How to Grow Dill from Seed

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How to grow dill from seed is a direct-sowing job. Dill has a taproot that resists transplanting, so the sources agree that the seed should go straight into the bed or container where the plant will grow. The Utah State University page, the University of Wisconsin page, the Penn State Extension herb guide and the Illinois Extension herb guide cover the sun, soil, sowing, thinning and harvest steps. This guide draws on those four pages to set out a plan you can follow from the first sowing to the last cut.

Quick answer

• Sow seed directly in full sun, in well-drained soil, in early spring, because dill does best when it is sown in place rather than transplanted.
• Plant the seed about one-eighth to one-quarter inch deep and barely cover it, since the seed needs light to germinate.
• Thin the seedlings and space them about nine inches apart in rows about 12 inches apart, and avoid overwatering.
• Sow again at an interval that suits your harvest, since the sources range from every 10 to 14 days to every four to six weeks, and cut the leaves before the plant starts to flower.

What you are growing

Dill is an annual, and the Penn State guide calls it a cool-season annual that can withstand minor frost. The University of Wisconsin page describes the plant as an annual with aromatic foliage and seeds, and it notes that dill belongs to the parsley family. The USU page points out that the same plant is grown for two things: the leaves, often called dill weed, and the flower heads and seeds.

The leaves are the first harvest. The University of Wisconsin page describes soft, alternate, blue-green leaves that are finely divided and give a fern-like look. The USU page says the leaves can be harvested at any time after the seedlings emerge. The flowers come later, as small yellow flower clusters, and the seeds follow the flowers.

The cultivar you choose sets the height. The Penn State guide lists ‘Bouquet’ at 24 to 36 inches tall with large seedheads, ‘Mammoth’ at the same height and fast to bolt, and ‘Fernleaf’ at 12 to 18 inches and slow to bolt. For small spaces and containers, it names ‘Dukat’ as a compact choice. The Illinois guide lists ‘Ella’ as a short, dense variety that suits container gardening.

For a wider view of trays and seed-starting gear, see our page on seed starter kits.

Choose a sunny site with well-drained soil

Full sun is the first requirement. The USU page says to choose a site that gets full sun, and the Wisconsin page says that as with most herbs, dill does best in full sun. The Illinois guide adds that dill performs best in a full sun location in moist, well-drained soil.

The soil targets are similar across the pages. The USU page describes dill as preferring well-drained, low-fertility soil. The Penn State guide describes rich, moist but not constantly wet, well-drained soil, with a pH of 6.5. Those two descriptions look different, but both point to soil that drains well. Avoid a bed that stays wet, and treat a very rich bed as a reason to feed lightly.

The USU page also notes that oil content in the leaves increases with longer day lengths and higher temperatures. It adds that very hot temperatures, around 95°F or higher, decrease seed production. That combination matters if you want both leaves and seed from the same plant, because the heat that helps the leaves can work against the seed crop.

Sow directly and do not transplant

The sources favor direct sowing. The Illinois guide says dill does best when it is directly sown in the garden, because the taproot system makes it difficult to transplant successfully. The Penn State guide says the seedlings are difficult to transplant when started indoors. The USU page says dill should be planted from seed and grows best that way.

Because of that, an indoor start followed by transplanting is a poor fit for dill. The sources do not describe a reliable alternative, so plan to sow in the bed. If you use a container, sow in the container and leave it in place for the whole crop.

Time the sowing for early spring

The sources agree on the season but not on the exact date. The Wisconsin page says to plant seeds in early spring, a week or two before the last hard frost. The Illinois guide says to sow the seeds in the spring one to two weeks before the last frost. The Penn State guide takes a different signal and says dill is best sown directly outdoors in early spring, when the night temperature is above 45°F.

Use the frost date as the main guide and the night temperature as the check. The sources do not reconcile the two signals, so use whichever one is available for your area.

Plant shallow and keep the surface moist

Depth is shallow. The Wisconsin page says to plant seeds about one-eighth to one-quarter inch deep. The Penn State guide says to barely cover the seeds with soil, because they need light to germinate. Those two statements agree once you read them together: a thin layer of soil is enough.

The Penn State guide says seeds germinate in 10 to 14 days. The USU page advises careful watering after emergence, so the seedbed should stay moist without becoming waterlogged. The light requirement is why the sources advise against covering the seed deeply.

Thin the seedlings and set the spacing

Thinning is the step that gives each plant room. The USU page says that after emergence, you should thin plants to about nine inches apart and space rows about 12 inches apart. It also says to be careful not to overwater the seedlings while they are thinned.

Thinned seedlings are not moved to a new place. Because dill is hard to transplant, the guide treats thinning as removal of the extra plants. The sources do not describe moving thinnings successfully.

For a bed with other vegetables, see our guide to vegetables to grow in raised beds for the wider planting plan.

Sow in succession for a steady supply

One sowing is a single harvest. The sources give three different intervals for repeat sowing, and they differ on how often to do it. The USU page says to sow seeds every four to six weeks for a continuous supply of dill weed. The Wisconsin page says that successive plantings can be made every 10 to 14 days while the weather is cool, for a continuous harvest of leaves. The Illinois guide says to make successive sowings every two weeks through the growing season.

The gap between those intervals is useful, not a conflict to hide. The sources do not explain the difference. Pick the interval that matches how much leaf you want each week, and keep a note of the sowing dates so you can see when a row is ready to replace.

Keep the bed fed lightly

Feed dill with restraint. The USU page says that if fertilizer applications are warranted, you should work the fertilizer into the top six inches of soil. It also says that if you fertilize with compost, you should apply no more than one inch of well-composted organic matter per 100 square feet of garden area.

Watering is steady and not heavy. The USU page says to be careful not to overwater after thinning, and the Penn State guide describes a moist but not constantly wet bed.

Know when dill bolts and what to do

Bolting is the switch from leaves to flowers, and it is the main limit on a leaf harvest. The Wisconsin page says that continually cutting the foliage back will help delay flowering. It also says that when the weather gets hot or dry, one long flower stalk will be produced. The Illinois guide says plants decline soon after they start to flower.

Variety matters here. The Penn State guide says ‘Mammoth’ tends to bolt rapidly, while ‘Fernleaf’ is slow to bolt. The Illinois guide lists ‘Green Sleeves’ as resistant to bolting and ‘Dukat’ as slow to go to seed. The USU page describes ‘Tetra’ and ‘Dukat’ as slow to bolt, so those two are useful choices if you want a long leaf supply.

Harvest leaves before the plant flowers

Leaf harvest starts early. The Wisconsin page says the leaves can be cut any time after the plant is a few inches high, until the seed stalk begins to form. The USU page says dill leaves can be harvested at any time after the seedlings emerge. The two statements agree, and they give a simple rule: cut leaves once the plant is established, and stop when the seed stalk forms.

Flavor and flowers do not always run together. The USU page says dill flavor is best when the plant starts to flower. The Illinois guide says plants decline soon after they start to flower, and the Wisconsin page says leaves can be cut until the seed stalk forms.

The USU page says that it takes about six weeks to harvest, which is one reason to plant continuously. Plan successive sowings so that a new row is coming along as the older row bolts.

Harvest and store the seed

Seed harvest needs timing. The Wisconsin page says the seeds shatter when ripe, so if you want seed, cut the flower heads when the seeds are fully developed but before they have turned brown. The Penn State guide describes seeds that turn from green to brown and shatter when ripe. The Illinois guide says to let the flowers mature, usually two to three weeks after the blossoms appear. Watch the heads as they change color, because the pages give different cut points.

Drying and storage follow. The Illinois guide says to hang the cut heads in a cool, dry, well-ventilated place and then store the seed in a sealed container. The Wisconsin page says to store seed in an airtight container in a cool location, and it says seed stays viable for several years if kept dry and cool. Label the container with the year so you know which seed is the newest.

Self-seeding is a real trait. The Illinois guide says dill reseeds readily, and plants left in the garden in the fall will drop seed that germinates in spring. The Wisconsin page advises deadheading spent flowers to prevent prolific self-seeding. Deadhead if you do not want volunteers, and let a few plants go to seed if you want them.

How we chose

We chose the pages for this guide by searching for dill growing guides from extension services and then opening the candidates with curl. Several results were seed companies and gardening blogs, which we left out because they describe products or general tips rather than extension guidance. Four pages returned HTTP 200 with growing content: the Utah State University page, the University of Wisconsin page, the Penn State Extension herb guide and the Illinois Extension herb guide.

Where the pages differ, the guide gives both positions. That applies to sowing dates, succession intervals and seed-harvest timing. The Penn State page is the most detailed on cultivars, so the guide draws its variety notes from it.

What we could not verify

The four pages are extension guides for home gardens, but none of them gives a container size, a soil-volume figure or a days-to-maturity table for every variety. The sources do not give a bolting date for each variety, and they do not describe a home method for dill grown indoors under lights.

What the sources do not say

The sources do not agree on the sowing date, the repeat-sowing interval or the seed-harvest timing, and this guide does not pick a single rule. They do not give a spacing for a container, and they do not explain why some pages recommend cutting seed heads before brown while others describe the heads shattering when ripe. A grower should check the local extension office for frost dates and cultivars that suit the area.

Frequently asked questions

How long does dill take to germinate?

The Penn State guide says dill seeds germinate in 10 to 14 days. The seed needs light, so it should be barely covered with soil.

Can dill be transplanted?

The sources say dill is hard to transplant. The Illinois guide says its taproot makes transplanting difficult, and the Penn State guide says seedlings started indoors are difficult to transplant. Sowing in place is the approach the sources recommend.

How often should dill be sown for a steady supply?

The sources differ. The USU page says every four to six weeks, the Wisconsin page says every 10 to 14 days while the weather is cool, and the Illinois guide says every two weeks.

Which dill varieties suit containers?

The Penn State guide names ‘Dukat’ as a compact choice for containers and small spaces, and the Illinois guide describes ‘Ella’ as a short, dense variety that suits container gardening.

When should dill seed be harvested?

Flowers usually mature two to three weeks after blossoms appear, according to the Illinois guide. The Wisconsin page says to cut the flower heads when the seeds are fully developed but before they turn brown, because the seeds shatter when ripe.

Sources

• https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/dill-in-the-garden (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/dill-anethum-graveolens/ (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://extension.psu.edu/herb-garden-plants-dill (opened 2026-10-23)
• https://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/dill (opened 2026-10-23)