There are many reasons to grow dill at home. As well a providing delicious feathery leaves for fish dishes, dill produces delicate flowers which are much-loved by pollinators and beneficial insects. Although an annual herb, if allowed to self-seed you'll enjoy new plants each year.

Growing calendar
Sow outdoors	Apr - Jul
Harvest	Jun - Sep

How to grow dill

Regularly sow dill seed 0.1cm deep in rows, thinning seedings to 25cm apart. Choose moist fertile soil in a sunny site.

Water in dry weather to help avoid plants flowering prematurely ('bolting'). Feed in the summer. Don't plant dill near fennel as they may cross-pollinate which means the offspring lose the distinct flavour if you grow from seeds you've saved yourself.

Harvesting and using dill

Pick young leaves for use fresh or for drying, cutting back taller plants to 30cm tall. Gather aromatic seeds as they ripen in summer (seedheads turn brown)

Tips on growing dill

Dill plants dislike being transplanted

Growing notes
Difficulty	Easy
Germination time	7-21 days
Average time to harvest	From 8 weeks
Equipment needed	Organic plant feed
Average plant size	Up to 150cm tall, 30cm wide
Family group to grow with	Apiaceae: coriander, parsley
Seed saving notes	Annual, can cross-pollinate
Key nutritional content	Vitamins A and C, calcium and iron