How to grow Dill

Anethum graveolens · dill weed

A fragrant annual herb with feathery leaves and flat heads of yellow flowers, used fresh and for pickling. Seedlings stand light frost.

Quick facts

Type	Herb
Family	Apiaceae
Light	Full sun
Soil pH	5.5–6.5
Frost	tolerates light frost
Soil for sowing	from 7 °C
Germination	14 days
Sowing to harvest	40 days
Where it grows	Greenhouse, Open ground, At home

When to plant

It tolerates light frost: sow straight into the bed about three weeks before your last spring frost.

In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.

The first harvest comes about 40 days after the shoots appear.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Greenhouse

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	—
Flowering	every 3 days	—	—
Harvest	every 3 days	—	—

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 4 days	—	—
Flowering	every 4 days	—	—
Harvest	every 4 days	—	—

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	—
Flowering	every 3 days	—	—
Harvest	every 3 days	—	—

Growing notes

Light

Needs full sun and a warm, sheltered spot.

Soil

Fertile, free-draining soil, pH 5.5–6.5; dislikes cold, soggy conditions.

Care

Sow in place from a week or two before the last frost, barely covering the seed, because the taproot makes seedlings hard to transplant; sow again every 2–4 weeks for a steady supply. Thin to about 20 cm. Water in dry spells, as drought and heat make it bolt, but do not overwater, which invites powdery mildew. No feeding is needed in soil enriched before sowing. Cut leaves once plants are a few centimetres tall, until the flower stalks form.

Pests and diseases of Dill

White mould (Sclerotinia)

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.