by Stefani Andrews

Created on: May 15, 2011   Last Updated: May 17, 2011

Dill is a very easy herb to grow in most gardening climates, making it the perfect choice for any beginning gardener and a favored one among experienced gardeners as well.  It is a very hardy plant and will thrive in almost any circumstances, including container gardens.  It is an annual so it has to be replanted yearly.  However in the right condition if the plants are left to mature and reseed the soil, occasionally they can grow into the following season as well. 

Dill plants do grow to be tremendously tall, an average of about 36 inches, so they need to be planted carefully.  A very windy area could damage the plant or any surrounding plants so it should be sheltered from strong winds as much as possible.  Also since it is so tall it’s important to be sure it won’t shade any other plants in the garden that may not do well in shade.  The absolute ideal location to plant dill is a spot that gets a lot of sun and is protected from the wind. 

Since dill is such a hardy herb it will grow well in most garden soils, so it is not vital to take too many extra steps to ensure that the plant is successful.  To provide optimal growing conditions the soil should be very deeply tilled.  Dill has very long roots, so the deeper the roots can extend the more the plant will thrive and be able to weather through any storms or strong winds.  A few weeks before planting it is recommended to mix compost into the soil to allow the soil to have as much nutrition as possible for the plants while they adjust and recover to being transplanted if using seedlings, or to have the nutrients needed to germinate and sprout if growing from seed.

This is an herb that tends to germinate very rapidly if grown from seed.  Plant the dill seed in the spring to give them a longer growing season.  Cover the seed lightly with soil and then moisten the soil but be careful not to drown the seed, as that will cause it to rot and never sprout.  Within about two weeks there should be little sprouts popping up through the soil.  Once the seedlings have began to grow it is important to thin the plants to be about 12 inches apart to give the remaining plants the most room to grow.  The growing season can also be extended by planting several plants every few weeks to staggering their growth and maturation.  It is also important to note that dill should not be planted next to carrots or cabbage.  They do not compliment each other and could strangle each other out of the garden.  Onions on the other hand are a perfect companion to dill.

Unless the climate is unusually dry, periodic watering should be sufficient for the dill to thrive.  Also since these plants have deep roots, a drip irrigation system can also be beneficial for deep watering. 

Throughout the growing season, it is safe to prune and harvest the leaves for use in cooking.  However, leaf production will stop once the plant begins to flower.  If only the leaves are wanted for harvesting, the plant can be pruned down to 2 inches from the ground once the flower begins to appear.  This can stimulate the plant to regrow and produce more leaves that can be harvested. The seeds should also be harvested and dried in order to replant dill the following season.  Wait until the seeds have ripened and turned brown.  Cut off the flower heads and leave a little bit of the stem attached.  Place the flower head in a bag and allow to dry upside down.  Once the flower is dry the seeds are easily harvested just by shaking the bag to dislodge the dried seeds.

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