Dill (Anethum Graveolens) Growing & Care Guide for Gardeners
Article by Dean Ravenscroft, Ph.D. - Updated 31st Jan 2024
- Plant Characteristics: Dill features delicate, feathery green leaves and produces umbrella-shaped yellow flower clusters. It's valued for its flavorful leaves and seeds, making it a favorite in the herb garden.
- Growing & Care: Prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Dill is a relatively easy herb to grow; regular watering and occasional fertilization will support its growth. It's also a good companion plant in vegetable gardens.
- Tips for New Gardeners: Dill is an excellent choice for novice gardeners due to its simplicity and rapid growth. Be aware that it can self-seed prolifically, so you may find it popping up in different areas of your garden.
Anethum graveolens goes by many names, but the most common is Dill or Dill weed.
An annual (and sometimes biennial) herb, it is most often prized for its aromatic and culinary qualities, but it also makes an attractive addition to flower gardens or as an indoor potted plant.
Dill is a member of the Apiaceae family, and can be grown as a summer annual in U.S. hardiness Zones 3 to 7 or as a winter crop in Zones 8 to 11. In the UK it is considered hardy to about – 10°C (14°F) and classified in hardiness group H4.
Anethum graveolens photograph by Matt Lavin.
These edible herbs are distinguished by their slender 16" to 24" (40 to 60 cm) stems, feathery, light-green fronds, and parasol-shaped clusters of tiny yellow flowers.
In vegetable gardens, they make good companions with cucumbers, broccoli, onions and lettuces.
They provide a striking contrast in flower gardens featuring bright blooms and dark green foliage.
They are attractive to beneficial insects and butterflies, so are a welcome addition in butterfly gardens.
Dill seeds are used in vinegar for pickling and as a spice, and the plant's fresh or dried leaves are used in a variety of dishes, salads and sauces.
Gardener's HQ Guide to Growing Dill
Anethum graveolens prefers full sun and well-drained soils and will typically grow two to four feet (60 to 120 cm) high with a spread one to two feet (30 to 60 cm) wide.
Its delicate taproot system makes it difficult to transplant, and as such, Dill is best grown from seed sown directly into the garden about 1/4-inch (6 mm) deep.
Best results can be had by first sowing in early spring with several more rounds of sowing thereafter, into the summer.
When seedlings appear, separate them to about a foot (30 cm) apart.
By allowing some plants to go to seed each autumn, gardeners can generally eliminate the need to replant as they will self-sow and germinate again in the spring.
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Anethum graveolens Growing and Care Guide
- Scientific Name: Anethum graveolens
- Common Name: Dill
- Growing Zone: USA: 2 to 11 / UK hardy: H4.
- Life Cycle / Plant Type: Annual, Herbaceous
Plant Details
- Plant Height (Inches): 12 to 18
- Plant Spread (Inches): 8 to 12
- Time of Bloom: Summer
- Flower Details: Yellow
- Leaf Foliage: Blue, Green
- Fruit:
- Growth Form: Upright / erect
Ideal Growing Conditions
- Best Light Conditions: Full sunlight
- Rate of Growth: Average pace
- Suitable Soil Types: Adaptable, Loamy, Neutral, Well drained
- Soil Moisture: Moist
Caring Conditions
- Care:
- Level of Maintenance: Low
- Propagation: Seeds sown in succession from spring to mid-summer
- How to Prune: No pruning required; can be left to self-seed after flowering
- Pests: Generally pest resistant
- Diseases: Usually pest free
Further Information
- Can Attract:
- Tolerant of: Deer
- Best Garden Use: Border, Container, Herb garden
- Family: Apiaceae.
- Closely Related Species: Carrots, Parsley - seed growing info, Sweet Cicely, and Celery.
I hope that you enjoyed this guide on how to grow Anethum Graveolens. You may also enjoy the following Gardener's HQ growing guides: How to grow Cenolophium denudatum and Pimpinella plants.
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