Herb / Cool season
Cilantro
Also called coriander
A summer flavor that only grows well when it is cool
Plant out byMay 11zone 6
- Family
- Carrot (Apiaceae)
- Sun
- Part sun (4+ h)
- Difficulty
- Fussy
- Days to harvest
- 45-70 days
- Spacing
- 8 in apart, rows 18 in
- Pot size
- 2 gal pot (fine in pots)
- Frost
- Half-hardy
- Start
- Direct sow
- Water
When to plant
Showing .
Averages for a typical garden in the region. Your local frost dates may differ by 2-3 weeks, check a local source.Too late this year (try fall)
In zone 6, sow or plant outdoors Mar 30 to May 11; sow again for fall Aug 11 to Sep 22. Average last frost Apr 20, first fall frost Oct 20.
Units
I lost two seasons of cilantro to heat before I understood what it wants. It looks like a summer herb, since it goes into so much summer food, but it behaves like a cool-weather crop. Once the weather warms, often somewhere above 75 degrees F, the plant shoots up a thin stalk, the leaves turn feathery and sharp, and you are done picking. That bolting is not a sign you did something wrong. It is simply what cilantro does.
The way around it is small sowings, often. Sow a short row or a pot every two to three weeks, starting a few weeks before your last frost. Stop in early summer, then start again as the weather cools in fall. Each batch gives you a few weeks of leaves. Slow-bolt varieties buy a little extra time, and so does a spot with afternoon shade.
Sow seed right where it will grow. Cilantro has a long taproot and often sulks after being moved. Pots work well because the roots are not very deep, so you can keep one near the kitchen door and pull it into shade on hot days. When it does flower, leave a few plants. Small beneficial insects visit the white flowers, and the seeds that follow are coriander. Some of them will drop and come up on their own the next cool spell, which is the laziest succession planting there is.
Things to consider
- Expect only a few weeks of leaves per sowing before it flowers. Plan small repeat sowings rather than one big planting, and keep a seed packet in the kitchen drawer so you remember.
- Seed sown in early summer heat usually bolts almost right away. Skip the hottest stretch and sow again for fall, when plants often hold their leaves much longer.
- It dislikes being moved because of its taproot, so nursery seedlings are a gamble. Direct sowing gives better results, and seed sprouts best in soil around 55 to 68 degrees F.
Good neighbours
Keep apart
Pests to watch for
Aphids
Questions about growing cilantro
Are cilantro and coriander the same plant?
Yes. In the US, cilantro means the fresh leaves and coriander means the dried seeds of the same plant. If your plants bolt, let some go to seed. The seed forms about 4 to 6 weeks after the flowers open and is ready once it turns brown. Cut the heads into a paper bag and let them finish drying indoors.
Can I keep cutting cilantro after it starts to bolt?
You can, but the new leaves are thin and feathery and the flavor gets harsher. Snipping off flower stalks as they appear can delay things a little. Once the plant is mostly stalk, let it flower for the insects and sow a fresh batch nearby. The bolted plant can stay put, since it does no harm to the new one.
Does cilantro do better in sun or shade?
In cool spring and fall weather, give it a sunny spot. As the weather warms, a cooler or partly shaded corner helps a leaf crop last longer before it bolts. A pot is handy here, since you can move it as the season changes. In the hottest weeks, many growers simply give up on leaves and let the plants go to seed.
Save this crop
Pin it to a garden board so it is there when planting time comes round.
Similar crops
Sources
General guidance for home gardens. Frost dates are averages for a zone or region; check a local source (in the US your county extension office) for local timing.