oils migrate down somewhere or evaporate or something (I have no clue what - but they're not there).

Maybe try checking on them shortly after the sun burns off the dew?


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## Guest (Aug 17, 2006)

Cyngbaeld said:


> My first guess would be it is too cool and damp for it. Most herbs are more pungent if allowed to dry out and not get too much water.


It has been quite cool at night--and damp goes without saying. It's warmed up some over the past few days--don't know if that could bring things back, but I will check different times of the day and see if I notice a difference. Just another strike against this northern Maine climate.

Thanks all!


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## MaineFarmMom (Dec 29, 2002)

littlebit ranch said:


> It has been quite cool at night--and damp goes without saying. It's warmed up some over the past few days--don't know if that could bring things back, but I will check different times of the day and see if I notice a difference. Just another strike against this northern Maine climate.
> 
> Thanks all!


I mowed my dill down Sunday for the same reason. It's too cold and wet here in northeastern Maine this year.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Hm...

Are you sniffing the little bitty leaves, or are you sniffing the flower head?

My leaves don't have much "dilly" smell at all, but the flower heads are absolutely redolent of dill. I picked quite a few and stuffed them into jars in the freezer. 

I do have a lot of "leaf" left over from last year, but I don't feel like bothering with what's out there now...

Garden fatigue. I think it comes from battling mice.

Pony!


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## Tabitha (Apr 10, 2006)

I don't think dill is one of them. it likes it cool and needs water, it is more like parsley in that respect, not like sage, or rosemary or thyme. Mine was fantastic last fall and was so right up to freezing.I have never heard of it loosing it's flavor, is it getting too old maybe?


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

Best dill I ever grew was in the CO desert.


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## Guest (Aug 21, 2006)

Cyngbaeld said:


> Best dill I ever grew was in the CO desert.


And that's right where I'm headed back to -- when I can sell this big old Maine farm house!! What part of Colorado??

I guess it's the cold and wet--I've checked the old plants, new plants, little leaves, big leaves, flower heads and everything--they just don't smell or have a flavor anymore--the season is just so short--I have tons of little cherry tomatoes and tons more flowers opening every day, but I know there just won't be enough time for the poor little things to ripen on the vine unless I can build little greenhouses around them.


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## Taney (Feb 1, 2006)

littlebit ranch said:


> And that's right where I'm headed back to -- when I can sell this big old Maine farm house!! What part of Colorado??
> 
> I guess it's the cold and wet--I've checked the old plants, new plants, little leaves, big leaves, flower heads and everything--they just don't smell or have a flavor anymore--the season is just so short--I have tons of little cherry tomatoes and tons more flowers opening every day, but I know there just won't be enough time for the poor little things to ripen on the vine unless I can build little greenhouses around them.


 You must start tomatoes very early indoors in cold climates to get a good harvest. Even then, it may not work out. If a heavy frost is going to happen, you can pick all the green tomatoes and get them to ripen inside with the old newspaper trick.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

littlebit ranch said:


> I guess it's the cold and wet--I've checked the old plants, new plants, little leaves, big leaves, flower heads and everything--they just don't smell or have a flavor anymore--the season is just so short--I have tons of little cherry tomatoes and tons more flowers opening every day, but I know there just won't be enough time for the poor little things to ripen on the vine unless I can build little greenhouses around them.



Another option for those unripe tomatoes is to pull the entire plant -- root and all -- and hang it upside down. The fruit will eventually ripen.

Pony!


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