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Herb Full Sun Moderate water

Dill

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Feathery herb essential for pickles, fish, and Scandinavian cooking. Hardy enough to withstand light frosts down to 2°C, dill performs best when daytime temperatures stay between 12°C and 22°C. It needs full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) and moderate, even watering throughout the growing season — leaves are ready for picking in about 40-60 days. An aromatic addition to any garden, it dries and freezes well for year-round use in the kitchen.

Harvest 40-60 days
Temp Range 2°C — 28°C
Frost Tolerant ❄

Quick Answer: How to Grow Dill

Dill takes 40-60 days to harvest. It grows best in 12–22°C with full sun and moderate watering. Dill is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to 2°C. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Dill in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Moderate
❄️
Frost
Tolerant
📅
Harvest
40-60 days

Temperature Range

12-22°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 12–22°C Tolerates: 2–28°C
Tropical suitable: No
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Sow directly -- doesn't transplant well. Self-seeds freely. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Water steadily but avoid soggy soil. A 5-cm layer of organic mulch helps balance moisture and suppress weeds.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: 2°C to 28°C
  • Optimal growing: 12°C to 22°C
  • Harvest in 40-60 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Dill is frost-tolerant, meaning it can survive light frosts and even thrive in cooler temperatures.
  • 🌱 Dill needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Dill is a fast-growing, cool-season annual herb that strongly prefers to be sown directly — transplanting disturbs its taproot and causes immediate bolting. Sow seeds 6mm deep in well-drained, fertile soil at pH 5.8–6.5. Thin seedlings to 15–20cm apart in rows 30cm apart. Direct-sow in spring as soon as soil can be worked, or again in late summer for an autumn crop. Dill requires full sun — 8+ hours daily — to produce strongly aromatic foliage. Water moderately — 2.5cm per week — allowing the top 3cm to dry between waterings; overwatering reduces essential oil concentration. Fertilise lightly with a balanced fertiliser once at sowing — excess nitrogen produces lush but less aromatic growth. Important: never plant dill near fennel, as they cross-pollinate easily and the offspring of both lose their distinct character. Do plant near tomatoes, cabbage, and cucumbers — dill attracts beneficial predatory wasps and hoverflies. Allow plants to self-seed for volunteers the following year.

Common Pests & Problems

Parsley worm (Papilio polyxenes — the swallowtail caterpillar) feeds on dill and is arguably the most charismatic garden 'pest' — beautiful green and black striped larvae produce butterflies of tremendous value. Relocate rather than kill; a few defoliated dill plants are a worthwhile trade. Aphids target the tender umbels (flower heads) — spray with insecticidal soap. Damping off kills young seedlings at soil level in wet, cool conditions — sow when soil is warm and ensure good drainage.

Harvest & Storage

Harvest dill weed (the feathery leaves) from the time the plant has 4–5 leaf clusters, cutting stems from the outside. For strongest flavour, harvest before the plant flowers. For dill seeds (used in pickling), wait until the green seeds have begun to turn tan-brown — cut entire umbels into a paper bag. Fresh dill is extremely perishable, wilting within hours at room temperature. Store upright in a glass of water covered loosely for 3–5 days. Freeze chopped dill in oil or water in ice cube trays — this preserves flavour far better than drying.

Popular Varieties

Bouquet is the most widely grown dill — tall (90–120cm), heavy-seeded, and excellent for both weed and seed production in pickling. Fernleaf is a dwarf, compact variety reaching only 45cm — excellent for containers and small gardens, with slow bolting and dense, fernlike foliage. Dukat (Tetra Dill) is a Danish variety selected for exceptionally high essential oil content and large, aromatic leaves — the best choice for foliage harvest quality. Mammoth is a very tall (150cm), large-umbelled variety bred specifically for dill seed production in the pickle industry.

Companion Plants for Dill

Good Companions

These plants grow well alongside Dill:

Avoid Planting Near

Keep these plants away from Dill:

Learn more about companion planting.

Where to Grow Dill

Dill can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK medium
Amsterdam, NL medium
Ankara, TR medium
Antalya, TR medium
Athens, GR medium
Barcelona, ES medium
Bari, IT medium
Belgrade, RS medium
Bergen, NO medium
Berlin, DE medium
Bilbao, ES medium
Bologna, IT medium
Bordeaux, FR medium
Bratislava, SK medium
Brussels, BE medium
Bucharest, RO medium
Budapest, HU medium
Catania, IT medium
Cologne, DE medium
Copenhagen, DK medium
Corfu, GR medium
Cork, IE medium
Dublin, IE medium
Dubrovnik, HR medium
Edinburgh, GB medium
Florence, IT medium
Frankfurt, DE medium
Gdansk, PL medium
Genoa, IT medium
Glasgow, GB medium
Gothenburg, SE medium
Hamburg, DE medium
Helsinki, FI medium
Heraklion, GR medium
Istanbul, TR medium
Izmir, TR medium
Krakow, PL medium
Kyiv, UA medium
Limassol, CY medium
Lisbon, PT medium
Ljubljana, SI medium
London, GB medium
Lyon, FR medium
Madrid, ES medium
Malaga, ES medium
Marseille, FR medium
Milan, IT medium
Munich, DE medium
Naples, IT medium
Nice, FR medium
Nicosia, CY medium
Oslo, NO medium
Palermo, IT medium
Paris, FR medium
Porto, PT medium
Poznan, PL medium
Prague, CZ medium
Reykjavik, IS medium
Riga, LV medium
Rome, IT medium
Seville, ES medium
Sofia, BG medium
Split, HR medium
Stockholm, SE medium
Strasbourg, FR medium
Stuttgart, DE medium
Tallinn, EE medium
Thessaloniki, GR medium
Tirana, AL medium
Toulouse, FR medium
Turin, IT medium
Turku, FI medium
Valencia, ES medium
Valletta, MT medium
Verona, IT medium
Vienna, AT medium
Vilnius, LT medium
Warsaw, PL medium
Zagreb, HR medium
Zurich, CH medium

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN medium
Almaty, KZ medium
Bali, ID medium
Bandung, ID medium
Bangalore, IN medium
Bangkok, TH medium
Beijing, CN medium
Busan, KR medium
Cebu, PH medium
Chandigarh, IN medium
Chengdu, CN medium
Chennai, IN medium
Chiang Mai, TH medium
Chittagong, BD medium
Chongqing, CN medium
Coimbatore, IN medium
Colombo, LK medium
Da Nang, VN medium
Dalian, CN medium
Davao, PH medium
Delhi, IN medium
Dhaka, BD medium
Dharan, NP medium
Fukuoka, JP medium
Galle, LK medium
Guangzhou, CN medium
Hangzhou, CN medium
Hanoi, VN medium
Harbin, CN medium
Ho Chi Minh City, VN medium
Hong Kong, HK medium
Hyderabad, IN medium
Incheon, KR medium
Indore, IN medium
Islamabad, PK medium
Jaipur, IN medium
Jakarta, ID medium
Jeju, KR medium
Johor Bahru, MY medium
Karachi, PK medium
Kathmandu, NP medium
Kochi, IN medium
Kolkata, IN medium
Kuala Lumpur, MY medium
Kunming, CN medium
Kyoto, JP medium
Lahore, PK medium
Lucknow, IN medium
Manila, PH medium
Mumbai, IN medium
Nagoya, JP medium
Nanjing, CN medium
Nha Trang, VN medium
Okinawa, JP medium
Osaka, JP medium
Pattaya, TH medium
Penang, MY medium
Phnom Penh, KH medium
Pune, IN medium
Sapporo, JP medium
Seoul, KR medium
Shanghai, CN medium
Shenzhen, CN medium
Siem Reap, KH medium
Singapore, SG medium
Surabaya, ID medium
Surat, IN medium
Taipei, TW medium
Tashkent, UZ medium
Tbilisi, GE medium
Tokyo, JP medium
Ulaanbaatar, MN medium
Varanasi, IN medium
Vientiane, LA medium
Visakhapatnam, IN medium
Wuhan, CN medium
Xi'an, CN medium
Xiamen, CN medium
Yangon, MM medium

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US medium
Anchorage, US medium
Atlanta, US medium
Austin, US medium
Baltimore, US medium
Baton Rouge, US medium
Boise, US medium
Boston, US medium
Bridgetown, BB medium
Buffalo, US medium
Calgary, CA medium
Cancun, MX medium
Charleston, US medium
Charlotte, US medium
Chattanooga, US medium
Chicago, US medium
Denver, US medium
Des Moines, US medium
Detroit, US medium
Edmonton, CA medium
El Paso, US medium
Fargo, US medium
Fresno, US medium
Guadalajara, MX medium
Halifax, CA medium
Hartford, US medium
Havana, CU medium
Honolulu, US medium
Houston, US medium
Jacksonville, US medium
Kansas City, US medium
Kingston, JM medium
Knoxville, US medium
Las Vegas, US medium
Little Rock, US medium
Los Angeles, US medium
Louisville, US medium
Lubbock, US medium
Madison, US medium
Memphis, US medium
Mexico City, MX medium
Miami, US medium
Milwaukee, US medium
Minneapolis, US medium
Monterrey, MX medium
Montreal, CA medium
Nashville, US medium
New Orleans, US medium
New York, US medium
Oaxaca, MX medium
Oklahoma City, US medium
Omaha, US medium
Ottawa, CA medium
Panama City, PA medium
Phoenix, US medium
Pittsburgh, US medium
Portland, US medium
Puebla, MX medium
Quebec City, CA medium
Raleigh, US medium
Richmond, US medium
Sacramento, US medium
Salt Lake City, US medium
San Diego, US medium
San Francisco, US medium
San Jose, CR medium
Santo Domingo, DO medium
Saskatoon, CA medium
Savannah, US medium
Seattle, US medium
Spokane, US medium
St. Louis, US medium
Tampa, US medium
Toronto, CA medium
Tucson, US medium
Vancouver, CA medium
Victoria, CA medium
Winnipeg, CA medium

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI medium
Accra, GH medium
Addis Ababa, ET medium
Algiers, DZ medium
Antananarivo, MG medium
Arusha, TZ medium
Bamako, ML medium
Bloemfontein, ZA medium
Cairo, EG medium
Cape Town, ZA medium
Casablanca, MA medium
Dakar, SN medium
Dar es Salaam, TZ medium
Douala, CM medium
Durban, ZA medium
Entebbe, UG medium
Fez, MA medium
Freetown, SL medium
Harare, ZW medium
Johannesburg, ZA medium
Kampala, UG medium
Kigali, RW medium
Kinshasa, CD medium
Lagos, NG medium
Libreville, GA medium
Lilongwe, MW medium
Lome, TG medium
Luanda, AO medium
Lusaka, ZM medium
Maputo, MZ medium
Marrakech, MA medium
Mombasa, KE medium
Nairobi, KE medium
Ouagadougou, BF medium
Port Louis, MU medium
Pretoria, ZA medium
Tunis, TN medium
Windhoek, NA medium
Zanzibar, TZ medium

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE medium
Asuncion, PY medium
Barranquilla, CO medium
Belem, BR medium
Bogota, CO medium
Brasilia, BR medium
Buenos Aires, AR medium
Cali, CO medium
Campinas, BR medium
Caracas, VE medium
Cartagena, CO medium
Concepcion, CL medium
Cordoba, AR medium
Curitiba, BR medium
Cusco, PE medium
Fortaleza, BR medium
Georgetown, GY medium
Goiania, BR medium
Guayaquil, EC medium
La Paz, BO medium
Lima, PE medium
Manaus, BR medium
Medellin, CO medium
Mendoza, AR medium
Montevideo, UY medium
Paramaribo, SR medium
Port of Spain, TT medium
Porto Alegre, BR medium
Quito, EC medium
Recife, BR medium
Rio de Janeiro, BR medium
Rosario, AR medium
Salvador, BR medium
Santa Cruz, BO medium
Santiago, CL medium
Sao Paulo, BR medium
Sucre, BO medium
Trujillo, PE medium
Valparaiso, CL medium

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU medium
Alice Springs, AU medium
Auckland, NZ medium
Brisbane, AU medium
Cairns, AU medium
Canberra, AU medium
Christchurch, NZ medium
Darwin, AU medium
Dunedin, NZ medium
Gold Coast, AU medium
Hamilton, NZ medium
Hobart, AU medium
Melbourne, AU medium
Noumea, NC medium
Perth, AU medium
Suva, FJ medium
Sydney, AU medium
Townsville, AU medium
Wellington, NZ medium

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE medium
Amman, JO medium
Baghdad, IQ medium
Beirut, LB medium
Doha, QA medium
Dubai, AE medium
Erbil, IQ medium
Jeddah, SA medium
Kuwait City, KW medium
Manama, BH medium
Muscat, OM medium
Riyadh, SA medium
Sana'a, YE medium
Tabriz, IR medium
Tehran, IR medium
Tel Aviv, IL medium

When should I plant dill in my city?

The best time to plant dill depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 12°C and 22°C. Since dill is frost tolerant, you can plant it before the last frost date. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow dill in winter?

Yes, dill is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to 2°C. In many climates, it can be grown through winter with some protection.

Get Dill Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Dill seeds and starter plants online.

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Dill

When should I plant dill?

The best time to plant dill depends on your local climate. Dill grows best in temperatures between 12°C and 22°C (can tolerate 2°C to 28°C). Dill is frost tolerant, so it can be planted earlier in spring or later in fall. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can dill grow in tropical climates?

Dill is not well-suited for tropical climates. It prefers cooler conditions with temperatures between 12°C and 22°C. In tropical areas, it may bolt, fail to fruit, or suffer from heat stress. Consider growing it in cooler seasons or at higher elevations.

How long does dill take to grow?

Dill typically takes 40-60 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and moderate watering. Sow directly -- doesn't transplant well. Self-seeds freely. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Water steadily but avoid soggy soil. A 5-cm layer of organic mulch helps balance moisture and suppress weeds.

Find the Best Time to Plant Dill

See the planting calendar for Dill in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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