Potted Dill Plant Care: Tips For Growing Dill In Containers

potted dill

(Image credit: kaew6566)

last updated 17 May 2021

Herbs are the perfect plants to grow in containers, and dill is no exception. It’s beautiful, it’s tasty, and in late summer it produces fantastic yellow flowers. Having it in a container near or even in your kitchen is a great way to ensure you get the most out of cooking with it. But how do you grow potted dill plants? Keep reading to learn more about growing dill in containers and care of dill in pots.

Potted Dill Plant Care

The most important thing to keep in mind when growing dill in containers is the depth of your containers. Dill grows a long tap root, and any container shallower than 12 inches (30 cm.) won't provide enough space for it. That being said, your container doesn’t need to be extremely deep. Dill is an annual, so it doesn’t need extra space to build up a big root system over the years. One to two feet (30-61 cm.) deep should be plenty. You can sow dill seeds directly into your container. Fill it up with any soilless potting mix, making sure there are drainage holes in the bottom, first. Dill will grow in most types of soil, though it prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Sprinkle a few seeds on the surface, then cover them with a very light layer of potting mix. Potted dill plants need 6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day and warm temperatures above 60 degrees F. (15 C.) to sprout. If all danger of frost has passed, you can keep your potted dill plants outside, but if it’s still early spring, you should keep them indoors in a sunny window or under a grow light. Keep the soil moist by misting often. Once the seedlings are a few inches (8 cm.) high, thin to one or two per pot and care for as you normally would out in the garden.

The only child of a horticulturist and an English teacher, Liz Baessler was destined to become a gardening editor. She has been with Gardening Know how since 2015, and a Senior Editor since 2020. She holds a BA in English from Brandeis University and an MA in English from the University of Geneva, Switzerland. After years of gardening in containers and community garden plots, she finally has a backyard of her own, which she is systematically filling with vegetables and flowers.