When to plant cilantro / coriander in Christchurch
Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Christchurch's frost dates of Oct 16.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Oct 2 – Oct 23
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Nov 16 – Dec 11
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jan 21 – Feb 4
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Mar 14 – Apr 8
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Christchurch's 211-day season leaves this much room.
Cilantro / Coriander on Christchurch'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
OCT 16
MAY 19
Common questions
When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Christchurch?
Direct-sow around early October (Oct 2–Oct 23) in Christchurch, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 45%.
When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in Christchurch?
Expect to harvest from around mid November (Nov 16–Dec 11) in Christchurch, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 40%.
Can I plant cilantro / coriander in autumn in Christchurch?
Yes — Christchurch supports a second, autumn sowing of cilantro / coriander around late January (Jan 21–Feb 4), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Christchurch?
Christchurch has roughly 211 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 Christchurch's frost dates.
Confidence 45/100 · Curated · based on NASA POWER (modeled) 1991–2020 · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.