Dill "Alligator": features of the variety and cultivation

Even those gardeners who have decided not to grow vegetables, on the site there will certainly be greens for salad.Cultures such as dill, parsley, coriander, lettuce - in honor of all summer residents. Some varieties produce a crop several times a season, the Alligator fennel is one of those. We will tell about the peculiarities of this plant in our article.

There are many varieties of plants on the market today, including dill. And thanks to the work of breeders, there are more and more new, with improved stamina, yield and taste. The differences in the varieties of dill are in the form of leaves, rosettes, color, size of the bush, and most importantly - in the time of harvest and the amount of greenery from the bush. There are early-ripening, late-ripening and cultures of medium ripening. Not in all localities dill is able to fully mature. This factor must also be considered when choosing a variety for planting.

Late-ripening varieties are characterized by the shape of plants, more like a bush. This is due to the presence of closely spaced internodes on the stems. These varieties are considered more difficult to care for, but they give a lot of greenery. And if we consider that dill, in general, is an unpretentious crop, then there will be no problems with its cultivation.

Dill "Alligator" has a late term of ripening, and another description of the variety includes the following features:

• leaves are green with a characteristic bluish tinge;
• large size of the outlet, which is slightly raised;
• unpretentious care;
• the plant grows up to one and a half meters in height;
• one crop yields 20 g of green mass at harvest.

Thus, the main characteristic of the Alligator dill is its high yield. Harvesting dill for greens is produced one and a half months after planting, and the seeds can be removed after 4 months to obtain spices.

Under the planting for dill "Alligator" is used loose black soil, if the task is to get the maximum yield. On other soils, the culture also gives quite good yields. This variety is quite unpretentious and also tolerates frost well.

In general, the cultivation of dill "Alligator" does not take much trouble. It is only necessary to take into account some of the nuances - due to the high content of essential oils, fennel seeds germinate very slowly. Under good conditions, the seeds will germinate no earlier than 10 days, and, for example, with a decrease in temperature - even later.

For planting, you can use the seeds of the company "Gavrish", well proven in the market. They are sold, as a rule, in packages of 100 g and 1 kg. To ensure the emergence of seedlings on the 3rd day, the seeds must be soaked in warm water. They must stand for a day, and the water must be changed as soon as it begins to cool.

Dill requires a lot of light for growth, and a comfortable temperature is + 20 ° C. In the soil seeds can be planted in early spring, as soon as the soil dries or already in late autumn. Culture will withstand cold to -8 ° C.

Dill is recommended to plant after cultivation in the previous year, cabbage, cucumbers or tomatoes. The place should be well lit. Before sowing, the soil is dug up to a depth of about 30 cm. For planting before winter, this procedure is carried out after harvesting, and for spring sowing it is dug in autumn. At the same time, fertilizers are applied with which the plants will then feed: superphosphate, compost, humus.

Before sowing organic fertilizers are applied. Seeds are sown across the ridge in a moist soil, which before that should be loosened. It is recommended to maintain the distance between the furrows of 20 cm. Then you should prikopat planting with humus or peat, slightly crushing the soil.

Before the appearance of the first leaflets, the sowing area is covered with a film, otherwise the birds can peck at the seeds. The film also protects the seedlings from exposure to cold in early spring. When the crops reach a height of 5 cm, they are thinned.

Any special care for dill "Alligator" is not required, everything is standard, as is the case with other varieties.Watering is done once a week at the rate of 5 liters of water per square meter of planting. In the dry season, dill is watered up to 3 times a week.

Water should be the same temperature as the soil. To do this, a container of water for irrigation just left next to the landings. The plant does not need additional feedings, takes all the nutrients from the ground, fertilized before sowing.

With insufficient development of the bush allowed dressing with urea or mullein. Nitrogenous fertilizers are not used, because dill has the ability to accumulate nitrites. Before the leaflets appear on the shoots of 3-4 leaves, it is necessary to remove the weeds, and then dill will gain strength and will oppress all other plants. Also loosen the soil.

As they say reviews of many gardeners, dill "Alligator" - a fruitful, unpretentious and fairly versatile variety. It can be grown in greenhouses, greenhouses, as well as in open ground. Culture has the following advantages:

• yields are high and you can pick greens all season;
• the variety is resistant to pests;
• tolerates low light;
• stems are formed slowly;
• bush weight - 50 g;
• thick greens, fragrant, juicy leaves.

The main problem of this crop, including Alligator dill, is fusarium wilt. This is a fungal disease that spreads with seeds and affects dill, regardless of their root system. Fusarial withering provokes unfavorable conditions of detention, and especially - a sharp temperature drop.

As a preventive measure, seeds should be treated appropriately before planting. To do this, they are soaked in potassium permanganate or Fitosporine. The processing of the greenery of dill itself is unacceptable, since it is subsequently eaten.

If the dill, planted in previous years, was infected with Fusarium, then it is not recommended to plant this crop in the same area next year. It is necessary to treat the contaminated soil with “Trikhodermin”. The drug along with peat contribute to a well-moistened soil. This method prevents the recurrence of Fusarium wilt.

Powdery mildew is another disease that can dramatically reduce crop yields. The causative agents of the disease are in the ground and begin to actively develop with poor-quality cultivation of the land before planting. Heat and high humidity contribute to powdery mildew on plants. The Alligator variety is also subject to attacks by insects, such as aphids, bugs, and caterpillars. But this happens quite rarely, with poor tillage.

To prevent these diseases, it is worth taking a responsible approach to the preparation of the soil for planting. You should also carry out airing and regular inspection of dill, in time to detect damage and disease.

The harvest cut for the greens begins after a month and a half since the seed germination. Gather selectively or in continuous manner. Dill with greens up to 5 cm is of great value. If you do not collect such greens in time, the plant will release arrows with an inflorescence, and the culture will lose taste.

Dill are usually planted several times per season. In this case, the Alligator dill is no exception. Sowing can be repeated every 20 days, this is due to the time of ripening of the crop.

The bushes of dill "Alligator" are large and calmly tolerate pruning of almost all greens. Culture grows and develops further without consequences. Quality fennel seeds can be obtained only in the southern regions, in the north they do not ripen. But flower stalks are used as seasoning in various blanks.

For lack of gardens and dacha plots grown dill grown on window sills at home. Since culture is quite unpretentious and does not take up much space, it is convenient. But here we must take into account some features.

• You need to start with the choice of varieties, because not everyone is suitable for growing at home. It is better to prefer the late varieties, such as the "Alligator". Early varieties will give more greens, but the peduncle they appear almost immediately. And after its appearance, dill will lose its taste.
• The most important thing is to provide good lighting to the culture. In the summer there will be enough sunlight, but in the winter it is necessary to use special lamps imitating daylight. Include them enough for 5 hours. It is necessary to ensure regular watering and fertilizing with complex fertilizers about once a month.

Plants will take from there all the necessary substances for growth and development. Comfortable temperature for dill is + 18 ° C, but, as a rule, it is difficult to maintain this value at home. At higher rates, you will have to extend the daylight to the plants, otherwise they will stretch too much.

• Just as when planting in the ground, the seeds are kept in a solution of potassium permanganate.
• Greens can be eaten in about a month. At the same time cut off the side branches, so as not to interfere with the growth of the plant. For a long period of obtaining fresh herbs, planting periodically resume.

Dill has established itself as a useful plant that does not require complex care. Gardeners grow it on their plots and even at home. Variety "Alligator" - one of the best options for this purpose. Due to the fact that the taste and smell of dill, though specific, but not harsh and pleasant enough, almost everyone likes it.

You will learn more about the Alligator variety of dill from the following video.