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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>Lindak</span> Sat, 06/20/2015 - 21:41
It seems as though I did everything wrong: I started by planting my seeds in those little pellets. Then I transplanted them into a hanging basket (only thing I had left to put it in) and hung it high outside. We've had a really hot spring and . . . my basket is full of dill plants 6"-12". My goal is to harvest the dill for pickles.
<span>Heather E Ryan</span> Wed, 04/01/2015 - 15:29
Hi. I'm brand new to gardening. I started dill seeds in a container outside and I had about four nice green sprouts, maybe a half an inch to an inch tall. Brand new things, then they disappeared overnight! I'm guessing something ate them, but not sure what. I have basil, cilantro, mint, oregano and thyme sprouts nearby but they were not touched. What do you think ate my dill sprouts and how do I prevent this from happening again? I'm in grow zone 9 in the Central Valley in CA. Thanks for the help!
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 04/02/2015 - 09:59

Hi, Heather, It's difficult to provide a specific answer but we can tell you that dill does not transplant easily; it is best sown in the ground. Your failure could have been lack of light. It doesn't seem likely that something ate the dill; if so, it may have been something in the soil, but that seems unlikely too, if you're using a soil-less seed-starting medium.

 

 <span>Campersan</span> Wed, 10/15/2014 - 16:29
I tried herbs and got little green inch worms, they made little tents and went to sleep. One finally hatched, I think it was a hairstreak butterfly. They can have all the basil and oregano they want for the pleasure of watching their lifecycle. I live in So.Calif. Can I plant dill anytime or only in spring, summer, fall? Am I wrong, won't anything put on plants to kills bad bugs, kill the good ones, like bees and lady bugs?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Thu, 10/16/2014 - 15:47

You can plant dill seed anytime as long as the soil is not frozen. There are organic sprays that will kill the bad bugs and not the good ones. Neem oil is one. Weekly use of neem oil spray will not hurt beneficial insects.

 

 <span>Anita Robello</span> Wed, 03/25/2015 - 12:14
What kind of bugs does neem oil kill and where can I find it. I also heard that sprinkling garlic powder around your garden deters bugs if that true?
<a title="View user profile." href="/author/editors">The Editors</a> Fri, 03/27/2015 - 10:38
Neem oil is sold at garden centers as well as through online stores, including Amazon.com. There are different products and formulas offered by several manufacturers. Neem oil is used to control a variety of insects, including whiteflies, aphids, mealybugs, Japanese beetles, mites, thrips, cabbage worms, fungus gnats, leafminers, moth larvae, and scale. For specifics, check the label on the product that you are purchasing to see the target insects and any precautions (such as using this away from ponds waterways, as neem oil can be toxic to fish). Garlic powder itself has been used to repel weevils in stored grains and to deter certain fungal diseases in the soil. Many gardeners use garlic spray or garlic oil spray to repel certain insects and as a fungicide. There are several formulas.
<span>Dillarama</span> Sun, 08/24/2014 - 00:14
I found lots of little green bugs on my dill. After soaking and rinsing it in gasoline, all the bugs came right off! You don't need to use premium, just regular gas works great! Rinse with cold water before using in pickles.
<span>Jps</span> Wed, 07/29/2015 - 04:07

O-M-G, people!!!!! This post was so obviously a (mildly funny) joke. Lighten up!!!

 <span>C Weaver King</span> Wed, 06/17/2015 - 23:29
Um, I hope you were joking when you suggested using Gasoline as a bug killer on your Dill plants! Not only is it dangerous to ingest as was pointed out to you already, but you are also poisoning the Earth when you pour Gasoline on the ground. It will not only kill the bugs, it will kill the plants and kill all the good things in the soil so that nothing will grow there the next year! Finally, Gasoline seeps into our water supply poisoning our water. Why do you think it's so important to make sure that the underground storage tanks at gas stations don't leak into the water supply?