Herb · Leafy / Soft Herb
Dill
Anethum graveolens
A feathery, fast-growing annual herb grown for its aromatic leaves and seed heads. Bolts quickly in heat, so it's best succession-planted through the season.
At a glance
Water
Medium
16–28 fl oz/wk
Light
Full sun
6–8 hrs/day
Space
Small
10 in
To maturity
40–70 days
Edible parts: Leaves, Seeds
Family: Carrot
Includes carrots, celery, parsley, and dill. Known for feathery foliage and umbrella-shaped flower clusters.
Harvest
Snip fresh leaves (dill weed) any time once the plant is established; let some heads flower and dry on the plant for seed.
Growing conditions
- Temperature
- 50–85 °F
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
- Soil type
- Well-draining loam, rich in organic matter
- Climate
- Cool-to-warm-season annual; bolts quickly once heat arrives.
- Growing season
- Direct-sow in spring, and succession-sow every few weeks through summer since plants bolt quickly.
- Nitrogen
- Low (≈20–40 ppm)
- Humidity
- Medium (≈40–70 %)
- Planting unit
- Seed
- Feeding schedule
- Light feeding is enough; heavy fertilizing pushes leafy growth but doesn't improve flavour and can hasten bolting.
- Pest resistance
- High - generally trouble-free, sometimes hosts swallowtail caterpillars
- Pests
- Swallowtail caterpillars: Green-and-black-banded caterpillars that feed on the foliage of herbs in the carrot family, eventually becoming swallowtail butterflies.
- Pruning
- Remove flower heads promptly if extending leaf harvest; otherwise let some go to seed.
Notes
Keep well away from carrots, fennel, and other Apiaceae relatives - shared pollen risks cross-pollination, and flowering dill is reported to be allelopathic toward carrots. See Companions & antagonists.
Where it grows
- Container / PotIdeal— 12in+ pot depth for its taproot.
- In-Ground GardenIdeal
- Raised BedIdeal
- HydroponicPossible— Its taproot makes it less common than other herbs, but it can work in deep media-bed systems.
- WindowsillPossible— Needs 6+ hours of light and gets tall and leggy without it; grow light recommended indoors.
- Vertical / TrellisNot recommended— No climbing or vining habit, though tall plants sometimes benefit from light staking.
Companions & antagonists
- Antagonistic: Carrot — Mutual entry for the dill/carrot cross-pollination and allelopathy risk - see carrot's companion notes.
Sources
- Dill — Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, Aggie Horticulture
- How to Plant, Grow, and Harvest Dill — Harvest to Table
- Incompatible garden plants — Ask Extension