Growing Dill

Anethum graveolens : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
                P P    

(Best months for growing Dill in New Zealand - cool/mountain regions)

  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 50°F and 68°F. (Show °C/cm)
  • Space plants: 6 inches apart
  • Harvest in 8-12 weeks. Use leaves before flowering.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Cabbage, Coriander, Fennel, tomatoes, broccoli

Your comments and tips

Post a comment or question Display Newest first | Oldest first, Show comments for New Zealand | for all countries
09 Jan 14, Mick (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
DILL can get mildew some years use bi -carb spray or milk sunny spot helps every year in Australia is different may be the same everywhere else I dunno
Reply or Post a new comment
26 Aug 13, hamish (Australia - tropical climate)
Dill is an amazing companion plant. Plant it amongst your brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc) and it will keep away the cabbage moths. Plant it a little earlier to set up the patch. It's wonderful to eat with any potato or cheese dish and has abundant seed to replant.
Reply or Post a new comment
31 Aug 12, Lee (Australia - temperate climate)
I wouldn't even bother with planting them in pots first. They grow like weeds! I didn't mean to grow them last year but the wind blew a packet of my seeds onto my gravel walk way and since then, they have flourish and seeded themselves. Now I have to actually pull them out otherwise they would take over. Mind you the gravel walkway is compacted and doesn't have any nutrients at all. Seriously, just throw some seeds out in your garden and let them take care of the rest.
Reply or Post a new comment
13 Dec 11, (Australia - temperate climate)
The simplest way would be to use a degradable pot and plant the whole thing. There are ready made peat ones available at nurseries, or if you prefer not to use peat you can make biodegradable pots out of newspaper (a quick google will reveal instructions). You plant the whole pot, which if the soil is kept moist will soon break down. Soil blocks are another solution (I use these, and they're great!) but require a soil-blocker to make them.
Reply or Post a new comment
07 Dec 11, Bekster (Australia - temperate climate)
Why does dill seem to not like being repotted? Every time I've tried it dies within a week. I've had very little success trying to grow from seed. Any tips for reducing shock and successfully repotting dill would be much appreciated:-)
Reply or Post a new comment
05 Jan 15, Michael Ruth (Australia - tropical climate)
Dill grows a taproot, therefore it does not transplant well. The reason for its intolerance is that the taproot is usually damaged during transplantation or is replanted such that the taproot can't grow, i.e. in packed soil.
Reply or Post a new comment
23 Nov 11, John Pannell (Australia - temperate climate)
I live near the ocean in Falcon, south of Mandurah, WA. I have tried to grow dill many times without success. I blamed the soil or the salty air. Three days ago my wife brought home a healthy dill plant about 25 cms tall in a pot. The next day the main stem was looking a little wilted. I cut it off and used it in a sauce. This morning the whole plant is frizzled. Any suggestions, please?
Reply or Post a new comment
27 Feb 11, Ben Jeansson (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
The last few years we have been unable to raise dill anywhere in the garden. It has been ruined by what looks like mildew. A greyish powder that covers the whole plant. In the early 2000 we were very successful with growing dill, but now we have given up trying. Can you advice a remedy because we miss our favourite herb. Thanks
Reply or Post a new comment
28 Oct 10, Karina (New Zealand - cool/mountain climate)
Whole flowered dill is also great for pickling cucumbers both in just salt water (salty gherkins made in Eastern Europe) or the traditional vinegar gherkins - yum!
Reply or Post a new comment
23 Sep 10, Jay (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Dill is an amazing companion plant. Plant it amongst your brassicas (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower etc) and it will keep away the cabbage moths. Plant it a little earlier to set up the patch. It's wonderful to eat with any potato or cheese dish and has abundant seed to replant.
Reply or Post a new comment
Showing 31 - 40 of 40 comments
See comments for all plants

A late reply.... but none the less- here goes. You have planted incorrectly. That is, you should not interplant plants that like little water (dry) with heavy water consumers. This is part of the idea of companion planting - where you plant plants with similar needs, or plants that benefit each other in the same area. For example: carrots and tomatoes work well together; they have similar water requirements and they like the same type of soil. Further carrots are tap rooted and tomatoes have roots like fibers; this means you can plant them closer together and they should not bother each other. On the other hand a rosemary should not be planted near a tomato since rosemary is a "dry herb" and does not want to be as wet as the tomato. Your dry herbs are : rosemary. oregano. tarragon. thyme, marjoram and lavender (plus artesima/wormwood etc). Watering requirement approximate this for most vegetables: about 1.5 inches of water per week... maybe more, maybe less; it depends on a lot of factors. Look up by vegetable how much water is needed--- then use this calculation to figure out how to put that much water on: The calculations below are a good starting point; but watering needs change based on the weather (lots of dry heat means lots of water lost to evaporation, overcast and damp means very little water will "dry off") -- so you do need to adjust; but the calculations below might give you some idea of where to start. Let's say you have a garden bed that is 4' x 6' And lets say you want to put in two inches of water. So how much water is that ? First let's calculate the area of your bed in inches squared area = 4' x 6' area in inches = 48" x 72" area in inches = 3456 square inches So we want to cover 3456 square inches of garden with 2 inches of water So what we really need is the VOLUME (cubic inches) of water we need to cover this area Volume of water needed = 3456 sq inches of garden x 2" of water Volume of water needed = 6912 cubic inches of water ---> but what is a cubic inch of water in a measurement I understand ? Using a google app to convert cubic inches of water to gallons we input the number of cubic inches and it tells us what that is in gallons. So you need to add 30 gallons of water to have watered your 4' x 6' plot with 2 inches of water
- Celeste

Please provide your email address if you are hoping for a reply


All comments are reviewed before displaying on the site, so your posting will not appear immediately

Gardenate App

Put GardenGrow in your pocket. Get our app for iPhone, iPad or Android to add your own plants and record your plantings and harvests

Planting Reminders

Join 60,000+ gardeners who already use GardenGrow and subscribe to the free GardenGrow planting reminders email newsletter.


Home | Vegetables and herbs to plant | Climate zones | About GardenGrow | Contact us | Privacy Policy

This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. GardenGrow is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
We cannot help if you are overrun by giant slugs.