Happned here too, but only one one area and one plant. It might be a night caterpiller like gypsy moth caterpiller. Suggest that you spray it with neem oil as a light coat in a weak solution. It will not regrow new leaves there however and the plant might be too weak to survive. If after a week, you see further damages the next thing is a Bt spray. You can also do th reverse and spray the Bt. Bt works very well for any most any chewing caterpillers.

You're forgetting another that caterpillar that enjoys dill, it is the black swallowtail butterfly. In my opinion, sacrificing some dill plants for butterflies as big as beautiful as black swallowtails is worth it. You can always restart some dill plants if you need. They are relatively cheap and easy to start again from seed.

Check out the link below for pix of the black swallowtail caterpillars on dill. They are as cool looking as their adult forms, maybe even more so!

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Google Images - Black Swallowtails on Dill

I have not seen this kind of caterpiler here. Just teh small green ones and the hairy gypsy moth type. Luckily most of my dill is quite hardy, and a lot of it is flowering now and wil soon start to seed. It came from seeds from last years 'naturalized' seeds. I finally see that the garlic chive seeds I collected from their plants last year, are starting to sprout tiny greens. I planted in a small row nearby the others, and they are doing well.

We have quite a number of kinds of butterflies here including the black swallowtail and one or more of the yellow varieties of swallowtail. I've found the black swallowtail caterpillars on queen anne's lace (wild carrot) that grows all about my place. I haven't yet had them go after my dill - I think there is too much wild carrot for them elsewhere! Anyways, if the O.P. looks for the caterpillars, they should be able to id which is the one chewing their plant. Swallowtail caterpillars are not hairy and very dramatically painted. (See previous link.)

FataMorgana

FataMorgana, I'm so jealous that you have those caterpillars on your Queen Anne's Lace! I have so much wild carrot, I keep pulling it up, more sprouts somewhere else. If it would just grow somewhere out of the way instead of in my creeping juniper or my lawn. I'd leave it alone if it would grow near my mailbox, but that spot's taken by black medic and chickweed. Or, if I saw some cool caterpillars, I'd leave it alone. INstead, the QAL just smothers grass and makes my juniper look untidy.

I've never had good luck growing dill until this year when I discovered fernleaf dill. I need it to stay alive until my zucchini and tomatoes are ready for harvesting (I use dill in a lot of recipes). Since the zukes just flowered today for the first time, I'm actually going to be sowing some dill seeds this week, I don't expect today's dill to keep from bolting that long!

Don't forget, juvenile black swallowtail cats look nothing like the older instars (bottom pic)...

My dill weed is still doing just ok. It grows on & off. I think I need to transplant to a bigger pot, but I just won't have enough room after I transplant my summer/fall tomatoes this weekend. Any suggestions? This pot too small? Thanks.

Dill goes down rather than out with regards to roots. In the future, go for a deep pot for best results if you have to container garden.

I really couldn't get an idea of size or scale from your photo so it is hard to comment on whether or not your pot is adequate. As a general comment, I wouldn't transplant/switch pots at this stage in the game. The dill is going to resent it alot and that isn't good with an annual, short-lived plant.

FataMorgana

Yea, I figured as much. I think it may be starting to turn to seed? It has this little pouch looking thing a tad bit darker than the plant (about the color of new growth bushes). Maybe more than one. I have 4 more seedlings I started about a month ago, so i'm not too worried if this stuff goes to seed...just already have some to save for next year. :) That one above was from a wee plant at Wal-Mart I picked up one day just browsing the garden section. I rarely buy plants from a store....impulse buy. That's why, even if I do find a pot to put it in, I wouldn't expect it to do as well as one I started from seed. The pot, by the way, is one of those huge ice cream tubs. Huge for that, at least. I guess about 11 or so inches diameter & maybe 5-6 deep.

Before it actaully goes to seed, it sends out a spray of tiny yellow flowers coming from one major stem. The flowers remain for several weeks before they turn into tiny green pods at the same locations the flowers were. The green pods turn tan color and flatten some a few weeks later. Then this is the seeds, which can be harvested for the next year, or the whole sprigs can be added to pickles you plan to can. By then, the fern leaves are going to begin to die out and turn yellow and tan color. Once you see all these events, you will soon know that the dill is now gone to seed, which is not a bad thing, unless you don't want dill showing up everywhere nearby next year. The plants in the photos have a long way to grow/go before they produce an eventual seed head. Some types of dill have seed heads sooner than the fern leaf type. The fern leaf type is one that is used mnore for the dill weed (the fern leaves). The fern leaves are great in potato salad, and many other things. I like adding some to my cucmber sandwiches.

Yea, definitely in potato salad. I use it in my red potato salad all the time. I hope to have some fresh to use in it this year. My dill is mainly for pickling. I figured out what that little thing is that I thought was a seed pod. It was new growth. It was just all bunched together & hadn't grown out much yet. I think this plant is doing much better now as this new growth is at the top of the plant...yay! :) Thanks for the info. I'll let at least one of my plants go to seed so I have some for next year.

That dill looks much nicer than mine did in the ground. I may have to use a container next time. Mine are being eaten before they could get to a good 6".

That tiny little dill in the little pot will not give you more than maybe a single pint of dill pickles. The photo below, has most of my vegetable garden with the dill (yellow flowering tops) in front of the greenhouse. Next to that is broccoli and in front is peas. To the right are string beans, not producing yet, then many lettuce plants at various stages and then pickling cukes to the far right which are just vining now. In the back right are the asparagus ferns, and to the left in the back are grape tomatoes.
ALL the dill growing was not planted be me, or were the portulaca flowers at their base. The dill plants were all a result of seed heads dropping dill seeds everwhere, including growing in a crack in my concrete walk and at the very edge of the garden mulch. Some plants are as big around as my finger and they are still growing!
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Ok, Mr. Myagi, i'm officially jealous! ;-) Very sweet looking garden, greenhouse, etc..

The property is now mine, handed down my my parents, with a price (decided on my ex-sister). The greenhouse is about 30+ years old now, and is still able to stand winters. In back of the greenhouse is upper part of one of my apple trees. Way in back (top center), are red raspberries, and 3 small Asian pear trees, and a quince. Then a combination peach/plum/apricot tree, at the top right. Below the peach/plum and slightly left is whats left of my chives (wild onions), which are only seed balls right now, but the garlic chives to the right just above the wood boards, are nice and green. In that 6 inch orange pot at the bottom of my walk is one of my French Tarragon plants bought through Richters when very small. It rained heavily the last few days so some tall dill has dropped over on its side. I didn't get a photo of my fig tree, or the two small colonnade apple trees to the left of the greenhouse. Then further left, all the way to the back are many blueberry bushes my dad planted, and some horseradish I had planted some years ago too. One of the horseradish this time, has sent up a 3 foot very thick stalk with smaller leaves. Don't know what thats all about, but think it may be growing a HUGE root under there someplace. You can't see that as its behind all the 'gus ferns.

Tracey, I love those pics. I will have to keep a closer look and see exactly what is feasting on my Dill.

ksrogers....awesome, I can only hope for a back yard that cool & natural someday. =)

That "clump/seed pouch" or whatever I thought it was that ended up being some type of new growth looks exactly like a flower head for dill (yellow flowers like pic above) except it has yet to turn yellow as it's only about a week old. I'll get a pic of it up sometime this week. So, I imagine, whatever type of Dill this is (that's what I get for buying 2 plants from Wal-Mart...), it is close to flowering & therefore, not Mammoth.

Mammoth and fern leaf dill are the types in my picture. The taller ones are the obvious mammoth, and the smaller ones with less 'spray' tops are the fernleaf. Both sprouted all by themselves. Its kind of funny as I planted some dill seeds in May in another bare area and those are still only 2 inches tall. Looks like the most hardiest seeds are the ones that do the best surviving over winter and subsequent sprouting. The dill has even sprouted in between the concrete slabs (sand as a crack filler) going into the greenhouse. All kinds of small pollinating insects just love to forage over the tiny yellow flowers now. The furthest to the left one in the big dill mass cluster (just to the right of the big orange buckets) is now in its green seed stage. This is the oldest of the dill plants and will be the first to get put into a pickle jar. I like adding the seed heads to the half sour pickles, when the seeds are still a bit green. No cukes yet though.

sweet...my father-in-law has already canned about 20 or so cans of pickles...I'm jealous! lol...of course, he has a house & therefore, much more room for gardening than I do. Also, he started his seedlings in late March/early April. He gives me a few cans when they're ready to eat. He mainly uses the mammoth dill weed for picking (for dill pickles, of course...uses other stuff for b&b), but sometimes uses the seed too. I imagine my dill will be close to ready to use for pickling when my cucumbers are coming in. You seem to be on the mark about the dill. I imagine if I'd planted some last year, it would be quite nice looking by now. The potted one I have in the pics above is doing quite well lately, just slow going for it. One of the plants is starting to grow the flower, like I mentioned, but it may be 2 months before the yellow starts to come out. Those dill plants are one of only two plants I got at a store this year (all others started from seed). They've about doubled in size almost in the month and a half I've had them. My seedlings I planted at about the same time as I bought that one are only about 2-3 inches tall.

At the first of june the tallest dill was about 2 feet, with just all fern leaves. After it shot up in less than 3 weeks and had the flower head open quite fast. Once pollinated, in the last 2 weeks a few are now forming the green seed pod. There are many at flowering stage now, but cukes will be slow to arrive. My last planted of dill is very slow at only 2 inches after nearly a the whole month of June. With small grape tomatoes stoll green and various lettuce getting big, the cukes need to get moving. I think I may give the cuke plants a dose of Harpin, which is a natural spray that 'wakes' the plants up to faster, more vigourous growth for a nice growth spurt. B&B pickles, I like slicing with a crinkle cutter to get wavy slices. The are pickled with sliced onions in a bit sweeter celery and mustard seed pickle juice. If your going to make canned pickles, try adding Ball Pickle Crisp to each jar. It helps to buffer the strong vinegar and gives a longer lasting crisper pickle.

Cool...sounds like a plan. :) I got specific pickling cucumbers which don't get huge, are fine for containers (3 to a 12 inch pot, actually!) & have a 52 day harvest time. The seeds were only put to the dirt a little over a week ago & the seedlings are now about 3-4 inches tall. :) So, the only thing i'm worried about is the other way around...Will my dill weed be ready when my cukes are? One way or another, i'll have cukes in less than 2 months, so the pickling will commence with or w/o fresh garden dill.

The cuke seeds will need at least a month to start to produce a single flower. I just used a product that is a growth enhancer. Its totally organic and is a naturally occuring protien called Harpin. It was sprayed on my 2 foot tall cuke leaves today. With this, I expect to see very rapid growth now, and possibly a few blossoms very soon. My cuke seeds are in the soil planted May 28. A few didn't sprout after 12 days, so I added a few more. 4 different varieties of picklers, Heinz, National Pickler, County Fair and another, all next to each other. Even though they are pickling cukes if you let them stay on the plants too long they can grow VERY BIG and suck up all the water and nutrients and stop the rest from growing. I plant mine on one side of a 4 foot tall vertical wire trells and this helps to be able to see from both sides. If you start getting small round golfball type cukes, with tiny pointed ends, they are in too small a pot and need more waterings and a bit of a vegetable type fertilizer (NOT MIRACLE GROW!!). You don't want pickles to have chemical tastes of these products! I have to literally soak my plants almost daily. They have two soaker hoses positioned over some holes in a black plastic mulch where the cuke plants emerge. Not only does the water pass through the plastic fabric, but it also heats up the soil a little from the sunlight to get them to grow faster too. Nearby are my seedless watermelon plants that are finally starting to grow and blossom. I have set a honey bee scent lure nearby to help as well.

Back on topic. The Dill plant is practically dead, so I am going to keep the new ones in another area and see what happens. I was able to pick up some small plants at the nursery near me.

Keep in mind that dill does NOT transplant very well. I never had very good luck trying to start seeds indoors and planting even at a couple of inches tall when outside. Thats one reason I suggest planting many hardy dill seeds in an area outdoors in late October. It should survive about 50% and give nice strong plants by June.

ksrogers: Sounds like you have things planned out very well. :) My dill is starting to flower somewhat & my cukes are growing at a bean-like rate, so I think they will both be ready at the time I need them to be. If I end up needing to speed the growth of the cukes, I'll definitely try some Harpin. I'll need to also pick up some other type of veggie fertilizer as MG veggie is all I currently use when I do use some. The soaker method you described sounds awesome! I was wondering about all the plastic in your picture. :)

Mariposa...:I have a constant fight with my dill, as it seems to be a very finicky container plant. I have to water it just right & give it just the right amount of sun. Any extreme or lack of either & I have a battle on my hands to bring it back to life. So, some people may think growing it without using the method ksrogers mentions of fall plating is easy, but I find it to be somewhat challenging. Figure out your watering & sun and keep them steady and you should have some good dill down the road. I have yet to need to feed the dill with MG or whatever, so I wouldn't worry much about that.

The Harpin was applied yesterday evening. I went out today and all the plants were almost a foot taller, almost overnigh. I looked down, and low and behold a couple of yellow blossoms one with a tiny cuke that were not even there yesterday! Its great stuff, expensive and a tiny packet of granules is about a teaspoon per gallon of water. I sprayed my nearby seedless watermelon plants too, and peppers to get them to 'wake up', and then a spray on the of my rest of my young pea plants. I have used this a couple of years ago and grew an 9 foot tall yellow cherry tomato plant. Its syupport pole was 7 foot tall and the plant had to climb down two other poles nearby. That plant had maybe 6+ gallons of tiny yellow toms, only problem, LOTS of heat cracks, and the ground around them was an inch deep in yellow mush..

That stuff sounds awesome. I might have to pick some up just for my pepper plants, as they are in the ICU due to aphid/mite attacks. 2 out of the 3 I have left are doing well again, but one is still covered. I figure if I control the pests somewhat & make the plants grow like crazy, there won't be enough time for the pests to destroy all new growth. =) 9 foot tall yellow cherry tomato plant...wow...I hope you took pictures! I want to see. That's amazing.

Wish I did, but with that huge 'tree' the photos are just a lot of green tomato leaves and little yellow balls.

Thanks Tn.

These are new plants so I hope to have better luck.

My dill is now definitely flowering. Those "growths" I thought at first were seed pouches of some sorts, then just new stems, are actually flower heads. Does that mean my dill is ready to pick? I imagine it must mean this is not mammoth dill. My cukes have a month or so to go. If I have to pick my dill now, how do I preserve it for that long? Pics below.

OMG! You're so lucky to have great looking Dill. Mine were demolished by some unknown pest or creature. I don't think Dill is for me :-(

My dill is not that great...lol...as you can see, I have a bent branch or two & it's hard to keep the water/sun levels adequate. If you look at the bottom branches, the light colored ones are fading to brown somewhat. I think I'll get at least 2 strong plants out of that bucket though. I was thinking about yanking one to let the others grow better.