Cilantro
Coriandrum sativum
Apiaceae · carrot family
- Matures
- 30–60 days
- Harvest
- Over a period · Annual
- Sun
- 4–8 hrs
- Spacing
- 2–4 in
Planting window
When to sow, by microclimate — foggier blocks run a different calendar than sunnier ones.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggy | ◐ | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Sunny | ◐ | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ◐ |
| Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foggy | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ |
| Sunny | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ |
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited
Sunlight
How well it does at each level of direct sun per day.
<2 hrsNot suited
2–4 hrsMarginal
4–6 hrsWell-suited
6–8 hrsWell-suited
8+ hrsMarginal
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited
Soil depth
Root room it needs — useful for sizing raised beds and containers.
6–10"Marginal
10–15"Well-suited
15–18"Well-suited
18–24"Well-suited
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited
Spacing
Room each plant needs — along the row and between rows — for sizing beds.
- In-row
- 2–4 in
- Between rows
- 2–4 in
Growth habit
The shape it makes in the bed and how tall it gets — what tells you whether to give it a trellis, a stake, or just room.
- Habit
- Upright
- Mature height
- 1–2 ft
Stands on its own; the tallest types appreciate a stake in wind.
How to start it
Sow it where it grows, or raise it under cover and set it out — and how far ahead to start the seedlings if it's the latter.
- Usually
- Direct-sow
- Start indoors
- 4 weeks ahead
Direct-sowWell-suited
TransplantWell-suited
Sown straight into the bed it will grow in.
Well-suitedMarginalNot suited
Getting started
How it goes in the ground — how deep to sow or set it, and the soil temperature it needs to wake up. The cold-soil floor is the real limiter for direct-sowing in a foggy SF spring.
- Started from
- From seed
- Ideal soil temp
- 60°F
- Sow depth
- 0.25–0.5 in
- Time to emerge
- 7–10 days
Germinates between 55–70°F; happiest around 60°F.
30°F110°F
IdealWorkable
Pests & diseases
What tends to trouble this crop — what it is, what you'll see, and what to do about it, least-toxic first.
Pests1
Leafhoppers
- What it is
- Leaf stippling (bleached specks) is commonly the most obvious indication that leafhoppers or certain other arthropods that suck plant juices are present. Because discolored spots or overall bleaching of leaves are also caused by lace bugs, plant bugs and other true bugs, spider mites, and thrips, examine the underside of leaves for the arthropods themselves to distinguish the cause of damage.
- What you'll see
- Leafhopper feeding causes leaves to develop pale specks (stippling). Leaves and shoot tips fed upon by an abundance of leafhoppers may turn yellow then brown and curl and die.
- What to do
- In most situations, leafhoppers are just an annoyance or curiosity and do not threaten plant survival. Leafhoppers have many natural enemies, including assassin bugs, brown lacewings, damsel bugs, green lacewings, lady beetles, minute pirate bugs, and spiders.
Diseases2
Aster’s Yellow Disease
- What you'll see
- The disease is caused by leafhoppers; flowers turn yellow, plant grows tall and spindly, plant eventually becomes sterile.
- What to do
- Use appropriate insecticide to control leafhoppers (the carriers of the disease).
Damping Off or Seedling Rot
- What you'll see
- Death of new seedlings and yellowing of plants.
- What to do
- Crop Rotation.
Sources
Every figure above is backed by these.
- UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara Countybacks plantingWindow, sunlight · UC MG Santa Clara Cilantro/Coriander page: 'Direct seed from March to May, and August to October' and 'Plant seedlings from March to May, and August to October' (Bay Area window -> Mar-May & Aug-Oct = yes both microclimates). Light: 'Full sun to light shade'. Bolts quickly in heat, so sow every 2-3 weeks; foggy summer stays open because fog suppresses heat-bolting, winter shoulders = maybe. No SF foggy/sunny herb calendar exists, so the summer split (foggy yes vs sunny maybe) is microclimate judgment.
- UC Master Gardeners, Sonoma County (Planting Summary)backs sunlight, soilDepth, daysToMaturity, inRowSpacing, lifecycle, harvestStyle, rowSpacing · UC MG Sonoma Cilantro and Coriander: 'Sow seeds in full sun except in hot microclimates where light shade is preferred' (sunlight; 8+ hrs = maybe). 'Seedlings develop a tap root and do not transplant readily' (soilDepth assigned moderate by taproot habit; no depth number stated). 'allow at least 60 days for leafy growth, 100 days for seeds' (daysToMaturity leaf ceiling 60; seed excluded). 'thin to 3-4 in. apart' (inRowSpacing). Sonoma's May-Nov inland timing not used for SF. Habit and harvest: annual, over-a-period — consistent with this source's planting-summary row. Between-row spacing is taken equal to the in-row figure: this crop is spaced about equally in all directions and the source gives a single spacing, not a distinct row width.
- UC Master Gardeners, Marin Countybacks daysToMaturity · UC Marin MG Cilantro: 'Harvest outer leaves about one month after sowing seed' -> 30-day leaf-harvest floor. Corroborates the taproot / direct-seed behavior.
- Utah State University Extensionbacks sunlight, inRowSpacing, plantingDepth · USU 'Cilantro and Coriander in the Garden' (agronomy only; Utah timing never used): 'space 2 inches apart if you are planning to use the plant for its leaves' (inRowSpacing floor 2; coriander seed crop 8-10 in). 'grows best in full sun' (sunlight). Planting depth 1/4-1/2 in: 'Plant seeds 1/4-1/2 inch deep.'
- New York Botanical Gardenbacks germination · NY Botanical Garden cilantro/coriander: seeds need ~60°F to germinate, 7–10 days; 55/70 outer band not a direct quote.
- USDA GRIN Taxonomybacks botany
- NC State Extension — Plant Toolboxbacks growthHabit · Coriandrum sativum entry: Height '1 ft. 0 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.' -> 12-24 in; Habit/Form 'Erect' -> upright. Classified by mature form: the leafy stage is a low rosette clump, but the plant's mature/bolting habit (which sets these dimensions) is a single erect flowering stalk, so upright.
- UC Master Gardeners, Santa Clara Countybacks startMethod · Start method: Planting chart: Cilantro carries both a Transplant row (4 weeks) and a Direct seed row.
- Garden for the Environment (San Francisco)backs startMethod · Start method: March-April spring list: Cilantro appears under direct sow outdoors.