When to plant cilantro / coriander in Boston

Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Boston's frost dates of Apr 4.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 7 – Apr 28
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 22 – Jun 16
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 1 – Aug 15
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Sep 22 – Oct 17
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Boston's 220-day season leaves this much room.
Cilantro / Coriander on Boston'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
APR 4
NOV 9

Common questions

When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Boston?

Direct-sow around early April (Apr 7–Apr 28) in Boston, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.

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

Expect to harvest from around late May (May 22–Jun 16) in Boston, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.

Can I plant cilantro / coriander in autumn in Boston?

Yes — Boston supports a second, autumn sowing of cilantro / coriander around early August (Aug 1–Aug 15), timed to mature before the first fall frost.

How long is the growing season in Boston?

Boston has roughly 220 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 Boston's frost dates.

Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.