Suva, Dill, Dukat

Also known as: Dillweed, Suva, Shepu, Sowa
Hindi/Marathi names: Suva (सुवा), Shepu (शेपू)
Type: Annual Herb

Dukat dill is a premium, slow-bolting variety prized for its lush green foliage, rich aroma, and high essential-oil content. Compared to common dill, Dukat produces fuller leaves and holds its flavor longer in warm weather. The delicate, feathery fronds have a bright, clean taste that blends the sweetness of anise with a light citrus note — a perfect match for Indian, Mediterranean, and modern California kitchens alike.

In India, dill is known as suva or shepu and is loved in simple home dishes like suva bhaji (dill greens sautéed with lentils or potatoes) and suva paratha. In California’s climate, this herb thrives through the cool seasons and early spring, giving home gardeners a steady supply of fresh greens for both cooking and garnishing.

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Why Indian Gardeners in California Should Grow It

For Indian households in California, dill connects generations — it’s the familiar suva bhaji of home, now thriving in your own raised bed. The Dukat variety performs especially well in California’s mild winters and early springs, when daytime warmth and cool nights create perfect conditions for dense foliage.

• Culturally rooted: Grow your own suva for authentic Gujarati, Maharashtrian, and North Indian recipes.

• California-adapted: Handles cool-season weather beautifully and tolerates light heat better than most dill types.

• Fast and rewarding: Ready to harvest in just 35–50 days, providing continuous cuttings of fresh greens.

• Pollinator friendly: Umbel flowers attract bees and beneficial insects later in the season.

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Growing Information

Dukat dill grows best in full sun and well-drained soil enriched with compost. It prefers cool to mild temperatures, thriving in the same window as cilantro and spinach. In most of California, the best time to sow is fall through early spring — roughly October through March — so the plants can grow before the peak summer heat.

Sow seeds directly in the garden about ¼ inch deep, spacing them 6–8 inches apart. Germination usually takes 7–14 days at soil temperatures between 60–70 °F (16–21 °C). Keep soil evenly moist during early growth. Once plants are established, thin lightly and harvest outer leaves regularly to encourage new growth.

Dill is somewhat heat-sensitive: it can bolt quickly when daytime highs exceed 85 °F. To extend your harvest season, sow successions every few weeks in spring, or choose a partly shaded spot for late-spring crops.

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Harvest & Use

Harvest the tender fronds once plants are 8–12 inches tall — the flavor is freshest before flowering. Use chopped dill leaves in suva bhaji, salads, curries, yogurt dips, or pickles. Later in the season, the yellow flower heads can be used for pickling brines, and the mature seeds can be collected as a spice.

Dukat dill’s clean, aromatic flavor pairs beautifully with lentils, potatoes, and fish, bringing a vibrant herbal brightness to Indian-style meals.

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Quick Facts

• Botanical name: Anethum graveolens

• Variety: Dukat (slow-bolting, high flavor)

• Type: Annual herb

• Sun: Full sun (some afternoon shade tolerated)

• Days to germination: 7–14

• Days to maturity: 40–55

• Sowing season (California): Fall–spring (Oct–Mar)

• Spacing: 6–8 inches apart

• Water: Keep evenly moist, avoid waterlogging