How to grow dill in Australia
Dill is coriander's botanical neighbour — same family, similar habits, similar tendency to bolt. The feathery foliage is wonderful with fish, pickles, potatoes, and Scandinavian cooking, and the seeds (which come after bolting) are a different and equally useful spice. Like coriander, dill bolts in heat and long days, which means timing matters. Get the season right and dill is one of the easier annual herbs to grow.
When to plant
Dill prefers cool to mild weather. Hot weather and long days cause bolting.
May to August in the dry season.
March to August.
March to October. Best in autumn through spring.
September to April. Tolerates light frost.
October to March.
March to September.
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Dill is direct-sown — the long taproot doesn't transplant well.
Spacing: 20–30cm between plants.
Depth: Sow seeds 5mm deep.
Soil: Reasonable garden soil with some compost. Slightly acidic to neutral pH.
Succession planting: Sow a small batch every 3–4 weeks for continuous harvest. Like coriander, individual plants have a limited productive period before bolting.
Pots, raised beds, or in-ground?
Dill works in all three options.
In-ground is the standard.
Raised beds suit dill well.
Pots work but dill produces a long taproot — use 25cm+ deep pots. Wide shallow pots are less suitable than for shorter-rooted herbs. The plant can reach 1m tall — a tall, thin pot is more appropriate than a wide shallow one.
Sunlight & water
Full sun — 6 to 8 hours daily.
Water moderately. Consistent moisture helps but dill is reasonably drought-tolerant.
When and how to harvest
Cut leaves and stems as needed. Pinch off flower heads to delay seeding and prolong leaf production.
Once dill flowers and sets seed, harvest the dried seed heads for cooking and pickling. The seeds keep for a year or more.
Fresh dill is best — it doesn't dry well, the flavour fades fast.
Common problems
Bolting in heat — same as coriander. Timing is the fix.
Caterpillars of swallowtail butterflies occasionally appear on dill plants. They're beneficial pollinators in their adult form — consider letting them be, or relocate them to wild dill if available.
Poor germination in cold soil — dill prefers warmth for germination.
Companion planting
Plant near: Brassicas (dill attracts beneficial wasps that prey on caterpillars), cucumber, lettuce, onions.
Keep away from: Carrots (related plants, cross-pollinate if both flower; can compete for similar root zones), fennel (cross-pollinates and produces inferior plants).
Australian varieties
Common Dill (Anethum graveolens) — Standard variety. Reliable.
Bouquet — Compact variety with more leaves than seeds. Better for culinary use.
Mammoth — Tall variety (1.5m+) producing large seed heads. Suits seed harvesting.
Fernleaf — Compact dwarf variety (45cm). Suits pots and small gardens.