How to grow cilantro / coriander

Coriandrum sativum · Apiaceae · Herb

Cilantro / Coriander is a cool-season herb in the Apiaceae family, almost always sown straight into the ground where it will grow. It wants full sun, though it tolerates a little afternoon shade in hot regions and steady, even moisture. From sowing to first pick is about 45–70 days. It shrugs off a light frost but a hard freeze will damage it.

Grower’s note: Bolts to seed the moment it is hot - there is no fixing a heat-stressed plant, only resowing. Sow every 2-3 weeks in spring and fall. Let a late planting flower for coriander seed and pollinators.

Sowing

Sow about 0.5″ deep, into soil between 40–80°F — germination is quickest near 65°F. Germination takes a week or two (7–14 days). It does not transplant well, so sow it in its final position rather than starting it in pots.

Spacing & layout

Give each plant about 4″ along the row with roughly 12″ between rows. On a square-foot grid that is 9 per square foot. Allow at least 10″ of loose, workable soil for the roots. It grows well in containers at least 8″ deep.

Fitting it to your season

As a cool-season crop, cilantro / coriander does its best growing in the mild weather of spring and fall and tends to bolt or turn bitter in summer heat. A second sowing in late summer, timed to mature as the weather cools, is usually the better crop of the year — though a hard freeze will end it.

Quick facts

When to plant cilantro / coriander

Companions

Common problems

Pests: aphids, armyworm.

Diseases & disorders: powdery mildew, bacterial leaf spot, damping off.

Same family (Apiaceae)

Rotate these so they don’t follow each other in the same bed year to year.

Figures are typical home-garden ranges from Cooperative Extension planting guides, cross-checked against multiple state sources. Your variety and conditions will vary.