Cilantro
Herb · cool season · also called coriander, chinese parsley
When to plant
- Sow seeds outdoors about 3 weeks before your average last spring frost.
- It can also be grown as a fall crop, timed back from your first fall frost.
- Ready to harvest about 45 days after planting.
- Sow again every 3 weeks for a steady harvest.
Bolts quickly in heat; let some go to seed for coriander.
Frost dates depend on where you live. Enter your ZIP code to get exact dates.
Dates by zone: 3a 3b 4a 4b 5a 5b 6a 6b 7a 7b 8a 8b 9a 9b 10a 10b
Growing basics
- Sun
- Part sun (4–6 hours)
- Spacing
- 6 in
- Soil temperature
- At least 50°F
- Time to harvest
- About 45 days
- Containers
- At least 1 gallons
- Plant family
- Carrot family (umbellifers)
- Harvest per plant
- About 0.1 lb
- Seeds keep
- About 3 years
Companions
Keep apart: Horseradish. Horseradish spreads aggressively. Give it its own spot.
Keep apart: Mint. Mint spreads aggressively into neighbors. Keep it in a pot.
Keep apart: Fennel (bulb). Fennel slows the growth of most garden plants. Grow it on its own.
Keep apart: Sunchoke (Jerusalem artichoke). Sunchokes spread aggressively and shade neighbors.
Grow it well
Tips
- Freeze extra herbs in ice cube trays. Chop basil, parsley, or cilantro, pack it into ice cube trays, and top it off with olive oil or water. Pop out a cube or two for soups and sauces all winter.
- Shade cool-weather crops in summer. Lettuce, spinach, and cilantro bolt (go to seed) in heat. Shade cloth over hoops keeps them growing weeks longer.
- Sow a little every 2 to 3 weeks. Lettuce, radishes, bush beans, carrots, and cilantro all come ready at once. Sow a short row every few weeks for a steady harvest instead of one big glut.
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