Growing Cilantro and Dill In Virginia

04/05/2007
Cilantro and dill are cool weather annual herbs which are difficult to grow in the heat of a Virginia summer. The best time to plant them is in March or April, with a reasonable expectation that they will last until the onset of hot weather in May or June. Alternatively, gardeners may plant them in October, after the weather cools off. Typically, they will grow happily in the garden until extreme cold sets in by January or February, at which time they will die back. With the onset of warmer weather in March, however, they will typically leaf back out and grow happily until hot weather sets in. Consequently, the rule for growing cilantro or dill in Virginia is: plant early or late, but not in the middle of summer.