When to plant cilantro / coriander in Des Moines
Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Des Moines's frost dates of Apr 17.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Apr 5 – Apr 26
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
May 20 – Jun 14
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Jul 5 – Jul 19
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Aug 26 – Sep 20
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Des Moines's 179-day season leaves this much room.
Cilantro / Coriander on Des Moines'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 17
OCT 16
Common questions
When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Des Moines?
Direct-sow around early April (Apr 5–Apr 26) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 86%.
When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in Des Moines?
Expect to harvest from around mid May (May 20–Jun 14) in Des Moines, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 80%.
Can I plant cilantro / coriander in autumn in Des Moines?
Yes — Des Moines supports a second, autumn sowing of cilantro / coriander around early July (Jul 5–Jul 19), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Des Moines?
Des Moines has roughly 179 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 Des Moines's frost dates.
Confidence 89/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.