Okay, this may seem silly, but I grew quite a bit of dill this year hoping to sell some at market. My problem is, even though I am putting it in water immediately after cutting, it is still going limp. I would like to be able to sell the flower heads as well as the leaves. Any ideas on keeping it upright and not limp?

Oh, I am cutting the day before and putting in a walk in refrigerator, in water. I tried cutting the same morning and that didn't help.

Arlene,

I know nothing, but here's an idea that I found:

http://homecooking.about.com/o...

First, they say that going limp doesn't harm the flavor, but that evades the question. And you can't sell it frozen, though the author thinks that keeps flavor better than drying.

But they suggest, besides storing it cut in a glass with water, storing that cold, and also loosely wrapping some damp paper towels around the tops, then pulling a plastic bag over the towels.

Arlene, when I use to buy dill it was sitting in buckets of water and they still had the roots. So maybe just pull them up and not cut them? Haven't tried this myself so don't know if that would make a difference.

Oh Patti, what a perfect solution!!!! I'm going to try that this Saturday. Thank you!!!

Patti . Great idea!

I cut a stalk of immature fern leaf dill that I planned to use that day but never did, and not only did it stay nice in a cup of water on the windowsill, but it continued to mature. About 10 days later it sported flower heads!

Not sure if this type of dill would be an option for you, Arlene, but it's food for thought for next year.

Arlene, another thing to try is to put them in warm water instead of cold, then take it indoors and let it cool off slowly. You want the stems to keep taking up water. It's possible that the shock of going from your warm garden to the cold water and into the fridge is making it stop drinking. If you want the cut stems to stay alive and perky, you don't really need to make them think it's suddenly winter. I do this with basil, and it keeps on the counter in a glass of water at room temp for a week if I don't use it up.

Also take the container of warm water into the garden with you, and put the stems in it right away. The cut stems can suck up air bubbles if you don't get them into water, which then blocks the uptake of water and causes the tops to wilt.

Roses respond better if you put them immediately into warm water rather than cold, too.

I may have to try the fern leaf variety next year Chelle.

Elaine, I do take the container of water to the garden and plunge in as soon as I cut. And yes, I use warm water. Found out that trick last year.

My basil always droops a bit after cutting but I just leave it on the table outside and by morning it is perky again.