When to plant cilantro / coriander in Ottawa
Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Ottawa's frost dates of Apr 29.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 26 – May 17
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 10 – Jul 5
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jun 30 – Jul 14
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Aug 21 – Sep 15
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Ottawa's 161-day season leaves this much room.
Cilantro / Coriander on Ottawa's growing year
Frost-bounded season with crops mapped onto the 12-month axis.
Frost risk Growing Harvest
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC
FROST
FROST
APR 29
OCT 8
Common questions
When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Ottawa?
Direct-sow around late April (Apr 26–May 17) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in Ottawa?
Expect to harvest from around early June (Jun 10–Jul 5) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant cilantro / coriander in autumn in Ottawa?
Yes — Ottawa supports a second, autumn sowing of cilantro / coriander around late June (Jun 30–Jul 14), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Ottawa?
Ottawa has roughly 161 frost-free days, which is enough time to grow cilantro / coriander to maturity outdoors.
The rule of thumb
Sow cilantro / coriander as soon as the soil is workable — it tolerates cool weather and light frost. Every date on this page is derived from that rule and Ottawa's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.