Beginner Seasoned
Pick your zone and the dates re-calibrate.
The Guide Herbs Vol. 003

Cilantro / Coriander

in Zone 9, this week

Cilantro and coriander come from the very same plant: the leaves are cilantro and the dried seeds are the spice coriander. Unlike warm-season herbs such as basil, cilantro is a cool-weather plant that handles frost but bolts (flowers) very fast once it gets warm, above about 75°F, and the leaves turn bitter. So the trick is to grow it in the cool parts of the year: a short spring window, a longer and better fall crop, and overwintering in mild areas. Sow a little every 2 to 3 weeks, since each plant bolts after a few weeks, and plant the seeds right in the garden because cilantro does not like being moved. It is fast and easy, with baby leaves in about 3 to 4 weeks. And when summer heat finally makes it bolt, do not be discouraged: let it flower and you get coriander seed. Cilantro and coriander are one plant, Coriandrum sativum, an annual herb in the carrot family (Apiaceae) grown for two products: the leaf is the herb cilantro and the dried seed is the spice coriander. Its defining biology is the mirror image of warm-season herbs like basil: cilantro is a COOL-season, frost-tolerant crop that bolts almost the moment the weather warms, sending up a flower stalk above roughly 75°F and with lengthening days. That single fact shapes everything. The spring leaf window is short, fall is the main and most reliable leaf season, and in mild zones a fall sowing overwinters for the earliest, longest spring run; in hot regions and the heat of summer the leaf crop is brief and growers instead let the plant bolt and harvest coriander seed. Because the bolt is fast and inevitable, cilantro is a succession crop above all, sown in small batches every 2 to 3 weeks so a fresh, pre-bolt cohort is always coming on. It is direct-sown (a slender taproot resents transplanting), fast (baby leaf in about 3 to 4 weeks, bolting by 45 to 60 days), and easy, with few serious pests. The grower's real skill is timing the crop into the cool shoulders of the year and accepting the bolt as the start of the coriander harvest rather than a failure.

Cilantro / Coriander mature plant
Fig. 01 · Cilantro / Coriander, mature Zone 9
Mature in
45-80d
from transplant
Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade
6-8 hrs daily
Water
Regular
1 inch / week
Spacing
2 in
between plants
Soil pH
6.2-6.8
slightly acidic
Today · in your zone

What's happening right now

October 21 · Zone 9 · Stage 01 · Germination

Off-season for cilantro / coriander in zone 9.

Seasoned
Microclimate · Zone 9a vs 9b

Your zone, at a finer grain

Zone 9 averages a last frost around March 1. Within Zone 9, the colder half (9a, winters down to 20°F) runs about a week later. The warmer half (9b, winters down to 25°F) runs about a week earlier. The plant app picks your subzone from your ZIP.

SubzoneLast springFirst fallGrowing daysWinter minFruits reliably
9aMar 8Nov 24~26120-25°FYes · two seasons
9bFeb 28Nov 30~27525-30°FYes · two seasons

Averages from 8 weather stations per subzone, drawn from NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals. Your actual frost date can vary by up to two weeks based on elevation, proximity to water, and local topography.

Source: NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals Methodology
Your climate region in Zone 9
The season at a glance

Planting calendar

In Zone 9, cilantro / coriander can be planted October through March, skipping the summer heat. Harvest runs April through January.

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
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plant
plant
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too late
too late
too hot
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harvest
harvest
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harvest
indoors
plant out
harvest
Seasoned
Stagger your sowings

Succession planting

Sow a little cilantro every 2 to 3 weeks instead of all at once, so you always have fresh leaves before it bolts. Do this in spring and again in late summer for fall. In hot areas, skip summer for leaves and keep sowing through the cool months, and let summer plants make coriander seed.Cilantro is a classic succession crop: it matures fast and bolts faster, so one sowing is gone in a few weeks. Sow a short row every 2 to 3 weeks through the cool windows, spring until heat and long days set in, and again from late summer through fall, which is the longer, more reliable leaf run. In hot regions skip summer for leaves and succession-sow through the cool fall, winter, and spring, while letting any summer plants run to coriander seed.

Every 2 weeks · sow a short new rowUp to 12 sowings a seasonToo hot to sow midsummer
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
sow
harvest
keep sowing
too hot
continuous harvest
The season, mapped

Seed to garden

Plant cilantro straight in the garden from seed, because it has a deep little root and does not like being moved. Sow the seeds about a quarter to half an inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in spring, since the plants handle frost. The seeds are slow, often taking one to three weeks, so keep the soil moist. Sow again every couple of weeks, and in hot areas plant in fall through spring instead of summer, because heat makes it bolt almost right away. A summer crop is really for the coriander seed.Cilantro is almost always direct-sown, since it has a slender taproot and resents transplanting. Sow seed about 0.25 to 0.5 inch deep as soon as the soil can be worked in spring; it tolerates frost, so it can go in several weeks before the last frost, and it germinates slowly, often 7 to 21 days. The round seed is actually two seeds fused, so growers sometimes gently crack it to speed and even out germination. Sow a little thicker than the final stand and thin to taste. In hot regions, shift sowing to fall through spring, since heat both slows germination and bolts the crop almost at once; midsummer sowings are grown for coriander seed rather than leaves.

  1. 01
    Sow outside
    Feb - Mar, Oct
  2. 02
    First harvest
    From Apr 1
    45-80 days from sowing
Start method
Direct
Soil temp
55-70°F
From seed to fruit

The growing journey

Stage 01 · Germination
01
Germination
Days 7-21 · current stage
The first thin little leaves poking up. Cilantro is slow, often taking one to three weeks, so be patient and keep the soil moist.The first pair of narrow seed leaves pushing up. Cilantro is slow to germinate, often 7 to 21 days, and emergence can be uneven because each round fruit holds two seeds.
Keep the soil damp but not soggy until the seedlings are up, which can take a couple of weeks. Sow in cool weather, not summer heat.Keep the soil surface evenly moist but never waterlogged through the long germination window. Sow into cool soil; warm soil above about 75°F slows germination and primes early bolting.
FROM PLANT · Cilantro seeds are slow, often one to three weeks. Keep the soil moist the whole time. The round seed is really two seeds, so cracking it gently can help it sprout faster. Sow in cool weather, not summer heat.Cilantro germinates slowly, often 7 to 21 days, partly because each round fruit holds two seeds; some growers gently crack the seed to speed and even out emergence. Sow shallowly into cool, moist soil, since warm soil above about 75°F slows germination and pushes early bolting.
02
Seedling
Days 14-30
The first true leaves, the broad lacy cilantro leaves. Now you can thin the seedlings.The first true leaves, the broad, scalloped lower cilantro leaves. Now you can tell seedlings from weeds and start thinning.
Thin the seedlings, leaving them close for cutting leaves or farther apart for bigger plants, and eat the ones you pull. Keep the water steady.Thin to taste, dense at 2 to 4 inches for cut leaf or 6 to 8 inches for fuller plants, and eat the thinnings. Keep moisture steady to delay the bolt.
FROM PLANT · Watch young cilantro for tiny jumping leafhoppers. They can spread diseases that twist and yellow the plants, so cover the bed with a light row cover and pull out any seedlings that look distorted.Watch for leafhoppers on young plants: their feeding matters less than the aster yellows and curly top viruses they carry, which yellow and twist the plants. A light row cover excludes them; pull any distorted seedlings, since the viral diseases have no cure.
03
Established
Days 25-45
Leafy plants a few inches tall and full enough to start picking, before any flower stalk appears.Leafy plants 4 to 6 inches tall and the patch looking full, well before any central stalk rises. This is the short, productive leaf window.
Start picking the outer leaves now. Picking often keeps new leaves coming. Keep the water steady so it does not bolt, and pick faster when it warms up.Start cutting outer leaves or shearing now rather than waiting; regular light cutting keeps tender new growth coming. Keep moisture even to hold off bolt, and crop faster as the weather warms.
FROM PLANT · Pick cilantro young and often for the best flavor. Cut the outer leaves or shear the patch a couple of inches above the soil and it grows back. Keep the water steady so the leaves stay mild and it does not bolt as fast.Cut cilantro young for the mildest flavor and cut often: shearing outer leaves or the whole patch a couple of inches above the crown keeps tender new growth coming. Steady moisture keeps the leaves mild and delays the bolt.
04
Harvest
Days 30-60
Full, tender leaves and no flower stalk in the middle yet. Once a stalk appears the good leaf window is closing fast.Full, tender leaves with no central flower stalk yet. Once a feathery stalk rises the leaf window is closing fast and the lower leaves coarsen.
Take the outer leaves, or cut the patch a couple of inches above the soil so it regrows. Pick young in the cool morning, and once you see a flower stalk either clear it or let it go to coriander seed.Cut outer leaves or shear the patch a couple of inches above the crown for regrowth. Pick young and in the cool morning, and clear or convert a patch to seed as soon as it shows a stalk.
FROM PLANT · Cut a cilantro patch a couple of inches above the soil and it grows back for another cutting. Pick in the cool morning and get it in the fridge right away, because it wilts quickly. The broad lower leaves are the best cilantro.Shear a cilantro patch a couple of inches above the crown and it regrows for a second cutting; pick in the cool morning and refrigerate at once, since cut cilantro wilts fast. Use the lower, broad leaves for cilantro and let the upper feathery growth signal the coming bolt.
05
Bolting (to coriander)
Days 40-90
A tall feathery stalk from the middle, then white flowers and round green seeds. This is cilantro turning into coriander, and it happens fast.A feathery central stalk shooting up, the new leaves narrowing into thread-like fronds, then white umbel flowers and green seed. This is the shift from cilantro leaf to coriander seed, and it is rapid.
If you want leaves, pick everything good right away. If you want coriander seed, leave the plant to flower and set seed, then cut and dry the brown seed heads. Cilantro often reseeds itself too.For leaves, harvest everything worth eating at once. To make coriander, leave the plant: let the flowers feed pollinators, then cut the seed heads as they turn tan but before they shatter, and dry them. Let one plant self-sow if you want volunteers.
FROM PLANT · Cilantro bolts fast, and that is how you get coriander. When you see the flower stalk, pick the last good leaves, then let it bloom and make seed. Cut the seed heads when they turn tan, dry them, and shake out the coriander. A plant left alone often reseeds itself.Bolting arrives fast and is the whole point of the plant's second act: once the feathery stalk rises, stop fighting it. Harvest the last good leaves, then let the umbels flower for pollinators and set seed. Cut the seed heads as they turn tan but before they shatter, dry them, and thresh out coriander. One plant left to drop seed reliably self-sows.
Beginner
Know your soil

Your soil

Identify yours

Not sure what soil you have? Grab a small handful of damp soil from your garden bed and squeeze it. If it crumbles apart easily, it's sandy. If it holds together but breaks when you poke it, it's loam (what most vegetables want). If it stays in a hard, slippery ball, it's clay.

What this crop wants

Cilantro likes loose, fertile soil with plenty of compost mixed in that holds moisture but still drains well. It is not fussy, but steady moisture and rich soil keep the leaves tender and mild and put off bolting a little; hot, dry, hard soil makes it rush to flower and turn the foliage bitter.

If your soil doesn't match

You have sandy soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost into the top 6 inches of your bed before planting. Compost holds moisture (which sandy soil drains too fast) and adds the nutrients sandy soil tends to lack. Repeat each season. Compost breaks down over time.

You have clay soil

Mix 2-3 inches of compost AND a few inches of coarse sand or perlite into the top 6 inches of your bed. The compost feeds the plants; the sand breaks up the clay so air and water can move through. Don't add sand without compost. It can compact like concrete.

Containers and raised beds

If amending your soil sounds like too much work, or if your soil is heavy clay, full of rocks, or contaminated, build over it. A raised bed at least 12 inches deep filled with a 50/50 mix of compost and sandy loam gives you ideal growing soil with no battles. A 5-gallon container with quality potting mix does the same for one plant at a time. Both bypass your native soil entirely.

Learn more about your soil
The specs

Care guide

The numbers that matter, at a glance.

Sunlight
Full sun to partial shade · 6-8 hrs/day
Water
Regular
Spacing
2 inches
Soil
loam, sandy loam
Days to maturity
45-80 days from transplant
Soil pH
6.2 to 6.8
Container OK?
Yes · 1+ gal pot
Germination temp
55-70°F
In a pot

Yes, 1 gallon and up

Cilantro is an easy, fast container herb. Use a pot at least 8 inches deep to fit its root, sow the seed thickly, and snip leaves cut-and-come-again. Keep it watered and in the cool seasons, and give it afternoon shade in warm weather to slow bolting.Cilantro grows well in a container at least 8 inches deep to fit its taproot, sown densely for cut-and-come-again leaves. Keep moisture even, since pots dry fast and drought triggers bolting, grow it in the cool seasons, and give afternoon shade in warm spells. A pot is also the easiest way to move the crop into shade or shelter as the weather turns, and to keep a fresh succession by the kitchen door.

Pot size
1 gallon and up; 2 gallons is comfortable
Mature size
1 to 3 feet tall
Drainage
Drainage holes are a must. Skip the gravel layer. Empty the saucer after watering so roots never sit in water, which invites damping-off and root rot.
Watering
Pots dry out fast, so check daily in warm weather and keep the mix evenly moist, since drought makes cilantro bolt.Containers dry faster than beds; check moisture daily in warmth and water before the mix dries, since drought stress bolts cilantro.
Depth and shape
At least 8 inches deep. Cilantro has a slender taproot, so give it depth: a container at least 8 inches deep suits it better than a shallow tray, while width adds sowing area for cut-and-come-again leaves.
Self-watering pot
Yes. A self-watering container suits cilantro well, since it smooths out the steady moisture that keeps the leaves mild and slow to bolt.
Mix
A light, well-drained potting mix high in organic matter, deep enough for cilantro's taproot. Blend in compost and a little starter nitrogen; cilantro is a quick feeder but needs only a light charge for its short leaf life.
Feeding
Container cilantro needs only a light starter feed; frequent watering leaches nutrients, but the crop is harvested before heavy feeding would matter.
One to try

SantoA widely grown standard cilantro noted by extensions as slower to bolt than average; dependable, full cilantro flavor, and a common slow-bolt choice for spring and warm-shoulder sowing.

3 more compact types

CalypsoOne of the slowest-bolting cilantros, with full, frilly leaves and strong regrowth for repeated cut-and-come-again leaf harvests; a top pick where heat shortens the window.

LeisureA Utah State University-listed slow-bolting type with full leaves and good leaf yield before flowering.

Slow Bolting

Winter

In mild areas, a pot of fall-sown cilantro can keep going through winter in a sheltered, sunny spot, since cilantro takes frost. In cold areas, move the pot against the house or into a cold frame, or cover it during hard freezes, and it will often resume in spring before bolting.Cilantro is frost-hardy, so a fall-sown container can overwinter in mild zones, holding through winter in a sheltered spot and giving the earliest, longest leaf run before spring heat bolts it. In cold zones the limited root volume freezes harder than open ground, so sink the pot, move it to a cold frame or unheated structure, or cover it during hard freezes; a hard freeze will still kill it.

Pot safety

Ask what your balcony or roof can carry

A balcony or roof can only hold so much weight. Before you set heavy pots there, ask a building architect what it can safely carry.Illinois Extension's guidance is to consult a building architect about weight limits before placing heavy pots on a balcony or rooftop garden. It gives no weight figure.

Never grow food in a container with anything toxic in it

Many kinds of containers can be used. Whatever you choose, keep anything toxic out of it, especially if you are growing food.Colorado State accepts nearly any container material but warns against using a container that holds toxic materials, especially for edible plants. Illinois adds that a vegetable container should be free of chemicals toxic to plants or people, and urges caution with treated lumber when growing food. If you cannot account for what a repurposed container once held, that alone is a reason to keep food out of it.

Secure hanging containers well

Fasten hanging baskets and window or rail boxes securely. Think about what is below them too, since they can drip on people or things underneath.Illinois Extension asks growers to secure hanging containers well and to think through the safety issues of hanging them. Placement matters too, since a hanging container can drip onto people or belongings below.

Soil chemistry

Soil pH for cilantro / coriander

Preferred
6.2 to 6.8
Tolerated
6 to 7.5

Cilantro grows best in slightly acidic to neutral soil, about 6.2 to 6.8. Most garden soil is fine, and a simple soil test tells you where you stand.Aim for a soil pH of about 6.2 to 6.8, slightly acidic to neutral; cilantro is forgiving and still does fine across roughly 6.0 to 7.5. Clemson lists a working range of 6 to 7 for the crop. It is not a pH-sensitive plant, so in most gardens no adjustment is needed beyond a soil-test baseline.

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Steady hand on the hose

Watering

When & how much
Frequency
Water regularly so the soil stays evenly moist, roughly 1 inch a week.About 1 inch of water per week, kept even; cilantro is shallow-rooted and bolts faster and turns harsher under drought stress.
Amount
Aim for about 1 inch of water a week, a bit more when it is warm and dry.Roughly 1 inch per week, more in warm, dry spells; Texas A&M notes an inch a week suffices once established unless it turns very hot.
Method
Water at the base of the plants rather than over the leaves, which helps prevent leaf diseases.Water at the soil line with drip or a soaker hose; keeping the lacy foliage dry checks bacterial leaf spot and other leaf diseases on a crop eaten fresh.
Signs of trouble
Too much water
Lower leaves yellow, seedlings rot at the base, and plants get mushy or diseased in soggy soil.Yellowing lower leaves, damping-off in seedlings, and soft rot or leaf disease in constantly wet, poorly drained ground.
Too little water
Wilting leaves that taste sharper, and a plant that bolts (flowers) sooner than you want.Wilting, slowed growth, harsher-tasting leaves, and faster bolting; drought stress hurries the plant toward its coriander seedstalk.
Feeding rhythm

Feeding

Frequency
once or twice per crop
Type
Nitrogen-rich fertilizer
When to start
a little worked in before sowing, then a light side-dress once or twice during the few weeks of leaf growth

Cilantro grows fast and likes a little nitrogen for tender green leaves. Mix some compost or fertilizer into the soil before planting, then give it one light feeding once the seedlings are up and growing. Because the crop is so quick, you usually do not need to feed it again, and a plant left to make coriander seed needs nothing more.Cilantro is a fast leafy herb that runs on nitrogen, but the crop is so quick that a modest charge is plenty. Utah State University suggests about a quarter cup of 21-0-0 per 25 square feet, one to two times during the season. Work compost or a balanced fertilizer in before sowing, then side-dress lightly with nitrogen once the seedlings are established to push tender, mild leaves. Avoid heavy late nitrogen, which draws aphids and does little for a crop you cut within a few weeks; a plant grown on for coriander seed needs no extra feeding once it bolts.

N · P · K = 21-0-0

Use a nitrogen-rich feed such as blood meal or a 21-0-0 fertilizer once or twice while the plants are young.High N for fast leafy growth; a light side-dress of 21-0-0 or blood meal once or twice during the crop. No extra phosphorus or potassium needed beyond a soil-test baseline; do not overfeed a 4-to-6-week leaf crop.

Try 21-0-0 or blood meal, or a balanced vegetable fertilizer
Who grows well together

Companion planting

Cilantro is small, fast, and easygoing, and its biggest garden gift comes when it flowers: the blooms pull in hoverflies, ladybugs, and tiny parasitic wasps that hunt aphids and caterpillars on nearby crops. It interplants well with tomatoes and peppers, with quick cool-season greens like lettuce and spinach, and with legumes. Keep it away from fennel, a poor neighbor for most herbs that can also cross-pollinate carrot-family plants. Most cilantro companion value is real but indirect: allowed to flower, cilantro (an Apiaceae umbel) is a strong insectary plant, recruiting hoverflies, ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps that suppress aphids and caterpillars on neighboring crops, an effect extension IPM guidance leans on. Practically it interplants with tomatoes and peppers (which benefit from those beneficials and lend the cool-season cilantro a little afternoon shade), with quick cool greens that share its season, and with legumes. The well-grounded caution is fennel, a broad allelopath and poor herb neighbor that also crosses with carrot-family plants. Avoid clustering cilantro with its Apiaceae relatives (carrot, dill, parsley) on rotation and shared-pest grounds.

Other
Tomatoes and peppers
Let some cilantro flower near tomatoes and peppers and its blooms bring in helpful insects that eat aphids and caterpillars. The taller plants also give cilantro a little cooling shade in warm weather.A beneficial-insect pairing: cilantro left to flower recruits hoverflies and parasitoid wasps that attack aphids and hornworms on tomatoes and peppers, and the taller crops shade the cool-season cilantro to slow its bolt. Sound by mechanism and shared culture, not a measured cilantro-tomato effect. Well-grounded
Lettuce and other quick cool greens
Lettuce and spinach grow fast and low in the same cool weather as cilantro, so you can sow them together to fill a salad bed.A cool-season interplant on space and timing: cilantro, lettuce, and spinach share a cool window and a salad bed and are cut young together, with no shared major pest. Traditional and structural rather than a documented effect. Traditional
Beans and peas
Legumes add a little nitrogen to the soil that the leafy cilantro can use, and they share a cool-to-mild season without crowding it.A legume interplant on nitrogen and structure: beans and peas fix a little nitrogen the leafy cilantro draws on, and the quick cilantro uses the open ground between them. Sound space-and-timing logic, not a measured cilantro effect. Traditional
Keep apart from
Fennel Keep cilantro away from fennel. Fennel is a poor neighbor for most herbs and vegetables, said to release substances that hold back nearby plants, and it can also cross-pollinate carrot-family plants like cilantro if both flower.Fennel is a broad allelopath and the classic bad herb neighbor, releasing compounds that suppress many plants, and as a fellow Apiaceae it can cross-pollinate cilantro where both flower for seed. Give fennel its own corner. A traditional rule with a real mechanism, not a measured cilantro-fennel trial. Traditional
Provenance tagged inline · see methodology for the labeling system Key
Harvest signals

When to pick

Start picking cilantro when the plants are about 4 to 6 inches tall, a few weeks after sowing and before you see a flower stalk. Take the outer leaves or cut the whole patch a couple of inches above the soil so it regrows, and pick in the cool morning for the best flavor. Pick often, because once it bolts the leaves turn bitter fast. To get coriander, let the plant flower and form seeds, then cut the seed heads when they turn tan, dry them, and shake out the round seeds to store.Begin cutting cilantro leaves once plants are about 4 to 6 inches tall, roughly 3 to 6 weeks from sowing, well before any central stalk rises. Cut the broad lower leaves, or shear the whole patch a couple of inches above the crown for a second cutting, taking no more than a third at a time and picking in the cool morning for the mildest flavor. Pick promptly and often as the weather warms, since the leaf window closes fast at bolt. For coriander, stop cutting and let the plant flower and set seed; harvest the seed heads as they turn from green to tan but before they shatter, dry them in a paper bag, then thresh and store the seed airtight.

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Yield

What to expect

Each cilantro plant gives a small bunch of leaves before it flowers, so it is grown in patches rather than as one big plant. A patch gives a couple of cuttings, then bolts, so sow more every couple of weeks. A bolted plant gives you coriander seed.A single cilantro plant yields a small rosette of leaves over a few weeks before bolting, so the crop is grown in dense patches or rows rather than per plant. Cut young or cut-and-come-again, a bed gives one to three cuttings before heat or bolt ends the leaf phase; a plant then left to flower yields a head of coriander seed.

Cilantro makes the most leaves in the cool weather of fall and early spring. A spring patch gives a couple of good weeks and then bolts, but a fall crop lasts much longer. Summer plants are best left to make coriander seed.Leaf production peaks in the cool weeks of fall and early spring. A spring patch produces for a couple of weeks and then ends abruptly at bolt, while the fall crop, under cooling weather and shortening days, holds far longer and, with cover, into winter. The coriander seed crop peaks from summer-bolted plants. Cilantro is one of the easier, faster herbs for a beginner, with leaves in about a month from a cool-weather sowing. The trick is to sow a little every couple of weeks, pick it young, and grow it in cool weather, especially fall, so it does not bolt before you can eat it. And if it does bolt, you get coriander seed.Cilantro is a fast, forgiving first-season crop: leaves in about 4 to 6 weeks from a cool-weather sowing and almost nothing to go wrong if you do not sow into heat. The key to total yield is frequent succession sowing, picking young, and leaning on the fall crop, since a spring patch sown too late bolts before it produces much. The bonus is that even a bolted crop is not wasted, it becomes coriander.

What changes yield
Timing: a crop grown in the cool shoulders yields leaves well; one caught by heat and long days bolts before producing much. Fall is the most reliable leaf season.Variety: slow-bolting selections (Santo, Calypso, Leisure, Slow Bolting) extend the leaf window in warmth, though none stop the bolt.Even moisture: steady water keeps leaves mild, tender, and slower to bolt; drought sharpens the flavor and hurries the seedstalk.Frequent cutting and succession: picking young and sowing every 2 to 3 weeks keeps tender leaves coming.Goal: in heat, shift the goal from leaf to coriander seed rather than fighting the bolt.
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Pick your variety

Recommended varieties

If you want leaves, pick a slow-bolting cilantro like Santo, Calypso, Leisure, or one labeled Slow Bolting or Long Standing, which take a bit longer to flower. None of them stop flowering in heat, so sow a fresh batch every couple of weeks too. If you want coriander seed, just let any cilantro flower and go to seed.Match the type to the goal. For leaves, choose slow-bolting selections, Santo, Calypso, Leisure, Caribe, and the various Slow Bolting and Long Standing strains, which hold in leaf longer before the seedstalk rises; none truly resist heat and long days, but they buy time. Specialty leaf types include Delfino, a feathery cut-leaf cilantro, and Lemon. For coriander seed, any standard cilantro left to bolt sets seed readily, and large-seeded types like Moroccan are grown specifically for the spice. Because the bolt is inevitable, succession sowing matters more than variety for a steady leaf supply.

Santo
A widely grown standard cilantro noted by extensions as slower to bolt than average; dependable, full cilantro flavor, and a common slow-bolt choice for spring and warm-shoulder sowing.
Calypso
One of the slowest-bolting cilantros, with full, frilly leaves and strong regrowth for repeated cut-and-come-again leaf harvests; a top pick where heat shortens the window.
Leisure
A Utah State University-listed slow-bolting type with full leaves and good leaf yield before flowering.
Caribe
Noted by Clemson, along with Santo, as less prone to bolting; a reliable leaf cilantro for the cool shoulders.
Slow Bolting / Long Standing
Selections sold specifically for delayed bolting (also Slo-Bolt, California Long Standing); the best general choice when you want the longest leaf window. For coriander seed instead, any standard cilantro left to flower works, and Moroccan is grown for large seed.
Off the vine

Storing your harvest

Room temp
Do not leave cut cilantro out on the counter, where it wilts fast; either chill it or stand the stems in a glass of water. Dried coriander seed keeps for months at room temperature.Fresh cilantro leaves wilt within a day at room temperature, so refrigerate promptly after cutting; standing the cut stems in a glass of water on the counter holds them a few days. Coriander seed, by contrast, is shelf-stable for months once dried.
Fridge
Store fresh cilantro unwashed in a loose bag in the fridge, where it keeps about a week. Wash it only when you are ready to use it.Refrigerate fresh leaves unwashed in a loose or perforated bag, or stems standing in a little water under a loose bag, in the crisper; cilantro holds about a week. Wash only at use, since trapped moisture speeds breakdown.
Freezer
Cilantro does not freeze well for salads, but you can chop it into an ice-cube tray with a little water or oil and freeze that for cooking. For coriander, let the seeds dry on the plant, then store them in a jar.Fresh cilantro loses its texture frozen for raw use, but freezes well chopped into ice-cube trays with water or oil, or blended into sauces, where the flavor holds for cooking. Coriander seed is dried, not frozen: cut seed heads as they brown, dry them, then thresh and store the seed airtight.
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From the garden to the kitchen

Recipes to try

BBQ & Grill

Grilled Chicken with Fresh Garden Salsa

BBQ & Grill · 40m · Serves 4
More recipes
arriving with the harvest
When something goes wrong

Common problems

01 of 04
What happened Your cilantro shot up a feathery stalk and the leaves turned bitter. Cilantro bolts fast in heat and long days, which is its normal shift from leaf to coriander seed, not a mistake. Next time, grow it in cool weather, especially fall, sow a fresh batch every couple of weeks, pick it young, and try slow-bolting types like Santo or Calypso. And let the bolted plant make coriander seed.The plant elongated into a seedstalk and leaf quality collapsed as the foliage narrowed and turned bitter. Bolting is driven by heat above about 75°F and lengthening days, accelerated by drought, and is rapid in cilantro. Growers most often sow too late into warming weather. Next time sow into the cool shoulders, succession-sow, favor fall, use slow-bolting selections, and treat warm-season plantings as a coriander seed crop. Next season Grow it in cool weather, sow every couple of weeks, pick young, choose slow-bolting types, and harvest the bolted plant for coriander.Sow into cool weather, succession-sow every 2 to 3 weeks, lean on fall, choose slow-bolting types, and grow summer plantings for coriander seed.
02 of 04
What happened Your cilantro came up thin, patchy, or very slowly. Cilantro seed is slow by nature, often one to three weeks, and germinates poorly in warm soil above about 75°F or when the surface dries out. Next time, sow in cool soil, keep the surface moist, crack the round seed gently to help it along, and use fresh seed.Stand was thin and slow. Cilantro germination is intrinsically slow (the schizocarp holds two seeds) and is further inhibited by warm soil above roughly 75°F and by surface drying. Next time sow into cool, moist soil, consider gently cracking the fruit, keep the seedbed from crusting, and use fresh viable seed. Next season Sow in cool, moist soil, keep the surface from drying, crack the seed gently, and use fresh seed.Sow into cool, moist soil, keep the bed from drying or crusting, crack the seed to even out emergence, and use fresh seed.
03 of 04
What happened Your cilantro leaves got dark, angular, water-soaked spots, worst in cool, wet weather. That is bacterial leaf spot, which spreads on wet leaves and splashing water and often comes in on the seed. Next time, use clean seed, water at the soil line, space plants for airflow, and rotate the bed.Angular, vein-limited lesions indicate bacterial leaf spot (Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola), favored by cool, wet, splashy conditions and frequently seed-borne. Next time use clean or hot-water-treated seed, switch to drip, widen spacing, rotate away from the carrot family, and clear infected debris. Next season Use clean seed, water at the base, space for airflow, and rotate where you grow cilantro.Use clean seed, irrigate at the soil line, widen spacing, rotate away from Apiaceae, and remove infected debris.
04 of 04
What happened Your cilantro turned yellow, twisted, and stunted and did not recover. That is usually aster yellows or curly top, diseases that leafhoppers carry into the plant; there is no cure. Next time, cover plants with a light row cover to keep leafhoppers off, clear nearby weeds that harbor them, and pull infected plants right away.Yellowing, distortion, and stunting point to leafhopper-vectored aster yellows or beet curly top virus; infected plants do not recover. Next time exclude leafhoppers with row cover, manage weed reservoirs that host the pathogens and vectors, and rogue symptomatic plants early. Next season Use row cover against leafhoppers, clear weedy hosts, and remove infected plants promptly.Exclude leafhoppers with row cover, control weed reservoirs, and remove symptomatic plants early.
The usual suspects

Pests & diseases

Pests
Aphids
P · 01
Symptoms Clusters of tiny soft green or gray insects on new growth and the undersides of leaves, sometimes with curled, sticky foliage.Colonies of green peach and other aphids gather on growing tips and leaf undersides; honeydew and the lodged insects contaminate a crop eaten fresh, and aphids can vector viruses. Cilantro's lacy foliage hides them, so scout closely. Cause Aphids are small sap-sucking insects that breed fast, especially on soft growth from too much fertilizer. They can spread plant viruses.Several aphid species feed on cilantro; they reproduce rapidly and favor the soft growth that excess nitrogen produces. Organic treatment Blast them off with a strong spray of water, or use insecticidal soap or neem oil on the leaf undersides, repeating every few days. Pick the leaves before a colony settles in.Dislodge colonies with a strong water jet or spray insecticidal soap or neem, covering leaf undersides; repeat every few days and conserve ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps, which cilantro's own flowers attract. Prevention Welcome helpful insects like ladybugs and lacewings, go easy on nitrogen, check new growth often, and pick the quick crop young.Scout growing tips early, avoid overfeeding nitrogen, conserve natural enemies, and harvest the fast crop before colonies build; letting a few plants flower draws in aphid predators.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Go easy on nitrogen, the fertilizer that pushes fast leafy growth. Aphids tend to build up quickest on the soft new shoots a heavily fed plant puts out, so cilantro that is not overfed usually draws fewer of them.The several aphid species that feed on cilantro favor the succulent growth surplus nitrogen produces, so holding fertility moderate makes the growing tips less rewarding and tends to slow how fast a colony builds.

  2. Prompt harvest

    Cilantro is a quick crop, so cut the leaves young. Picking before a colony has time to settle in takes the foliage off the plant while it is still clean, which matters on a herb you eat fresh.Harvesting the fast leaf crop early denies colonies the weeks they need to build, and it takes foliage before honeydew and lodged insects can contaminate a crop that goes to the table raw.

  3. Water spray

    Knock the clusters off with a strong stream from the hose, aiming up under the leaves where they gather. Go back and do it again every few days, because the ones you miss regroup. Cilantro's lacy foliage hides them well, so look closely at the new growth before and after. Spray early in the day so the leaves dry off.A directed jet dislodges colonies mechanically with no spray involved; repeat at intervals of a few days so survivors do not simply rebuild. The finely divided foliage conceals colonies, so scout the growing tips closely rather than glancing across the canopy, and keep the pass to early in the day so foliage is not left wet.

  4. Beneficial predators

    Ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps, which are tiny wasps that lay their eggs inside aphids, will hunt aphids for you. Letting a few cilantro plants go to flower helps, since those flowers draw the predators in.Conserving resident ladybugs, lacewings, and parasitoid wasps is the living control here, and cilantro's own flowers are a draw for them; letting a few plants flower rather than cutting every one is a low-cost way to keep predators in the bed.

  5. Insecticidal soap

    Insecticidal soap, a soap-based spray sold for garden use, kills the aphids it actually touches. Coat the undersides of the leaves where the clusters sit, and go back every few days.Soap acts on contact only, so coverage of the leaf undersides where the colony sits is what decides the result; repeat every few days to reach what the first pass missed.

  6. Neem oil

    Neem oil, a plant oil pressed from neem tree seeds, is the other spray named for aphids on cilantro. Same approach: wet the leaf undersides directly, and repeat every few days.Neem is the alternate contact material where soap has not held a colony; place it on the aphids with thorough undersides coverage rather than broadcasting it over the planting, and repeat on the same few-day interval.

The bottom rungs are products with label rules: timing, pollinators, and days to wait before harvest. Before you spray →

Leafhoppers (and aster yellows / curly top)
P · 02
Symptoms Small wedge-shaped insects that hop or fly up when disturbed, plus yellowed, twisted, or stunted plants. The leafhoppers themselves do little chewing damage, but they can carry diseases that deform the plant.The beet leafhopper and aster leafhoppers feed on cilantro and, more importantly, transmit aster yellows and beet curly top virus, which yellow, distort, and stunt the plants. Infected plants do not recover and should be removed. Cause Tiny jumping insects that suck sap and, more seriously, spread diseases (aster yellows and curly top) that twist and yellow the plants.Leafhoppers (including the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus) feed on the foliage and vector aster yellows and beet curly top virus; the disease damage far outweighs the feeding. Organic treatment Cover plants with a light row cover to keep leafhoppers off, pull and discard any yellowed, distorted plants right away, and clear nearby weeds that harbor the insects and the diseases.Exclude leafhoppers with floating row cover, rogue out symptomatic plants promptly since there is no cure for the viral diseases, and control weed reservoirs; insecticides give poor control of a mobile vector. Prevention Use row cover, clear weedy hosts around the garden, and remove infected plants early so they do not seed disease into the planting.Manage leafhoppers mainly by exclusion (row cover) and sanitation: remove weed reservoirs and rogue symptomatic plants, since spraying rarely stops a mobile virus vector.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clearing the weeds that host it

    Clear the weeds around the planting. They shelter the leafhoppers and they also hold the diseases the insects carry, so a weedy edge can keep handing both back to your cilantro.Weedy reservoirs sustain the leafhoppers and the aster yellows and beet curly top they carry, so clearing host weeds at the bed edges removes part of the source rather than treating the crop.

  2. Garden sanitation

    Pull any plant that has gone yellowed, twisted, or stunted, and take it out of the garden promptly. These diseases have no cure, so an affected plant is not going to come back, and leaving it standing keeps a source in the bed.Rogue symptomatic plants promptly: infected plants do not recover, and one left standing keeps aster yellows or beet curly top in the planting where the vector can pick it up again.

  3. Floating row cover

    A light fabric row cover laid over the bed keeps leafhoppers off the plants in the first place. The insects themselves do little chewing damage, so it is the diseases you are excluding, and since those have no cure, keeping the carriers away is the step that does the most here.Exclusion is the main lever: the feeding damage is minor next to the aster yellows and beet curly top the insects transmit, and insecticides give poor control of a mobile vector, so a cover sealed over the planting is what actually keeps the pathogens out.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot
D · 01
Symptoms Small dark, angular, water-soaked spots on the leaves that run along the veins and can merge into larger blotches, worst in cool, wet weather. Spotted leaves are not good to eat.Angular, vein-limited dark lesions on the foliage, sometimes with a yellow halo, spreading in cool, wet, splashy conditions; on a leaf crop even moderate spotting ruins the harvest. It is the most-reported cilantro disease. Cause A bacterial disease, the most common one reported on cilantro, that spreads through wet leaves and splashing water and often arrives on infected seed.Pseudomonas syringae pv. coriandricola, a seed-borne and splash-spread bacterium favored by cool, wet weather and overhead watering. Organic treatment Remove and destroy spotted leaves, avoid wetting the foliage, improve airflow, and start with clean seed. There is no spray cure in the home garden, so prevention matters most.Use clean, disease-free or hot-water-treated seed, avoid overhead irrigation, space for airflow, rotate away from cilantro and its relatives, and remove infected debris; copper has limited effect once it is established. Prevention Use clean seed, water at the soil line rather than over the leaves, space plants for airflow, and clear infected debris.Plant clean seed, switch to drip or soil-line watering, widen spacing, rotate, and remove crop debris that carries the bacterium over.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Clean planting stock

    Start with clean seed. This disease often arrives on infected seed, so buying seed sold as disease free is a choice you make before anything is in the ground.The bacterium is seed borne, so a clean, disease-free lot, or one that has been hot-water treated, is set at purchase and decides whether the pathogen is present in the planting at all.

  2. Crop rotation

    Sow the next cilantro somewhere else rather than in the same bed, and give its close relatives a rest from that ground too.Rotate away from cilantro and its relatives so a new sowing is not put back onto ground that carried the bacterium in the last crop's debris.

  3. Airflow and spacing

    Give the plants room so air moves through the planting and the leaves dry. Cilantro sown thickly stays damp, and damp foliage is what this disease works in.Widen spacing to shorten how long the canopy holds moisture; cool, wet, splashy conditions are what drive the lesions, and a dense stand keeps the foliage wet longer than an open one.

  4. Water at the base

    Water at the soil line rather than sprinkling over the top of the plants. The bacteria travel in splashing water and on wet leaves, so drip or a soil-line soak takes that ride away.Switch to drip or soil-line delivery: overhead irrigation both wets the foliage and splashes the bacterium leaf to leaf, and that is the dispersal route a gardener can remove outright.

  5. Garden sanitation

    Pick off spotted leaves and get rid of them, and clear infected debris out of the bed. Leaves carrying spots are not worth eating anyway, and leaving them keeps the bacteria in the planting.Remove spotted foliage as it appears and clear crop debris afterward, since the debris is what carries the bacterium over; on a leaf crop even moderate spotting takes the harvest, so there is little reason to leave affected tissue standing.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Damping-off and seedling rot
D · 02
Symptoms Seeds that never come up, or seedlings that flop over at the soil line with a pinched, rotted stem and then die. It strikes in cold, wet soil.Poor stands from seed and pre- or post-emergence collapse of seedlings with water-soaked, pinched stems at the soil line, worst in cold, wet, poorly drained soil where cilantro's slow germination leaves seed sitting. Cause Soil fungi attack the seeds and tiny seedlings, especially when the soil is cold and soggy and the slow-sprouting cilantro seed sits a long time before emerging.Soilborne Pythium, Rhizoctonia, and Fusarium fungi attack germinating seed and seedlings; cold, saturated soil that slows cilantro's already slow germination favors them. Organic treatment There is no cure for an affected seedling, so focus on prevention: pull and discard collapsed seedlings.No rescue once seedlings collapse; manage by prevention and remove affected plants. Prevention Do not sow into cold, soggy soil, plant shallowly in well-drained ground, do not overwater, and use fresh seed so it comes up faster.Sow shallowly into well-drained soil under conditions that favor reasonably quick emergence, avoid overwatering, and use fresh, viable seed; some growers soak the dry seed to speed emergence past the vulnerable window.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Sound sowing practice

    Wait for the soil to warm and drain before sowing, set the seed shallow, go easy on the water afterward, and use fresh seed so it comes up faster. Cilantro is slow to sprout, so its seed sits in the ground a while, and cold soggy soil is where that wait turns into rot. Some gardeners soak the dry seed first to shorten the window.This is set at sowing: fresh, viable seed, shallow placement, soil warm and drained enough for reasonably quick emergence, and restrained watering afterward. Cilantro's slow germination leaves seed exposed longer than most crops, which is why the sowing conditions carry so much of the outcome; soaking the dry seed is one way growers shorten that vulnerable stretch.

  2. Improve drainage

    Sow into ground that drains. Saturated soil is what these soil fungi need, and a bed that stays soggy after watering will keep taking seedlings.Cold, saturated, poorly drained soil favors the Pythium, Rhizoctonia and Fusarium that attack germinating seed and young seedlings, so drainage work on the bed is preventive and belongs before sowing rather than after a stand fails.

  3. Garden sanitation

    A seedling that has already collapsed is not going to recover, so pull the affected ones and discard them. Everything else here is prevention for the next sowing.There is no rescue once seedlings collapse, so removing affected plants is cleanup rather than control; the management sits in the sowing and drainage decisions above.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Powdery mildew
D · 03
Symptoms A white, powdery coating on the leaves and stems, usually later in the crop and in warm, dry-day weather. Heavily coated leaves yellow and are unpleasant to eat.A white, talc-like fungal growth on the foliage and stems, the most common fungal disease of cilantro, that builds in warm days with cool nights and crowded plantings; coated leaves lose quality. Cause A fungal disease (Erysiphe heraclei) that coats the leaves in white powder, favored by warm days, cool nights, and crowding.The fungus Erysiphe heraclei, favored by warm days and cool humid nights and by dense stands with poor airflow. Organic treatment Remove the worst leaves, open up the planting for airflow, and avoid crowding. Most home crops are harvested before it does much harm.Improve airflow with wider spacing, remove affected leaves, and avoid excess nitrogen; the fast leaf crop is usually cut before mildew matters, but a plant grown on for seed is more exposed. Prevention Space plants for airflow, avoid crowding and overfeeding, and pick the leaf crop young before mildew builds.Widen spacing for airflow, avoid heavy nitrogen, and harvest the leaf crop promptly; remove infected foliage on plants held for coriander seed.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Airflow and spacing

    Space the plants so air moves between them, and resist sowing cilantro thickly. Crowded, still plantings are where this mildew tends to build.Dense stands with poor airflow are one of the conditions Erysiphe heraclei favors, alongside warm days and cool humid nights; spacing is the half of that pairing a gardener actually sets.

  2. Balanced nitrogen feeding

    Go easy on the fertilizer. Overfeeding pushes soft crowded growth, which is the kind of canopy this mildew builds in.Avoid heavy nitrogen: the lush, dense growth it produces closes the canopy and works against the airflow the rung above is trying to create.

  3. Prompt harvest

    Cut the leaf crop young. Most home plantings are picked before mildew does much harm, so harvesting on time does a lot of the work by itself.The fast leaf crop is usually cut before mildew matters; a plant held on for coriander seed stands far longer and is correspondingly more exposed, so the timing advantage applies to the leaf harvest and not to the seed crop.

  4. Garden sanitation

    Take the worst-coated leaves off and get them out of the planting. Badly coated leaves turn yellow and are not pleasant on the plate.Strip affected foliage as it shows, and keep doing it on plants held for coriander seed, which carry through the stretch where the mildew has time to build.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Soft rot
D · 04
Symptoms Mushy, slimy, foul-smelling collapse of the crown or stems, usually in warm, wet conditions or after the foliage has been damaged. Affected plants rot quickly.Wet, mushy breakdown of the crown and stems with a bad smell, caused by soft-rot bacteria entering through wounds in warm, wet, poorly drained conditions; the plant collapses fast. Cause Bacterial soft rot that enters through wounds and rots the tissue in warm, wet, poorly drained soil.Soft-rot bacteria (such as Pectobacterium species) invade through wounds and bruises and dissolve the tissue, favored by warm temperatures, wet soil, and poor drainage. Organic treatment Remove and discard rotted plants, improve drainage, avoid injuring the plants, and do not overwater. There is no cure once a plant is rotting.Remove and destroy affected plants, improve drainage and airflow, avoid wounding and overwatering, and do not work the bed when wet; no rescue once rot sets in. Prevention Plant in well-drained soil, avoid overwatering and injury, and keep the planting open so foliage dries.Site in well-drained soil, avoid waterlogging and mechanical injury, space for drying airflow, and clear infected debris.
The control ladder

The ladder troubleshoots from the gentlest solution to the strongest. Start with the gentlest option and only move on when and if it doesn't work.

  1. Improve drainage

    Plant where water drains away, and do not keep the bed waterlogged. Warm, wet, poorly drained ground is where this rot takes hold, and drainage is the part of that you can set before planting.Warm temperatures paired with wet, poorly drained soil are what favor the soft-rot bacteria; siting on ground that drains, and not overwatering it afterward, removes the condition rather than the organism.

  2. Airflow and spacing

    Keep the planting open so the foliage dries. Crowded cilantro holds moisture around the crown, and the crown is where this rot shows up.Space for drying airflow around the crown and lower stems, since free moisture held in a dense stand is what lets the bacteria macerate tissue once they are in.

  3. Staying out of wet foliage

    Stay out of the bed while the plants are wet, and handle them gently when you do go in. These bacteria get in through wounds and bruises, so a careless pass through a wet planting can open the door and move the problem around at the same time.Time your passes through the bed for dry conditions: the bacteria enter through wounds and bruises, so working wet foliage both creates entry points and carries the pathogen between plants. This lowers the rate of spread rather than stopping an infection already underway, so it belongs alongside the drainage and spacing rungs rather than in place of them.

  4. Garden sanitation

    Pull plants that have gone mushy and throw them away. Once a plant is rotting there is nothing to be done for it, and leaving it in the bed only keeps the problem there.Remove and destroy affected plants: there is no rescue once rot sets in, and clearing the infected debris keeps that source out of the bed ahead of the next crop.

No spray for this one. Prevention is the control.

Verified · 3 sources View
Seasoned
Where to plant next year

Crop rotation

Try not to grow cilantro or other carrot-family plants (carrots, parsley, dill, fennel, celery) in the same spot more than about once every 3 years, since they share pests and diseases. Plant cilantro after peas, beans, cabbage, onions, or tomatoes instead. Cilantro often self-sows, so pull up stray seedlings that pop up where you do not want them.Rotate cilantro and its carrot-family relatives so they do not return to the same ground for about 3 years. The Apiaceae share aster yellows (spread by leafhoppers), the carrot motley dwarf complex, and soilborne rots, which build up where the family repeats. Follow cilantro with legumes, brassicas, alliums, or nightshades. Because cilantro readily self-sows from bolted plants, volunteers can blur a rotation, so pull seedlings that come up out of place.

Family
Carrot / parsley family (Apiaceae)
Years between
3 years
in the same bed
Avoid following
Other carrot-family plants like carrots, parsley, dill, fennel, and celery, because they share the same pests and diseases.Other Apiaceae: carrot, parsley, dill, fennel, celery, parsnip, and cilantro itself. They share carrot-family pests and diseases (leafhopper-vectored aster yellows, the carrot motley dwarf complex, and soilborne rots), so following one with another concentrates that pressure.
Plant after
Legumes (peas, beans), brassicas (cabbage family), alliums (onion, garlic), or nightshades such as tomatoes.
Verified · 2 sources View
In the app · pre-launch

When plant taps you on the shoulder

The plant app sends a timely reminder at every critical moment of your cilantro / coriander season. The wording adjusts to whichever you pick: beginner or seasoned. Here are three you'll see in Zone 9.

p
plant
Time to thin your cilantro Thin your cilantro seedlings
Your cilantro seedlings should be big enough to thin. Space them out and eat the little ones you pull. Your cilantro should have a true leaf or two now. Thin to 2 to 4 inches for cut leaf or 6 to 8 inches for fuller plants, and eat the thinnings.
p
plant
Time to start picking cilantro Start cutting cilantro
Your cilantro should be big enough to pick. Take the outer leaves or cut the patch a couple of inches above the soil so it regrows. Pick it young. Your cilantro leaves should be usable now. Cut outer leaves or shear a couple of inches above the crown, pick young for the mildest flavor, and refrigerate at once.
p
plant
Warm weather ahead: pick your cilantro Warm, long days ahead: beat the bolt (or make coriander)
Warm, long days make cilantro flower fast. Pick your cilantro leaves now, plan a fall crop, and let the plants that bolt make coriander seed. Warming, lengthening days bolt cilantro fast. Harvest the leaf patch promptly and lean on a fall sowing; or let the bolted plants flower and set coriander seed.
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Methodology & sources

Every date, temperature, spacing, and recommendation on this page is sourced from university cooperative extension publications, peer-reviewed agricultural research, NOAA climate data, and direct extension calendars. Where claims are softer (traditional gardening wisdom not formally documented), we say so.

Research-backed Documented in cooperative extension publications or peer-reviewed research
Well-grounded A known agronomic principle, but not formally tested for this specific pair
Traditional Time-tested gardening wisdom, limited formal research support
Last reviewed
June 29, 2026
Data version
crops_data_final · v1.0 · schema 2.9
Sources cited on this page
16 publications
Verified entries
Companion-planting claims tagged inline · zone dates verified against 5+ extensions
See all sources cited on this page
  • University of Minnesota Extension umn_ext
  • University of Maryland Extension umd_ext
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension cornell_ext
  • Iowa State University Extension iastate_ext
  • Michigan State University Extension msu_ext
  • NC State Extension ncsu_ext
  • Penn State Extension psu_ext
  • U. of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Extension uiuc_ext
  • UC Davis Postharvest Center ucd_postharvest
  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension tamu_agrilife
  • Virginia Cooperative Extension 426-331 vce_426_331
  • Piedmont Master Gardeners piedmont_mg
  • UGA Vegetable Garden Calendar uga_calendar
  • Clemson Home & Garden Information Center clemson_hgic
  • UC IPM Statewide IPM Program uc_ipm
  • NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals noaa_normals

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Vol. 003 · Cilantro / Coriander · plant.lifestyle