When to plant cilantro / coriander in Christchurch
Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Christchurch's frost dates of Oct 10.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Sep 26 – Oct 17
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Nov 10 – Dec 5
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Christchurch's 192-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 10
APR 20
Common questions
When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Christchurch?
Direct-sow around late September (Sep 26–Oct 17) in Christchurch, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in Christchurch?
Expect to harvest from around early November (Nov 10–Dec 5) in Christchurch, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 72%.
How long is the growing season in Christchurch?
Christchurch has roughly 192 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 80/100 · NOAA GHCN-Daily · 1991–2020 normals · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.