SARE » Products » The Northeast Crop Production and Harvest Manual » Dill

The Northeast Crop Production and Harvest Manual

Dill

Northeast SARE
Jean-Paul Courtens | 2025

SARE products

Harvest

Disclaimer
Check with your certifier or the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI) that any products mentioned here are included in the OMRI list of approved products, as the list of approved products changes annually. Also, follow all label instructions carefully when using any product. Mention of a product does not imply endorsement by USDA, the SARE program, or the author. Exclusion does not imply a negative evaluation.

YieldAn average of 0.07 lbs. per row foot
StandardsHarvesting1
3–4 boxes per person, per hour
Washing
12–15 boxes per person, per hour
Tools and supplies neededHarvest knives and plastic 1 ⅓-bushel boxes
1Harvest rates don't include the time required to transport crops from the field to a wash and pack shed or storage facility.

Ready-to-harvest and quality indicators

  • 7–10 inches tall, dark green
  • Harvest without weeds and before the plant bolts (forms a seed head).

Harvest procedures

  • Wash hands and sanitize knives before harvesting dill.
  • Harvest in the morning hours to avoid field heat accumulation.
  • Use different bins for harvesting in the field and for distribution.
  • When hand harvested with a knife:
    • Hold a small bunch of leaves at the top of the plant with one hand and cut with one motion with the other hand.
    • If making bunches with the roots attached, pull out the whole plant and form a bunch. This will make washing more time consuming.
    • Place the bunches in a box with the stems facing the same direction.

Washing and storage procedures

  • Wash hands and rinse boots before entering the wash-and-pack shed, and cover up field clothes with a bib. If a long-sleeve shirt contains soil, remove this as well.
  • Add a sanitizer to the wash water. Use the guide How to Wash Produce Using a Peracetic Acid Solution to establish how much peracetic acid solution to add to water.
  • Using a bubbler to agitate the water reduces leaf damage. Rinse the dill at least twice. For the last rinse you can use hydrocooled water.
  • Shake excess water off the bunches or allow them to drain before packing.
  • Pack 3 lbs. or 24–36 bunches in sealed ½-bushel boxes.

Additional resources

Packing and storage summary for dill

Cleaning in the fieldRemove dead and yellow leaves.
Packing in the fieldPack loosely in regular boxes.
Packing for deliveryWholesale distribution is mostly done in bunches. Pack 24–36 bunches into ½-bushel boxes and 48–72 into waxed 1 ⅑ boxes.
StorageAt 32°–41° and 95–100% humidity. Pack in closed containers or bags for storage that’s longer than a day.

This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and should not be construed to represent any official USDA or U.S. Government determination or policy.