Cilantro
Coriander, Chinese Parsley, Mexican Parsley, Dhania, Chinese-Parsley
Direct sow — doesn't transplant well. Bolts (flowers) rapidly in heat or long days; choose slow-bolt varieties for summer. Sow every 3–4 weeks for continuous supply. Let some plants go to seed (coriander) for cooking or next season's seed. Afternoon shade extends season significantly in hot climates.
- Germination
- 7–14 days
- Soil temperature
- 13–20 °C
- Harvest after sowing
- 45–70 days
- Spacing
- 10–20 cm
When to plant cilantro
Sow outdoors 0–2 weeks before your last spring frost.
Dashed line: typical last spring frost in zone 7 (Apr 5). Zone dates are averages; most of the UK is zone 8–9, central Europe 6–7 and the Baltics and Scandinavia 4–6. In the app, Tomatograph uses your garden's own frost dates.
How to grow cilantro
- 1
Sow direct
Coriander dislikes transplanting. Sow 1 cm deep in cool weather, around the last frost, in sun or light shade.
- 2
Slow the bolting
Heat and long days make it flower fast. Choose slow-bolting varieties and give afternoon shade in hot gardens.
- 3
Keep sowing
Sow a short row every 3–4 weeks for a continuous supply, pausing in midsummer and starting again in late summer.
- 4
Harvest
Cut leaves from 45 days. Let a few plants flower and set seed for coriander seed, and for self-sown plants next year.
Growing conditions
Light
Partial sun
Water
Medium water
Temperature
4–24 °C
Frost tolerance
Frost-hardy — tolerates frost
Days to maturity
45 days
Plant spacing
15 cm
Ideal soil pH
7–7.5
How Tomatograph watches your cilantro
Tomatograph checks your local forecast every morning and only speaks up when one of these applies to your garden.
- First frost within 14 daysReminder to mulch the roots before winter.
- 3 days at 35 °C or aboveHeat-wave alert while plants are flowering or fruiting: shade and water early.
- Humidity above 80% for 48 hoursCheck for powdery mildew, which thrives in those conditions.
- Within a week of maturityHarvest-window reminder based on when you planted.
Cilantro questions
- When should I plant cilantro?
- Sow outdoors 0–2 weeks before your last spring frost.
- How long do cilantro seeds take to germinate?
- Usually 7–14 days at a soil temperature of 13–20 °C.
- How long until I can harvest cilantro?
- About 45–70 days after sowing, depending on variety and weather.
- How far apart should I plant cilantro?
- Allow 10–20 cm between plants.
- What grows well with cilantro?
- Good neighbours include lettuce, pea, spinach.
Growing guide written by Tomatograph. Planting figures from openplantdb (CC0 1.0). Zone frost dates are averages from openplantdb (CC0 1.0).