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Move through the SoilCommander growing library like a course: keep the navigation in place, open the next lesson, and build your garden plan step by step.
In the UK, dills go in the ground early April to early July, and are ready to harvest 42–42 days after planting.
Dills (Anethum graveolens) — annual.
Timing is the decision that matters most in the UK: there are 4 separate regional sowing windows, ranging from early April in Southern England to early April in Scotland.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural and university-extension sources — see References.
RHS recommends succession sowing direct outdoors from spring to mid-summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.
Midlands - detail & sources
RHS recommends succession sowing direct outdoors from spring to mid-summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.
Northern England - detail & sources
RHS recommends succession sowing direct outdoors from spring to mid-summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.
Scotland - detail & sources
RHS recommends succession sowing direct outdoors from spring to mid-summer; a single broad window is applied uniformly across all four sub-regions since RHS gives no UK-region-specific gradient.
When to pick: RHS: leaves ready "about six weeks after sowing", continuing from early summer to autumn; keep at least one-third of the plant in place when picking, as leaves wilt quickly after cutting. UMD: pick leaves just as flowers open. Seed harvest: RHS/FAO indicate seeds collected in late summer/autumn once ripened and turned brown (FAO EcoCrop: 150-180 days total for seed production); UMD: pick seeds when flat and brown.
Storage
Fresh leaves used immediately (wilt quickly); seeds dried and stored
5 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I sow dills in the UK?
In Southern England, from early April. In Scotland, wait until early April. Treat these as a guide rather than a fixed date — the governing rule is to sow only once frost risk has passed and temperatures are reliably warm enough.
When do I sow dills?
Sow early April to early July.
How long do dills take to grow?
Typically 42–42 days, depending on cultivar and growing conditions.
What soil pH do dills need?
A pH of about 6–7. That span reflects genuine variation between the authorities we cite rather than a single agreed figure — the References section lists each source's exact range.
Plan next season before the problems start
Most of the advice on this page comes down to timing and spacing — sowing at the right moment, rotating beds, and giving plants enough airflow. The UK Garden Planner lays your plot out month by month so those decisions are already made before the season starts.
UK vegetable growing guides · Checked against RHS & Met Office guidance
Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real UK growing conditions, and reviewed against Royal Horticultural Society growing advice and Met Office climate data before publication.
Sketch your exact plot shape, pick your UK crops, and get a spacing-accurate bed layout with companion pairings, a rotation plan and month-by-month sowing dates — every fact sourced from RHS and Garden Organic.
