When to Plant Dill in Cairns, Tropical Guide
Soil temperature is modelled from Open-Meteo forecast (Cairns), not a live sensor.
What this month normally looks like in Tropical
In October the Tropical zone normally runs 34°C by day and 23°C overnight, with about 53 mm of rain over 5 or 6 wet days. Averages 1991 to 2026, 37 postcodes, SILO.
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This Dill guide is written for the Tropical zone, which takes in Cairns, Townsville and Darwin. Somewhere else? Your postcode picks the right one.
Not your zone? Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Canberra Alice Springs Perth
Also handy: will it frost this week? and what grows in shade.
- Planting window
- Apr to Jul
- 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 Tropical
- Jan -
- Feb -
- Mar -
- Apr D
- May D
- Jun D (likely to bolt)
- Jul D (likely to bolt)
- Aug -
- Sep -
- Oct -
- Nov -
- Dec -
S = Seed Tray T = Transplant D = Direct Sow
Amber = likely to bolt if sown this month, it matures into heat or long days.
Want a nudge when it is sowing time?
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How to Grow Dill in Tropical 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)
Tropical Growing Tips for Dill
Recommended Varieties
- Dukat (more leaf, slower bolt)
- Common dill
Key Challenges
- Bolts rapidly in heat
- Short season
- Fungal issues in humidity
Pro Tips
- Treat as a cool-season annual
- Afternoon shade extends harvest
- Let final planting bolt for seed harvest
Pests and problems for Dill in Tropical
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 Cairns?
No. In the Tropical zone the planting months are Apr to Jul. Outside that window it either bolts, sulks or gets cut down by the weather. Likely to bolt if sown in June and July.
When should I plant Dill in Cairns?
Sow direct every three weeks through the dry season. It bolts quickly if moved or once the build-up heat arrives.
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 Cairns?
Recommended varieties for the Tropical zone include: Dukat (more leaf, slower bolt), Common dill.
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 Tropical zone, Cairns is its reference city.