When to Plant Dill
Dill is a half-hardy cool-season herb. It takes light frosts but not a hard freeze.
Sow it outdoors from 2 weeks before the last spring frost to 2 weeks after it. The first harvest comes about 40 to 55 days after sowing.
Example dates
The same rules in dates for three climates, using typical frost dates. Enter your ZIP code above for the dates where you live.
| Task | Last frost Mar 15first Nov 15 | Last frost Apr 15first Oct 25 | Last frost May 15first Sep 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sow outdoors | Mar 1 – 29 | Apr 1 – 29 | May 1 – 29 |
| Harvest | Apr 10 – May 8 | May 11 – Jun 8 | Jun 10 – Jul 8 |
Growing dill
Sow where it will grow since dill resents transplanting; let a few plants flower to attract beneficial insects.
- Spacing: 12 in apart, in rows 18 in apart. In a raised bed, 1 per sq ft at square-foot spacing.
- Days to harvest: 40 to 55 from sowing, then about 4 weeks of picking.
- Successions: sow again every 21 days for a steady supply. See succession planting.
- Rotation: dill is in the carrot family. Plant it where nothing from that family grew in the last two years. See crop rotation.
- Traditional companions: cantaloupe, cucumber, eggplant, garlic, green onion, head lettuce, leaf lettuce, onion (bulb), romaine lettuce, spinach, summer squash (zucchini/yellow), watermelon, winter squash. See companion plants for dill.
- Usually kept apart from: carrot.
Plan your beds with these dates
Draw your beds, tap squares to plant dill and everything else, and get every crop's dates for your ZIP code in one calendar. Free, in your browser.
Open the garden plannerQuestions
Can dill go in before the last frost?
Yes. Dill is half-hardy: sow it from 2 weeks before the last spring frost to 2 weeks after it.
How long does dill take to grow?
About 40 to 55 days from sowing to the first harvest, which then lasts about 4 weeks. Varieties differ: check the seed packet.
How often should I sow dill?
Every 21 days or so for a steady harvest, until the last sowing that still ripens before your first fall frost. The planner works that date out for your ZIP code.
More planting dates
Sources
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (annual/seasonal, by station: freeze dates at 32 °F)
- NC State Extension: Extension Gardener Handbook, Chapter 16: Vegetable Gardening
- Iowa State: Growing, Harvesting, and Drying Herbs
- Texas AgriLife Extension Service, Texas A&M System (J. Masabni): Growing Herbs (E-561, 2009)
- University of Maryland Extension: Care of Herbs and Starting Herbs from Seed
- WSU Extension King County Master Gardeners: Tip Sheet #8: Growing Herbs
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Small-Scale Gardening (square-foot planting guide)
- UC Master Gardener Program, UC ANR: Companion Planting Chart: Companion Planting for Edible Crops
- Oregon State University Extension Service: Herbs and Flowers in the Vegetable Garden
- Penn State Extension: Herbs Make Good Plant Partners and Companions
- University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Yavapai County: The Art of Companion Planting (Master Gardener presentation, 2023)
- Clemson Cooperative Extension HGIC: Plant Partners: 5 Benefits of Companion Planting (2025)
- N.C. A&T State University Cooperative Extension: Five Veggies You Can Grow at Home