Dill
Dates below are counted from the average last spring frost or the average first fall frost. Enter a ZIP in the calendar for NOAA 1991–2020 station averages, or pick a zone and use the zone table.
When to plant
Soil and site
Dill wants well-drained soil with organic matter. Minnesota calls for slightly acidic soil. Texas A&M gives pH 5.8–6.5 and sandy or loamy ground, and says the plant can take a light frost down to about 25°F once it is growing. Shelter tall hollow stems from wind.
Seedlings
Sow directly. Dill transplants poorly. Both Minnesota and Texas A&M say to wait until frost danger has passed. The calendar marks the average last spring frost; delay the sowing if frost is still in the forecast. Texas A&M also wants soil near 70°F. Minnesota's seed depth is ¼ inch. Texas A&M says ¾–1 inch, so check the packet if your soil crusts.
In the garden
Thin seedlings to 10–12 inches when they are about 2 inches tall. Texas A&M spaces plants 12–15 inches. Minnesota says you can sow again every 2–3 weeks through midsummer. That repeat is not given a fixed count here, because the source does not say how many sowings fit before midsummer. Give the plants at least 6–8 hours of sun.
Picking
Outdoor plants mature about 90 days after seeding. Leaves can be cut earlier, once they are large enough, and the flavor is best before the flower clusters open. For seed, cut heads just before the seeds turn tan, or 2–3 weeks after bloom, and dry them in a bag. No published week count turned up for how long one planting keeps giving leaves.
Harvest
Texas A&M says outdoor dill matures about 90 days after seeding. Leaves can be cut sooner, once they are large enough to use, and they taste best before the plant flowers. No source used here gave a week count for that leaf harvest, so none is shown.
Cut leaves close to the stem before the flower umbels open. For seed, cut the heads just before the seeds tan, or about 2–3 weeks after bloom, and finish drying them off the plant. Green, flexible flower heads are the seasoning in a tested cucumber pickle. That recipe does not can the herb by itself.
Preserving
Dry or freeze dill. Do not can the plain herb. A boiling-water dill pickle is a cucumber recipe.
Freeze sprigs or leaves with the NCHFP herb method. Frozen herbs are for cooking; they are limp after thawing.
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Freezing fresh herbs →Dry dill with the NCHFP herb guide. Air-dry or use a dehydrator, then store the leaves airtight once they crumble. Sun drying is not recommended on that page.
National Center for Home Food Preservation: Drying herbs →A home freeze-dryer can dry this crop, but USDA has not published a canning-style time for it. Follow the appliance manual for load and cycle length, then store the dry food sealed. Freeze-drying is not a substitute for a tested canning process.
Appliance manual (no USDA process time)
Gear placeholders
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Dates by zone
These pages turn the same frost offsets into calendar dates for each zone the calendar covers.