When to Plant Dill
Sow dill outside from 1 week before to 3 weeks after your last frost.
Dill at a glance
- Sow outside
- from 1 week before to 3 weeks after your last frost
- Time to harvest
- 40 to 60 days from sowing
- Harvest lasts
- about 8 weeks
- Spacing
- 1 plant per square foot
- Frost
- Takes a light frost
Growing dill
Dill grows tall and feathery in full sun. Sow it where it will stay, a little every few weeks for fresh leaves all season. The yellow flower heads and seeds are good for pickles.
Dates by hardiness zone
Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.
| Zone | Sow | Pick |
|---|---|---|
| Zone 3a | May 21 – Jun 18 | Jun 30 – Aug 25 |
| Zone 3b | May 10 – Jun 7 | Jun 19 – Aug 14 |
| Zone 4a | May 5 – Jun 2 | Jun 14 – Aug 9 |
| Zone 4b | May 1–29 | Jun 10 – Aug 5 |
| Zone 5a | Apr 26 – May 24 | Jun 5 – Jul 31 |
| Zone 5b | Apr 24 – May 22 | Jun 3 – Jul 29 |
| Zone 6a | Apr 22 – May 20 | Jun 1 – Jul 27 |
| Zone 6b | Apr 16 – May 14 | May 26 – Jul 21 |
| Zone 7a | Apr 9 – May 7 | May 19 – Jul 14 |
| Zone 7b | Mar 29 – Apr 26 | May 8 – Jul 3 |
| Zone 8a | Mar 22 – Apr 19 | May 1 – Jun 26 |
| Zone 8b | Mar 10 – Apr 7 | Apr 19 – Jun 14 |
| Zone 9a | Feb 23 – Mar 23 | Apr 4 – May 30 |
| Zone 9b | Jan 25 – Feb 22 | Mar 6 – May 1 |
| Zone 10a | Jan 17 – Feb 14 | Feb 26 – Apr 23 |
| Zones 10b–11b | Frost is rare here, so grow dill in the cooler months, from fall to early spring. | |
Good neighbors
Keep apart from
Questions about dill
When should I pick dill?
Pick leaves once the plants are about a foot tall, before they flower. For seed, let the flower heads turn brown, then cut them and dry them in a paper bag.
Why are caterpillars eating my dill?
Striped green caterpillars on dill are often young swallowtail butterflies. Many gardeners grow a little extra dill to share with them.
