Open-Pollinated · 40–60 days for leaves · 70–90 days for seed heads
cool-season · timing varies by zone
Grows well in
Raised Bed ✓
In-Ground ✓
Container/Pot ✓
Grow Bag ✓
Meet This Plant
Bouquet Dill is one of those plants that gives you more than you expect. The feathery leaves are dill weed, which is the spice you know from a classic dill pickle. The seeds that follow are dill seed, a different and more intense flavor used in pickling brines and spice blends. The flowers are edible too and attract a serious amount of beneficial insects to the garden.
It grows to about 2.5–3 feet tall, self-seeds readily, and once it's in the ground it pretty much takes care of itself.
What it tastes like: Fresh, bright, and herby with a slightly tangy edge. You know exactly what it is the second you smell it. The seeds are more intense and a little bitter, which is exactly what makes a good pickle brine.
How to Grow It
Sun
Full sun. At least 6–8 hours daily. Dill produces best in full sun and may become leggy in too much shade.
Water
Light to moderate watering. Once established, dill is fairly drought tolerant. Avoid constantly soggy soil.
Sowing Details
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Depth⅛–¼ inch. Shallow planting improves germination.
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Spacing2–4 inches, thinning to 6–12 inches
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Row Spacing12–18 inches
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Germination7–14 days
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Days to Maturity40–60 days for leaves, 70–90 days for seed heads
When to Plant
For spring, direct sow around your last frost date once daytime temperatures are consistently in the 50s to 60s°F and soil temperatures are at least 50–60°F. Dill can handle a light frost but seeds need warm soil to germinate well.
For fall, direct sow 6–8 weeks before your first fall frost or once daytime temperatures begin dropping below about 75°F.
Succession sow every 2–3 weeks through spring and into summer for a continuous supply of fresh leaves.
Zones 7–8
Direct sow in early spring while daytime temperatures are still in the 50s to 60s°F. Again in late summer once daytime temperatures start dropping below 80°F. Dill bolts quickly in sustained heat but the seeds and flowers are still useful once it does.
Zones 9–11
Fall through winter is your best season. Direct sow once the heat breaks as temperatures begin cooling.
Grow Friend Tips
Succession sow or you'll run out fast
Dill has a short window before it bolts and shifts into seed production. Sow a short row every 2–3 weeks through spring and again in late summer for fall. It takes two minutes and keeps fresh dill coming continuously.
Let it bolt and collect the seeds
When dill sends up its flower head don't pull it. The seeds that follow are dill seed, a completely different and more intense flavor than the leaves. Harvest seed heads when they start to turn tan and dry on the plant, bring them inside to finish drying, and shake the seeds out. Use them in pickling brines, spice rubs, and bread.
It self-seeds like crazy
Let a few plants go to seed and drop them in the bed and you'll have volunteer dill plants the following season without doing anything. Once dill is established in a spot, you'll often find volunteer seedlings popping up from dropped seed. We call these volunteers and we love them.
It might need staking
Bouquet Dill gets to 2.5–3 feet tall and the stems get top heavy once the flower heads form. A simple stake or some twiggy support pushed in around the plants keeps everything upright and makes harvesting a lot easier.
Don't plant it near fennel
Dill and fennel cross-pollinate readily and the resulting seeds won't taste like either parent. Keep them well separated, especially if you're saving seed.
Companion plants Cucumbers Cabbage Onions Lettuce Tomatoes Brassicas
Harvest & What to Do With It
When it's ready
Leaves are ready as soon as the plant is at least 6 inches tall, typically 40–60 days from sowing. For seed heads, wait until they begin to turn tan and dry on the plant, around 70–90 days. The flowers are edible and ready as soon as they open.
How to harvest
For leaves, snip stems from the outside of the plant and leave the center intact. For flowers, cut the whole stem just below the flower head once it's fully open. For seed heads, cut the whole stem once the seeds start to turn tan, then bring inside and hang upside down over a paper bag or tray to catch the seeds as they dry and fall.
Yield
A short row gives you a generous supply of fresh leaves and seed heads. Succession sowing is the only way to keep fresh leaves coming through the season.
Short-term storage
Stand freshly cut stems in a jar of water and refrigerate loosely covered. Keeps about 1 week, sometimes longer.
Long-term storage
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Freezing: Chop finely, mix with a little water or olive oil, freeze in ice cube trays, then bag the cubes. Keeps up to 6 months. Better than drying for preserving flavor.
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Drying: Hang stems upside down in a dark, well-ventilated spot until completely dry. Crumble and store in an airtight jar. Keeps 12 months. Flavor is milder than fresh but usable.
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Dill seeds: Harvest seed heads once tan and dry, bring inside to finish drying, shake seeds out, and store in an airtight jar. Keeps 12 months. Use in pickling brines, spice blends, and bread.
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Pressure canning: Not appropriate.
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Water bath canning: Not appropriate on its own. Dill is used in pickling brines but the herb itself isn't canned alone.
What to cook
Scattered over salmon, eggs, and potatoes where it does its best work. Stirred into cream cheese, yogurt dips, and tzatziki. Added to cucumber salads and deviled eggs. Tucked into pickle jars for classic dill pickles. The seeds in pickling brines, rye bread, and spice rubs. Dill is one of those herbs that tastes unmistakably like itself and there's really no substitute for it.
Seed Storage & Saving
| Variety |
Bouquet Dill |
| Type |
Open-Pollinated |
| Seeds per packet |
~400 seeds |
Storing unused seeds: Keep somewhere cool, dark, and dry. Viable up to 3 years.
Seed saving: Dill is insect-pollinated and will cross freely with other dill varieties nearby. It will also cross with fennel so keep them well separated. Grow only one variety at a time for reliable purity, or isolate by at least a quarter mile. Let a few plants bolt and flower fully. Once the seed heads turn tan and dry on the plant, cut them, bring inside to finish drying, then shake the seeds out over a paper bag. Saved seeds can be replanted or used as dill seed in cooking.
