When to plant cilantro / coriander in New Orleans
Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off New Orleans's frost dates of Feb 8.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Jan 25 – Feb 15
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Mar 11 – Apr 5
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 16 – Aug 30
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 7 – Nov 1
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
New Orleans's 304-day season leaves this much room.
Cilantro / Coriander on New Orleans'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
FEB 8
DEC 9
Common questions
When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in New Orleans?
Direct-sow around late January (Jan 25–Feb 15) in New Orleans, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 81%.
When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in New Orleans?
Expect to harvest from around mid March (Mar 11–Apr 5) in New Orleans, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 73%.
Can I plant cilantro / coriander in autumn in New Orleans?
Yes — New Orleans supports a second, autumn sowing of cilantro / coriander around mid August (Aug 16–Aug 30), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in New Orleans?
New Orleans has roughly 304 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 New Orleans's frost dates.
Confidence 81/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.