Common Dill

How to grow Common Dill

Written by Steve Davis · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Sow direct where it is to grow from April to July — dill has a taproot and resents transplanting, so module-raised plants often bolt soon after planting out. Thin to about 20 cm. Sow a short row every three or four weeks for a continuous supply, since each sowing gives only a few weeks of usable leaf.

Pruning

Pinch out the growing tips to delay flowering and thicken the plant. Once the flower heads form, leaf production effectively stops.

Propagation

From seed only. It self-seeds readily in light soil, and volunteer seedlings often do better than a deliberate sowing.

Pests and diseases

Few problems. Aphids gather on the flower heads, and crowded plants in wet weather can rot at the base.

Value to wildlife

The flat yellow umbels are excellent for hoverflies, parasitic wasps and other small beneficial insects, so letting one plant flower is worth doing.

Notes

Keep dill well away from fennel — the two cross-pollinate readily and the seed you save will be neither one thing nor the other. Harvest seed by cutting whole heads as they turn brown and drying them upside down in a paper bag.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Anethum graveolens but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Anethum