When to plant cilantro / coriander in Ottawa

Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Ottawa's frost dates of May 6.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 22 – May 13
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Jun 6 – Jul 1
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Ottawa's 149-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
MAY 6
OCT 2

Common questions

When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Ottawa?

Direct-sow around late April (Apr 22–May 13) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 84%.

When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in Ottawa?

Expect to harvest from around early June (Jun 6–Jul 1) in Ottawa, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 76%.

How long is the growing season in Ottawa?

Ottawa has roughly 149 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 84/100 · NOAA GHCN-Daily · 1991–2020 normals · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.