Dill Growing and Harvest

Easy tips for growing dill in a home vegetable, kitchen, or herb garden.

Learn how to plant, grow, care for, and harvest dill plants when backyard vegetable gardening.

Flowering leads ultimately to seeding, an important part of the herbal calendar, as many plants are cultivated for their seeds.

Dill is a biennial warm-season herb, very sensitive to light-freezes and frost. Dill is not technically a perennial plant, because a single plant only lives 2 years. It is quite proficient at self seeding (if allowed). If let grow naturally, A single dill plant should come back year after year. As a seed, its used primarily for pickling (dill pickles). Seeds can also be ground or used whole to flavor meats, fish, eggs, cheese and vegetable dishes. Fresh leaves are often used in salads, soups, fish, eggs, and potatoes or as a garnish if you run out of(or get bored with) parsley. You can also make a marvelous leek and potato soup seasoned with dill.

Growing Dill in Herb and Container Gardens

When choosing sites for herbs and planning a small border, dill is best planted for the middle section. 

The plants grow 1 ½ feet to 3 ½ feet tall. 

Herbs are ideal subjects not only for conventional pots, but containers of all types. 

Dill is an also an excellent choice for planting in sunny window boxes. 

A window box makes a perfect herb garden, accessible at all times and changing with the seasons if a supply of potted plants is kept in reserve. 

Hardy and self-seeding, this fern-like plant attracts honeybees when allowed to mature to 2 or 3 feet tall.

Growing dill needs just 8 inch spacing on all sides.

If harvested young, it can be inter-planted with cucumbers, cabbage, onions, lettuce, and carrots.

Dill weed is a tasty addition to soups, salads, creamed entrees, and cheese or tofu dips.

It is also a staple in making vinegars and pickles.

How to Grow Dill

Seeds germinate in 21 days. 

Sow seeds directly in the garden after last frost. 

For transplants, start seeds 8 to 10 weeks before setting out, which can be done after last frost. 

For a fall harvest, sow seeds directly in the garden in July

Planting Dill

Dill does best in moderately rich, well-drained, moist soil. 

The preferred pH range is 5.0 to 7.0. 

Grow dill around fruit trees since it attracts pollinating bees. 

The herb is known as a growth-enhancing companion around cole crops, lettuce, and onions. 

It also has the reputation to repel insects from corn. 

Make succession plantings every three weeks from May to August for a fresh supply of leaves and seeds.

Harvesting Dill

Harvest a few leaves as needed from plants throughout the season. They are at their best before flower heads develop. The leaves, known as dill weed, can be dried. Seeds heads are ready for harvest 8 weeks after planting. Let them turn completely brown prior to picking, but catch them before they shatter.