When to Plant Cilantro

Sow cilantro outside from 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost, and again 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost for a fall crop.

Cilantro at a glance

Sow outside: from 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost
Fall sowing: 8 to 10 weeks before your first fall frost
Time to harvest: 45 to 70 days from sowing
Harvest lasts: about 5 weeks
Spacing: 9 per square foot
Frost: Takes a light frost

Growing cilantro

Cilantro grows best in the cool weeks of spring and fall. Sow it straight in the bed, about a quarter inch deep, since the seedlings dislike being moved. Slow-bolt varieties give leaves for a little longer.

Dates by hardiness zone

Typical dates for each zone; your ZIP code gives your own.

When to plant cilantro in each USDA hardiness zone
Zone	Sow	Sow for fall	Pick
Zone 3a	May 14 – Jun 11	Jul 6–20	Jun 28 – Sep 28
Zone 3b	May 3–31	Jul 17–31	Jun 17 – Aug 9 · Aug 31 – Oct 9
Zone 4a	Apr 28 – May 26	Jul 20 – Aug 3	Jun 12 – Aug 4 · Sep 3 – Oct 12
Zone 4b	Apr 24 – May 22	Jul 23 – Aug 6	Jun 8 – Jul 31 · Sep 6 – Oct 15
Zone 5a	Apr 19 – May 17	Jul 27 – Aug 10	Jun 3 – Jul 26 · Sep 10 – Oct 19
Zone 5b	Apr 17 – May 15	Aug 1–15	Jun 1 – Jul 24 · Sep 15 – Oct 24
Zone 6a	Apr 15 – May 13	Aug 7–21	May 30 – Jul 22 · Sep 21 – Oct 30
Zone 6b	Apr 9 – May 7	Aug 13–27	May 24 – Jul 16 · Sep 27 – Nov 5
Zone 7a	Apr 2–30	Aug 16–30	May 17 – Jul 9 · Sep 30 – Nov 8
Zone 7b	Mar 22 – Apr 19	Aug 23 – Sep 6	May 6 – Jun 28 · Oct 7 – Nov 15
Zone 8a	Mar 15 – Apr 12	Aug 29 – Sep 12	Apr 29 – Jun 21 · Oct 13 – Nov 21
Zone 8b	Mar 3–31	Sep 4–18	Apr 17 – Jun 9 · Oct 19 – Nov 27
Zone 9a	Feb 16 – Mar 16	Sep 17 – Oct 1	Apr 2 – May 25 · Nov 1 – Dec 10
Zone 9b	Jan 18 – Feb 15	Oct 6–20	Mar 4 – Apr 26 · Nov 20 – Dec 29
Zone 10a	Jan 10 – Feb 7	Oct 18 – Nov 1	Feb 24 – Apr 18 · Dec 2 – Jan 10
Zones 10b–11b	Frost is rare here, so grow cilantro in the cooler months, from fall to early spring.