Dill going downhill, getting smaller

[Marb67]

Well another mystery as to why this plant that was once healthy and vigorous is yellowing and shrinking. The fennel next to it is fine but the dill looks sickly or is this normal as the flowers seem healthy ? 2 images to show how much it has shrunk in just a couple of days.

[veggiechicken]

If you want to grow dill for its leaves, you shouldn't let it flower. Its now setting seeds and it thinks its job is done. Also, if your fennel is flowering it may have been crosspollinated so the seeds that either of them may produce will not grow true to type.

[Marb67]

Looks like another write off then ☹️

[roitelet]

Dill is an annual and for leaves needs to be sown several times in a season. The last hot spell of weather will have encouraged it to bolt. Better to buy a packet of seed and sow little and often.

[Small pumpkin]

Marb your not alone my dill is bolting as well. But I grow it mostly as a companion plant, so I don't have a problem with it bolting.

[Snoop Puss]

Calling it a write-off is a bit hard on the dill! It's done it's job: grow, reproduce, die.

Maybe, when you buy a plant, you need to check it's likely growth pattern and life cycle so you know what to expect. Disappointments in the garden are depressing, but it strikes me that sometimes your expectations of your plants are too high.

[Marb67]

Well the dill is almost gone now with a few flowers left on. What I can't understand is why the fennel is also full of flowers but still healthy.

[roitelet]

Dill is annual, grows,flowers,dies. Fennel is perennial so will not die back until the weather gets too cold and then it will be back next year.

[burnie]

You shouldn't grow Dill and Fennel close to each other either is my understanding, can't remember why though.

[roitelet]

Cross Pollination??????

[Jay-ell]

There is old wisdom that says fennel and dill will cross pollinate which

1. Would only be relevant if you were seed saving
2. Is probably as likely as potatoes and aubergines cross pollinating. Carrot family isn't known for rampant hybridisation otherwise I'd definitely plant up a bed of parrots