When to plant cilantro / coriander in Sacramento
Cilantro / Coriander is cold-hardy, so every date keys off Sacramento's frost dates of Feb 15.
Step 1 · Sow
Direct sow outdoors
Dec 26 – Jan 16
Sow straight into warm, workable soil.
Step 2 · Harvest
Harvest window
Feb 9 – Mar 6
Picking runs until conditions turn against the crop.
Step 3 · Second sowing
Autumn / second sowing
Aug 13 – Aug 27
A second window for a fall crop, timed to mature before the first frost.
Step 4 · Second harvest
Autumn crop harvest
Oct 4 – Oct 29
Maturity window for the second sowing.
Window
Days to maturity
45 – 70 d
Sacramento's 282-day season leaves this much room.
Cilantro / Coriander on Sacramento'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
FEB 15
NOV 27
Common questions
When can I sow cilantro / coriander outdoors in Sacramento?
Direct-sow around late December (Dec 26–Jan 16) in Sacramento, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 85%.
When will cilantro / coriander be ready to harvest in Sacramento?
Expect to harvest from around early February (Feb 9–Mar 6) in Sacramento, based on its local frost dates. Confidence 79%.
Can I plant cilantro / coriander in autumn in Sacramento?
Yes — Sacramento supports a second, autumn sowing of cilantro / coriander around mid August (Aug 13–Aug 27), timed to mature before the first fall frost.
How long is the growing season in Sacramento?
Sacramento has roughly 282 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 Sacramento's frost dates.
Confidence 88/100 · Curated · based on NOAA GHCN-Daily 1991–2020 normal · frost dates are probabilities, not guarantees.