Takes a light frost. Sow outdoors from 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after your last frost; sow in fall 4 to 8 weeks before your first fall frost. First harvest 28 to 50 days from sowing.
Full sun to part shadeSome afternoon shade is fine
6–8 in apartRows 18–24 in
28–50 daysFrom sowing
Soil 55 °F +pH 6.5–7.0
Half-hardyTakes a light frost
Your dates
Put in your ZIP code to see when to start, plant and harvest cilantro where you live, from your own frost dates.
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From seed to harvest
SowSeed goes inWeek 0
SproutFirst shoots showWeek 1–2
True leavesFirst real leavesWeek 2–3
Thin or plant outGive each plant roomWeek 3–4
Leaf growthLeaves fill outWeek 4–5
HarvestReady to pickWeek 4–7
How to plant and grow
Sow in place
Cilantro has a taproot and does not transplant well. Sow seed directly, about 1/2 inch deep, in cool spring weather.
Thin plants
Thin seedlings to 6 to 8 inches apart so each plant has room to leaf out.
Keep it cool
Heat makes cilantro bolt. Mulch, water regularly, and give it afternoon shade in warm areas.
Sow every few weeks
Sow a small batch every two to four weeks for a steady supply. Pick slow-bolting varieties for late spring.
Harvest leaves
Start cutting leaves when plants are about 6 inches tall, often four to seven weeks after sowing.
Sow for fall
Sow again in late summer or early fall as days cool. Mature plants handle a light freeze.
Save coriander
Let some plants flower. When the seed heads turn brown, cut them and dry the seed as coriander.
Common problems
BoltingGrowing problemNo spray helps
What you'll see: The plant sends up a flower stalk early, and the leaves turn small and bitter. Long days and heat set it off, and in bok choy and other cabbage-family greens so can a late frost or a week of nights below 50 °F.
Prevent
Sow in the cool, shorter days of spring and fall.
Sow small amounts every few weeks rather than all at once.
Choose varieties sold as slow to bolt.
Give afternoon shade in hot spells.
Organic options
Harvest as soon as a stalk starts. Let a few cilantro or dill plants flower for seed and for helpful insects.
Conventional options
None. No spray stops bolting.
Photo: “Aphids on Kale leaf” by Sanjay Acharya, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped). The cropped version is shared under the same licence.
AphidsPest
What you'll see: Clusters of small, soft-bodied green, black or gray insects on new shoots and under leaves. Leaves curl, and a sticky film may coat them.
Prevent
Check leaf undersides each week; a few aphids do little harm.
Pull nearby weeds, such as wild mustards, that feed aphids.
Grow flowers for lady beetles, lacewings and hover flies, and avoid broad sprays that kill them.
Organic options
Knock aphids off with a strong spray of water.
Insecticidal soap or horticultural oil on leaf undersides, repeated as the label allows.
Neem oil, or OMRI Listed pyrethrins (without piperonyl butoxide).
Conventional options
Malathion or permethrin, if the crop is on the label. These also kill the insects that eat aphids.
Bee caution: Don't spray open flowers. Spray in the late evening, when bees aren't flying.
What you'll see: Small water-soaked spots on leaves turn brown, sometimes with a yellow edge, and leaves drop. Pepper fruit gets raised, scabby spots.
Prevent
Buy clean seed and healthy transplants.
Do not plant peppers or tomatoes where either grew last year.
Water at the base, and stay out of the garden while plants are wet.
Organic options
Pull off spotted leaves and remove badly infected plants.
Copper slows the spread when started early. Look for OMRI Listed products.
Conventional options
Same as organic: copper is the main spray. Control is hard once the disease is established.
Bee caution: Don't spray open flowers. Spray in the late evening, when bees aren't flying.
Read and follow the product label: it is the law. It sets the rate, the crops it is for, and the days between spraying and picking. Products registered vary by state; for organic growing, look for products allowed under the USDA National Organic Program (OMRI Listed). We name active ingredients, not brands or rates.
The link opens this growing guide, so anyone can read it and look up their own planting dates.
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Sow
Sprout
True leaves
Thin or plant out
Leaf growth
Harvest
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