Cilantro planting calendar
When to plant cilantro — pick your state
Cilantro timing swings hard by climate — choose your state for sow, transplant, and harvest dates calibrated to its USDA zone and frost window.
Northeast
Southeast
Midwest
Southwest
West
Pacific
Common questions
When should I plant cilantro?
Cilantro resents transplanting and should always be direct-sown; its taproot breaks easily and transplant shock triggers immediate bolting. Sow 2-3 weeks before the last spring frost when soil is 10-29 °C, then succession-sow every 2-3 weeks through early summer, stopping once daytime temperatures consistently exceed 27 °C (80 °F) — above that threshold the plant bolts within days and goes straight to seed. In zones 8-11 cilantro is best grown as a fall and winter crop. Because the right window depends on your local frost dates, pick your US state above for a calendar with exact sow, transplant, and harvest dates.
Does the best time to plant cilantro vary by state?
Yes — planting dates swing by several weeks across the US because each state sits in a different USDA zone with its own frost window. Every state page here gives cilantro dates calibrated to that state's climate.
How are these cilantro planting dates calculated?
Each state's dates come from that state's dominant USDA hardiness zone and NOAA average frost dates, then adjusted for cilantro's cold tolerance and days to maturity.