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When to plant
dill in the UK
Sow direct — dill absolutely hates being transplanted. Short rows every few weeks for continuous supply. Gets to 90cm, so give it a sheltered spot.
Work out your own dates
Starts from the recommended sow date for your area. Sowed on a different day, or planted out late? Adjust below and the harvest moves with it.
Using the UK-average last frost · 15 April · add your postcode to tune it
Growing journey
8 weeks from sowing to harvest
Get dill seeds
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What dill need
Full sun. Sheltered spot. Well-drained soil.
Spacing
25cm between plants
Give each plant room to spread. Overcrowding reduces yield.
Varieties worth growing
Mammoth
commonTall and feathery, giving masses of leaf before it flowers. The name promises a little more than it delivers in size, but it's the most reliable dill for our conditions, and there's always plenty to cut.
Gravadlax
Pack a salmon fillet with a crust of salt, sugar, and masses of fresh dill. Wrap tightly, weight down, refrigerate for 48 hours. Slice thin. The dill flavour permeates every layer. Scandi magic.
Dukat
uncommonA Danish kind chosen for its leaf rather than its seed — slower to flower, which means more weeks of soft fronds for the kitchen. The dill to grow if you cook with it more than you pickle.
Dill and cucumber salad
Slice cucumber thinly, toss with sour cream, a generous handful of chopped dill, white wine vinegar, and a pinch of sugar. The Scandinavian side dish that appears at every summer table for a reason.
Bouquet
commonCompact and bushy, with dense feathery foliage and more leaf per plant than the tall kinds. Happy in a pot or on a windowsill — fresh dill close at hand, without giving over a whole bed to it.
Dill sauce for salmon
Mix finely chopped dill with sour cream, a squeeze of lemon, a grating of horseradish, and a pinch of salt. Serve alongside poached or grilled salmon. The sauce that makes fish feel Scandinavian.
When to sow dill
Based on UK average frost date. Enter your postcode for exact dates, or find your city.
Where to buy dill seeds
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Get your exact dates
Enter your postcode for personalised planting dates for dill.