When to Plant Dill in Melbourne, Cool Temperate Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Melbourne), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Cool Temperate
In October the Cool Temperate zone normally runs 19°C by day and 8°C overnight, with about 67 mm of rain over 9 or 10 wet days. The coldest October night on record across the zone was -3.0°C, so a late frost is not out of the question. Averages 1991 to 2026, 28 postcodes, SILO.
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This Dill guide is written for the Cool Temperate zone, which takes in Melbourne, Hobart and Geelong. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Cairns Brisbane Sydney Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Aug to Mar
- Days to harvest
- 45 days
- Sun
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Regular
- Spacing
- 15 cm apart
- Soil pH
- 5.5–6.5
A tall, feathery annual herb essential for Scandinavian, Eastern European and Asian cuisines. Both leaves (dill weed) and seeds are used. Like coriander, dill bolts in warm weather, but it's more forgiving.
Published · By GardenBuddy.au
Planting dates, current conditions and prices on this page update daily.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Planting Calendar for Cool Temperate
- Jan S/T/D
- Feb S/T/D
- Mar T/D
- Apr -
- May -
- Jun -
- Jul -
- Aug S
- Sep S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Oct S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Nov S/T/D (likely to bolt)
- Dec S/T/D (likely to bolt)
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Amber = likely to bolt if sown this month, it matures into heat or long days.
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How to Grow Dill in Cool Temperate Australia
- Soil
- Well-drained, average to rich soil. Not fussy about soil quality.
- Salt
- Moderately sensitive. Copes with a little salt, but the harvest drops on salty bore water.
- pH Range
- 5.5-6.5
- Sunlight
- Full sun. Tolerates light afternoon shade in hot zones.
- Spacing
- 15cm apart, 30cm between rows
- Watering
- Regular watering. Drought stress accelerates bolting. Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
- Good companions
- Dwarf Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Cucumber, Beetroot
- Keep away from
- Angelica, Carrot, Fennel, Parsnip, Tomato (attracts tomato hornworm)
Cool Temperate Growing Tips for Dill
Recommended Varieties
- Common dill
- Dukat
- Mammoth
Key Challenges
- Slow start in cold soil
- Frost kills plants
Pro Tips
- Very good zone for dill
- Direct sow once soil warms to 10C+
- Self-sows year to year
Pests and problems for Dill in Cool Temperate
- Aphids and Powdery Mildew Moderate
- Cercospora Leaf Blight Good air circulation. Avoid overhead watering. Rotate planting locations. Watch
Organic prevention (Aphids): Healthy plants. Good air circulation.
Harvesting Dill
When ready: Harvest leaves once plants are 20cm+ tall. Harvest before flowering for strongest leaf flavour. Seeds ready when brown and dry on plant.
How to harvest: Snip leaf fronds as needed. Cut no more than 1/3 of plant at once. For seed: cut entire seed heads when brown, dry in paper bag.
Storing and preserving dill
How to keep it
- Freezing. Chop fronds finely, pack into ice cube trays with water or oil. Freeze. Dill freezes much better than it dries. Keeps: 6 months frozen.
- Drying (seeds). Hang seed heads upside down in paper bags in dry, dark place for 2-3 weeks. Shake out seeds. Store whole. Keeps: 2-3 years for whole seeds.
- Pickles/Lacto-fermentation. Include fresh dill heads and seeds in cucumber pickles (brine or vinegar). Dill pickles are the classic preservation use. Keeps: 12 months (vinegar), 2-3 months (lacto-fermented, refrigerated).
- Dill vinegar. Pack fresh dill fronds and seeds into sterilised bottle. Cover with white wine vinegar. Seal, store 2-4 weeks, strain. Keeps: 12 months.
What dill costs in the shops right now, retailer by retailer, updated daily.
What members get
- Soil and weather from your nearest station
- An email when it's time to sow
- Your own garden plan, including planning from a photo
- Price history and price alerts
- Pest risk alerts for your area
- Full salt and canning detail
Common Questions About Dill
When do you plant dill in Australia?
It depends on your climate zone, not the calendar month alone. Planting months by zone:
- Tropical (Cairns): Apr to Jul Likely to bolt if sown in June and July.
- Subtropical (Brisbane): Feb to May, Aug to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in August and September.
- Warm Temperate (Sydney): Mar to May, Aug to Oct Likely to bolt if sown in September and October.
- Cool Temperate (Melbourne): Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in September, October, November and December.
- Cold / Highland (Canberra): Jan, Sep to Dec Likely to bolt if sown in October, November and December.
- Arid / Semi-Arid (Alice Springs): Mar to May, Aug to Sep Likely to bolt if sown in August and September.
- Mediterranean (Perth): Mar to May, Aug to Nov Likely to bolt if sown in September, October and November.
Can you grow dill all year round in Melbourne?
No. In the Cool Temperate zone the planting months are Jan to Mar, Aug to Dec. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather. Likely to bolt if sown in September, October, November and December.
When should I plant Dill in Melbourne?
Sow from September to March, or start in trays from August. It has a longer growing season before bolting than in warmer zones.
What soil temperature do Dill need?
Dill germinate best when soil temperature is between 10°C and 20°C.
How do I know when Dill are ready to harvest?
Harvest leaves once plants are 20cm+ tall. Harvest before flowering for strongest leaf flavour. Seeds ready when brown and dry on plant.
What are the best Dill varieties for Melbourne?
Recommended varieties for the Cool Temperate zone include: Common dill, Dukat, Mammoth.
What grows well with Dill?
Good companion plants for Dill include: Dwarf Beans, Lettuce, Onion, Cucumber, Beetroot.
Are dill salt tolerant?
Only a little. Dill are moderately sensitive to salt, so the harvest drops on salty bore water. Mix salty water with rainwater, and mulch the bed.
Which zone am I in?
Type your postcode into the box near the top of the page and it tells you, and links this crop in your own zone if it differs. Or look it up on the grow zone map. This page is the Cool Temperate zone, Melbourne is its reference city.