Can Dill Be Fall Planted?

When to Plant

• In cooler regions, fall planting may prove to be too cold for the dill plant. If freezing conditions are present in wintertime in your area, wait until danger of frost has passed and then plant from early spring to midsummer. In warmer regions, plant dill in the late summer through fall, although spring planting is okay as well. The crop grows well in Florida and is widely propagated there, where experts suggest the best planting time is November or December.

How to Plant

• Dill does not transplant well so it is best to plant directly in the garden rather than starting seedlings indoors. Sow seeds spaced 8 inches apart and pat gently or cover with fine, moist soil. To establish dill early while outside temperature is still too cold, start seeds indoors four to six weeks prior to planting.

How it Grows

• Soil temperature of 60 to 80 F is ideal for growing dill. Seeds germinate in soil between 70 and 85 F. Dill prefers full sun and well-drained soil, but is not very fussy otherwise. It can be planted in fertile, slightly-acidic soil. Left alone, it will flourish without further labor. Dill is an annual and will die off every year, but seeds can survive through the winter and re-emerge the following year.

Harvest

• Seeds take between seven and 21 days to germinate, and develop fresh leaves for harvesting in as soon as eight weeks from establishment. Seed heads are harvested once they turn yellowish to brownish tan, about 65 days after planting. To harvest seeds, allow flowers to bloom and go to seed, then pull once most of the seedheads have formed. Gather leaves as soon as the plant can handle losing them. Dry or freeze them until ready for use.