A fast-growing cool-season herb that delivers fresh leaves in under six weeks, with seeds that double as the spice coriander.
Coriandrum sativum · also called Coriander, Chinese parsley
Windows are counted from the average date of your last spring frost.
Home-grown cilantro far outlasts store-bought bunches in freshness, and a succession of small sowings keeps the harvest continuous. Growing your own also gives access to the dried seed — a distinct spice the same plant produces after bolting (shifting from leaf growth to flowering).
A little history. Native to the western Mediterranean and western Asia, Coriandrum sativum is one of the oldest documented culinary plants, with seed finds in Bronze Age archaeological sites. It is a true annual that completes its full life cycle — leaf, flower, and seed — in a single season.
Sow seeds ¼ inch (6 mm) deep, and aim for 6 inches (15 cm) between plants once thinned. Lightly crush each seed husk before sowing to improve germination rate; keep the top half-inch moist until sprouts show. Seedlings emerge in 7–14 days.
Water deeply every 3–4 days in warm weather; reduce to once a week in cool, overcast conditions. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Aim for about 1 inch per week including rain.
Apply once at planting and again 3–4 weeks later if leaves appear pale or growth slows. What to use: balanced compost or a dilute balanced liquid fertilizer; avoid high-nitrogen feeds that push leafy growth at the expense of flavor.
Pinch out the central growing tip once the plant reaches 6 inches tall to encourage branching and delay bolting. Remove any flower stalks as soon as they appear if you want continued leaf harvest.
It's ready when harvest when plants are 6–8 inches tall and have at least 4–5 sets of true leaves (the full-shaped leaves that follow the first rounded seed leaves). Leaves should be deep green and aromatic. Cut outer stems at the base with scissors, leaving the inner growing point intact. Take no more than one-third of the plant at a time. For seed, allow plants to flower and collect seed heads when they turn tan and dry.
Stand cut stems in a glass of water, loosely covered with a bag, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. For longer storage, freeze chopped leaves flat in a single layer, then transfer to a sealed bag.
Sow a new small patch every 2–3 weeks from early spring through early summer, then resume in late summer for fall harvest. Each sowing extends the usable leaf window by 3–4 weeks.
Basil
Basil's strong-smelling foliage can help hide low cilantro from insects that locate food by scent, and its bushy summer growth screens the herb from afternoon glare. Pair only in the shoulder weeks, since basil wants heat while cilantro bolts in it.
Dill
Both throw flat-topped flower clusters that feed hoverflies, lacewings, and tiny parasitic wasps, and those insects hunt the aphids that settle on new cilantro growth. Let a few plants of each bloom rather than cutting every stem.
Chervil
Gardeners have long sown these two soft cool-season herbs in the same patch because both want steady moisture and relief from midday heat. No pest or soil effect has been demonstrated, so treat it as a convenient grouping rather than a benefit.
Spinach
Spinach feeds from a shallow, spreading root mass while cilantro sends down a slim taproot, so the two draw water from different layers instead of competing. Their matching cool-weather timing also lets you clear the whole patch at once.
Tomato
A staked tomato throws light afternoon shade that keeps soil and leaves cooler, which often delays bolting (the shift from leaf growth to flowering) once days pass 80F. Sow cilantro on the east or north side so it still gets morning sun.
Fennel
Fennel roots release substances that stunt most garden vegetables, and shallow-rooted young cilantro sits right in that zone. Grown in its own corner well away from the bed, fennel still earns space: its flowers feed hoverflies and tiny parasitic wasps.
Thyme
Cilantro is a fast, thirsty, short-lived leafy herb that demands frequent water and is pulled or reseeded every few weeks. That watering rate and soil disturbance work against a slow woody perennial trying to settle its roots.
Give the carrot family 3 years away from this spot before any of its relatives return.
The pea and bean family, the cabbage family or the onion family thrive in this ground next season.
A light feeder that takes little and leaves loose, easily worked soil behind. Wait 3 years before returning any carrot-family crop — carrots, parsley, dill, parsnip — to the same ground. Beans or peas, a brassica such as kale, or an onion-family crop all follow well.
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