Dill Growing Conditions

Provide dill with the right growing conditions, and you'll have fresh dill in no time. Here's everything you need to know about dill growing conditions.

Dill is one of the most famous herbs in the kitchen.

Fresh dill leaves are used all over the world to flavor meat dishes, soups, eggs, etc.

Aside from being a flavorful herb, dill is also considered a powerful medicinal plant.

According to Healthline, dill is rich in antioxidants and anticarcinogens and can improve the health of the heart.

To get the full benefits of this herb, you need to consume it fresh! For that reason, growing your own dill is a must.

In this article, we’ll look at dill growing conditions, so you can grow the plant successfully at home.

Table of ContentsShow

Dill Growing Conditions: The Basics

Soil

Soil

Dill is a resilient plant that can grow in poor soil conditions. But it will grow best in fast-draining soil.

Sandy loam soil that is moderately rich in nutrients and has a pH around 6 to 6.5 is perfect for dill.

If you want to grow the herb in pots, use premium well-drained soil that is amended with perlite or horticultural sand.

We recommend using the famous Foxfarm Potting Soil for this purpose.

Foxfarm is fast-draining and has a very strong texture. It also has an adequate amount of nutrients that can make your dill happy.

So, the perfect soil mix for growing dill in containers would be: 2/3 premium well-drained soil (preferably Foxfarm) + 1/3 perlite or sand.

Light

Light

Dill is a full-sun herb, which means it will thrive when you provide it with 6 to 8 hours of sunlight each day.

You can still grow the herb in partial sun (4-6 hours of sunlight per day), but you won’t receive the best results.

If you’re growing your dill indoors with other full-sun herbs, you can invest in a grow lamp to give your plants the minimal amount of light they need.

Note: This herb will grow on average 15 inches (40 cm) tall. So, if you’re growing dill plants in a mixed garden, make sure they don’t block sunlight from reaching other plants.

Water

Water Plants

Dill will grow best when provided with moderate amounts of water.

If you’re growing dill in the garden, you won’t need to water it that much.

But, in case you’re growing the plants in pots outdoors or indoors, you must water the herb more often, especially in hot weather.

Keep an eye on the potting soil. As soon as it becomes dry to the touch, you should water the plant.

Make sure not to leave your dill without water for lengthy periods of time, but also don’t keep the soil too wet.

Learn more about watering herbs in this article: How Often Should You Water Herbs?

Temperature

Temperature

Dill loves warm weather. The optimal temperature for dill plants is around 77°F (25°C).

However, under hot temperatures, dill plants can bolt (seed prematurely).

When the weather is too hot, water your dill plants regularly and prune them more often to prevent them from bolting.

Dill plants will be immediately damaged at chilly temperatures and they will die at a temperature around 25°F (-4°C).

Dill Growing Conditions: Important Tips

Companion Planting

dill

We highly recommend you grow dill with other plants in the same garden.

Dill is an excellent companion plant. You can grow it with many plants, including lettuce, cabbages, and thyme.

The herb can repel aphids and mites, and when growing outdoors, it can attract beneficial insects, such as beneficial wasps, that can attack pests.

However, avoid growing dill with caraway because, for some reason, those two plants don’t get along.

Propagating Dill

Raw Organic Dill Seed

The best way to propagate dill is from seed.

You can start the seeds indoors whether you’re intending to grow the plant inside or outside.

Sow the seeds and immerse them ¼ inch (1/2 cm) deep in the soil and water them moderately. Usually, half of the seeds or more will germinate after 7 to 20 days of being sown.

Once you transplant the seedlings, make sure you space them at least 10 inches (25 cm) apart from each other in the garden.

If you will sow the seeds directly into the garden, thin the seedlings once they’re established.

By thinning, we simply mean removing some of the seedlings that are growing too close to each other to create more space between the plants.

Always keep the healthiest seedlings that are showing the strongest growth and remove the ones that are growing slowly and weakly.

Learn about thinning seedlings here!

Protecting Your Dill Plants

If you’re growing your dill outdoors, protect them from the wind because they can easily snap. You can do so by staking them.

Also, make sure your dill plants aren’t competing with other plants for food and water.

Again, that’s why spacing your plants is very important.

Pruning And Harvesting

fresh dill

You can prune dill to boost its growth.

Before the herb flowers, cut its leaves from the top. Once you do that, the plant will produce more branches thereby producing more growth.

In case the plant blooms, pinch off the flowers or the flowering buds to prevent the plant from seeding and dying.

Don’t be shy to harvest leaves from your dill every time you want to flavor or garnish a dish. Just don’t harvest much more than you can consume.

If you’re growing your dill outdoors, cut it back to the ground at the end of its growing season.

Choosing Proper Containers For Potted Dill

If you want to grow your dill in containers, make sure you choose suitable pots.

Dill doesn’t just grow tall above the ground. It also grows tall beneath the soil.

So, you need to choose deep containers for your dill plants. Plus, make sure that the containers you’re using can drain water properly.

If water gets trapped in the container for long periods of time, it will suffocate your dill.

Feeding Your Dill

In general, herbs don’t require a lot of feeding. But in case you want to achieve bigger growth, you must constantly supply your plants with nutrients.

To feed potted dill plants, you can use liquid plant food, or you can top dress the soil with compost every once in a while.

Summary Of Dill Growing Conditions

Light requirements: Full Sun

Water requirements: Moderate Watering

Soil: Fast-draining soil that is moderately rich with nutrients

Optimal temperature: 77°F (25°C)

Dislikes:

  • Competing for food
  • Extremely hot and cold temperatures
  • Shallow containers
  • Wet soil

You Might Like These Too

Planting Lavender Cuttings
Planting Lavender Cuttings
Jad Daou

Jad has always been passionate about growing plants. When he finished high school, he majored in biology, which makes him very knowledgeable about agriculture.