My Planting Calendar

When to plant herbs

17 herbs sorted by how much frost they take, with the planting dates for USDA zones 5, 7 and 9. Click a herb for spacing, sun, companions, pests and the dates for every zone and state.

The short answer: plant basil, shiso, summer savory and sweet marjoram after the last frost, put borage, chervil, cilantro, dill and rosemary out around it, and sow or plant chives, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, tarragon and thyme in early spring. Find your last frost date on the frost date finder, or build dates for your ZIP code in the planting calendar.

Tender herbs: plant after the last frost

Frost kills these, so nothing goes outside until the danger has passed and the soil has warmed.

HerbRuleZone 5Zone 7Zone 9Soil
Basilsow 2 wk after the last frostMay 7 – May 24Apr 12 – Apr 29Feb 27 – Mar 1665°F+
Shiso (Perilla)sow 1 wk after the last frostApr 30 – May 17Apr 5 – Apr 22Feb 20 – Mar 965°F+
Summer Savorysow 1 wk after the last frostApr 30 – May 17Apr 5 – Apr 22Feb 20 – Mar 960°F+
Sweet Marjoramsow 1 wk after the last frostApr 30 – May 17Apr 5 – Apr 22Feb 20 – Mar 960°F+

Half-hardy herbs: around the last frost

These shrug off a light frost, but a hard freeze will damage them.

HerbRuleZone 5Zone 7Zone 9Soil
Boragesow 2 wk before the last frostApr 11 – Apr 30Mar 17 – Apr 5Feb 1 – Feb 2055°F+
Chervilsow 3 wk before the last frostApr 4 – Apr 23Mar 10 – Mar 29Jan 25 – Feb 1345°F+
Cilantro / Coriandersow 2 wk before the last frostApr 11 – Apr 30Mar 17 – Apr 5Feb 1 – Feb 2040°F+
Dillsow at the last frostApr 25 – May 14Mar 31 – Apr 19Feb 15 – Mar 650°F+
Rosemaryplant out 1 wk after the last frostApr 30 – May 17Apr 5 – Apr 22Feb 20 – Mar 960°F+

Hardy herbs: early spring or fall

These handle frost well, so they can go in as soon as the soil can be worked, and several are sown again in fall.

HerbRuleZone 5Zone 7Zone 9Soil
Chivessow 2 wk before the last frostApr 9 – Apr 26Mar 15 – Apr 1Jan 30 – Feb 1655°F+
Lemon Balmsow 1 wk before the last frostApr 16 – May 3Mar 22 – Apr 8Feb 6 – Feb 2360°F+
Mintplant out 1 wk before the last frostApr 16 – May 3Mar 22 – Apr 8Feb 6 – Feb 2360°F+
Oreganoplant out at the last frostApr 23 – May 10Mar 29 – Apr 15Feb 13 – Mar 255°F+
Parsleysow 2 wk before the last frostApr 9 – Apr 26Mar 15 – Apr 1Jan 30 – Feb 1650°F+
Sageplant out at the last frostApr 23 – May 10Mar 29 – Apr 15Feb 13 – Mar 255°F+
Tarragonplant out 1 wk before the last frostApr 16 – May 3Mar 22 – Apr 8Feb 6 – Feb 2360°F+
Thymeplant out at the last frostApr 23 – May 10Mar 29 – Apr 15Feb 13 – Mar 255°F+

Dates are worked out from each zone’s typical frost dates for the year and each herb’s timing in our crop database. Your garden may be a week or two either side. A herb with no spring window shows its fall window instead.

Questions gardeners ask

When should I plant herbs?

It depends on how much frost the herb takes. Tender herbs (basil, shiso, summer savory, sweet marjoram) wait until after the last frost. Half-hardy herbs (borage, chervil, cilantro, dill, rosemary) can go out around it. Hardy herbs (chives, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, sage, tarragon, thyme) can go in as soon as the soil can be worked. The tables on this page give dates for zones 5, 7 and 9; the planting calendar gives them for your own ZIP code.

Which herbs can I start indoors?

basil (5 weeks before the last frost), chives (8 weeks before the last frost), lemon balm (7 weeks before the last frost), mint (8 weeks before the last frost), oregano (8 weeks before the last frost), parsley (9 weeks before the last frost), rosemary (10 weeks before the last frost), sage (8 weeks before the last frost), shiso (7 weeks before the last frost), summer savory (5 weeks before the last frost), sweet marjoram (7 weeks before the last frost), tarragon (8 weeks before the last frost), thyme (8 weeks before the last frost). The other herbs here are sown straight into the garden or bought as plants.

Which herbs should be sown straight into the ground?

borage, chervil, cilantro, dill. They grow best sown where they will stay, rather than started in pots and moved.

Which herbs grow well in containers?

basil, borage, chervil, chives, cilantro, dill, lemon balm, mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, shiso, summer savory, sweet marjoram, tarragon, thyme. Use a pot with drainage holes and a good potting mix, and water more often than you would in the ground.

How warm does the soil need to be?

It varies from 40°F for cilantro up to 65°F for shiso, so hardy herbs can go out long before tender ones. Each herb's page gives its own germination range.

All crops →Planting calendar for your ZIP code →Companion planting chart →