When to plant Dill in Temperate Australia

Temperate zone — applies to Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Cool · Subtropical · Tropical · Arid.

Dill is sown direct from August through to April in temperate Australia — a long window interrupted only by the coldest months. Direct sowing is not just convenient but essential: dill grows a taproot that resents disturbance, and transplanted seedlings usually sulk and bolt. Cover seed lightly at 2–4 mm, keep the surface moist through a slowish 14–21 day germination, and space plants 20 cm apart in rows 25–30 cm apart. Leaves are ready to snip from 40–60 days. Since each plant's productive life is short, small repeat sowings beat one big one every time.

Sowing calendar — temperate zone

Green months are your sowing window: August to April.

Growing notes

Hardiness gives dill an early start: August sowings go in before the mid-October last frost and shrug off the cold, giving strong plants that yield for longer before warm weather pushes them to flower. As the season advances, plants run to seed faster — a January sowing may bolt within weeks of maturing, so summer sowings do best with afternoon shade and unfailing moisture. Autumn sowings in March and April enjoy the same cool, slow conditions as spring ones.

A sunny spot with light, free-draining soil suits it best, sheltered from wind, as the tall hollow stems snap easily. Keep water steady; like most quick herbs, dill reads drought as a signal to stop making leaves and start making seed.

The most common mistake is buying a punnet. Transplanting damages the taproot, and the stressed plant bolts almost immediately — the source of most "my dill never grew" stories. Sow seed where it is to live, thin rather than move the extras, and resow every three or four weeks. When plants eventually flower, it is no disaster: the umbels draw in hoverflies and tiny parasitic wasps that quietly police caterpillars nearby, and the seed that follows is a harvest in its own right — collect it for the kitchen or let a little self-sow.

Dill at a glance

Companion planting

Grows well with

Cabbage: Attracts parasitic wasps that prey on caterpillars

Cabbage: Attracts parasitic wasps that prey on cabbage caterpillars

Keep away from

Carrot: Cross-pollinate and hybridise if both allowed to flower; mature dill stunts carrot growth

Cucumber: Mature dill inhibits cucumber growth

Carrot: Dill and carrot cross-pollinate; mature dill stunts carrot growth

Common questions

Why does my dill keep bolting?

Heat, dry soil and transplant shock are the usual triggers. Sow direct rather than transplanting, keep water consistent, and make small repeat sowings so a bolting plant never matters much.

When should I plant dill in Australia?

In temperate zones, sow direct any time from August through to April. Spring and autumn sowings last longest; summer ones bolt faster and appreciate afternoon shade.

Can you transplant dill seedlings?

Poorly. Dill has a taproot that hates disturbance, and transplants usually bolt straight to seed. Sow directly where the plants are to grow, 2–4 mm deep.

How long does dill take to grow?

Germination takes 14–21 days, and leaves are ready to harvest from about 40–60 days after sowing.

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