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Planting and Growing Dill

Fresh dill Anethum graveolens growing on the vegetable bed. Annual herb, family Apiaceae.

Learn how to plant, grow, and harvest dill with The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s plant guide.

Image Credit:
Skrypnykov Dmytro
Botanical Name
Anethum graveolens
Grown as
Annual
Toxicity
Non-toxic
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Water Needs
Moderate
Height
1–3 feet
Spread
1–3 feet
Soil pH
Acidic
Neutral
Bloom Time
Summer
Flower Color
Yellow
Special Features
Container-Friendly
Cut Flower
Fragrant
Low Maintenance
Attracts Butterflies
Attracts Pollinators
Attracts Songbirds
Deer-resistant
Rabbit-resistant
Resilience
Cold Hardy
Plant Type
Herbs
Written By: Catherine Boeckmann Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

With its delicate fronds, tangy flavor, and natural pest-repelling powers, dill is the herb that does it all. Whether you’re crafting crunchy pickles, tossing together a creamy potato salad, or looking to attract pollinators to your garden, this feathery favorite is a must-grow. 

Best of all? It lives up to its nickname “dill weed”—because it practically grows like one! Let’s dig into how to plant, grow, and harvest dill with ease.

Native to Eurasia and the Mediterranean, dill is most at home in warmer climates. It’s an annual herb, so to create a permanent patch of dill, allow some of the plants to flower and go to seed each year—you’ll have plenty of early dill to start the next growing season. 

Buy Seeds Now

Dill attracts beneficial insects such as wasps and other predatory insects to your garden and is a host plant for the caterpillar of the black swallowtail butterfly.

Black swallowtail butterfly caterpillar on dill flowers.
Black swallowtail caterpillar on dill flowers.

Planting

Where to Plant Dill

Dill plants grow best in full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight). Also, choose a location that is protected from strong winds, as dill’s tall foliage can be blown over easily.

Choose a planting site with well-draining soil rich in organic matter. The soil’s pH should ideally be between slightly acidic and neutral (6.5–7.0).

Plant dill near cabbage, brussels sprouts, broccoli, and other brassicas; dill is thought to improve their growth and protect them from pests. Keep it away from carrots, however, as it can decrease yields. Learn more about companion planting! 

According to Jill MacKenzie and Shirley Mah Kooyman of the University of Minnesota Extension, “Growing dill indoors is possible, as long as you provide enough light.”

When to Plant Dill

  • Dill seeds should be sown directly into the garden (dill puts down a taproot, so, like carrots, it doesn’t transplant well) after the threat of frost has passed in the spring. See local frost dates.
  • For the best germination results, the soil temperature should be between 60° and 70ºF (15° and 21°C). Seedlings should appear in 10 to 14 days.
  • If you’re planting dill for pickling, sow dill seeds every few weeks until midsummer to ensure a constant supply into fall.

How to Plant Dill

  • Sow dill seeds about ¼ inch deep.
  • Seedlings should appear after 10 to 14 days. Wait another 10 to 14 days, then thin the plants to about 10 to 12 inches apart (if they aren’t already spaced well enough).

Check out our video to learn more about the benefits of growing dill in your garden:

Growing

  • Water the plants freely during the growing season, ensuring that they don’t dry out excessively.
  • In order to ensure a season-long fresh supply of dill, continue sowing seeds every few weeks. For an extended harvest of the leaves, do not allow flowers to grow on the plants.
  • If dill is allowed to go to seed and the soil isn’t disturbed too much, more dill plants will likely appear next spring.

Dill foliage, flower, and seed

Harvesting

  • As soon as the plant has four to five leaves, you can start harvesting. Harvest older leaves first. Pinch off the leaves or cut them off with scissors.
  • If you have a lot of plants, you can take entire stalks.

Pests and Problems

  • Leaf spot and occasionally a few other types of fungal leaf and root diseases

Types

  • ‘Fernleaf’ dill is a compact variety that works well in containers and is not prone to bolting.
  • ‘Bouquet’ is a larger variety that produces a lot of seeds.
  • ‘Mammoth’ is another tall variety and is considered one of the best for pickling and other culinary uses, such as in potato salads, cucumber soup, and fish dishes.

Wit and Wisdom

  • For sweeter breath, chew dill seeds.
  • If you grow your own dill and cucumbers, you can make dill pickles!
  • Have you ever wondered, what exactly is a “kosher” dill pickle? Kosher is from a Hebrew word meaning “right,” “proper,” or “fit.” It is usually applied to food, especially to meat that has been slaughtered and prepared according to the prescribed manner. Kosher salt is not treated with additives and is as close to pure solar salt as you can get. If you taste a kosher dill pickle, you’ll know it has been prepared in the best possible way.

Herbs

About The Author

Catherine Boeckmann

Catherine Boeckmann

Executive Digital Editor and Master Gardener

Catherine Boeckmann loves nature, stargazing, and gardening so it’s not surprising that she and The Old Farmer’s Almanac found each other. She leads digital content for the Almanac website, and is also a certified master gardener in the state of Indiana.

Read more from Catherine Boeckmann

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Comments

<span>Audrey Masterson</span> Mon, 05/08/2017 - 23:09
Yeah it's sounds like a slow death, dehydrating whilst stuck to a piece of tape. Just buy lady birds I would suggest.
<span>Cmk</span> Wed, 06/14/2017 - 12:04
That would not be a slow death. You can very easily fold the tape in half and step on it after you are done collecting the bugs and poof, instant death. They are bugs, I don't know why you would be worried about them having a slow death anyway.
<span>Larry Reed</span> Sat, 07/08/2017 - 13:18
Lol! Now that's funny! And practical, too. I don't know why anyone would be concerned about the feelings of insects. Hundreds of billions of insects die every day- that's just an essential part of the cycle of life. Plus, many insects, given half the chance, would gladly decimate our crops, starve us to death, then feast on our corpses. There's good bugs and there's bad bugs.
<span>Christy</span> Fri, 10/28/2016 - 09:57
I have have attempted to start dill from seeds for the last 2 years, sowing directly into the ground, plenty of sun and water, bought seed in a packet one year then used seed harvested from another gardener last year. I could not get my seed to sprout, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, great article!
<span>Allen Fields</span> Thu, 12/15/2016 - 22:08
I purchased a miracle aero system with dill. Works great.
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 10/28/2016 - 11:04

We are inclined to think the problem is in the soil. Dill will grow in poor soil; but if you have not already, you could try well-drained/draining composted soil, and full sun. There seems to be enthusiasts of both camps (poor soil, composted soil). It does not do well when over watered or in rainy season. One other thought, going back to the soil: What is the pH of your soil? Dill likes a neutral pH of between 5.5 and 6.5. An extreme acid or alkaline soil could be the issue here, if all else is as it should be.

We hope this helps!

 <span>A Parker</span> Mon, 08/29/2016 - 00:40
I bought dillweed at the farmers market to make dill pickles. It had a lot of aphids on it we washed it in salt and vintages but we're still seeing them. How do you get them off of harvested dill weed?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Tue, 08/30/2016 - 09:41

The aphids are sticky so you need a vinegar rinse to release them.  Add a cup of white vinegar to a bowl of cold water and wash the dill in the water. Then rinse a few times in vinegar-free water.  If it's still too heavily invested, talk to the place where you got them.  Also, for what it's worth, eating an aphid is harmless protein, but we understand that you wouldn't want to eat bugs!

 <span>Gregg</span> Wed, 06/29/2016 - 10:34
Hi there, I'm trying to establish a solid dill patch that will reseed itself year after year. (I know it can be done in my climate because a relative of mine has a beautiful and dense patch that comes back on its own every year.) I had a couple plants that were flowering, but the flowers were all just destroyed by hail. I was thinking about scattering some dill seeds from a packet in the vicinity of the plants around the time that the seeds would have been falling themselves, in an effort to simulate the self-seeding process. Is there a time in the late summer/autumn when it would be best to do something like that?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Wed, 06/29/2016 - 16:23

The ideal time to sow dill seeds directly into the ground is late April through May. But given the fact that several crops can be harvested during the summer and fall by planting seeds every 2-3 weeks through midsummer, you might want to start a batch now.