When to plant · 6 cities · zones 7a–8a
When to plant cilantro in Maryland
Direct sow cilantro around Mar 22 — the Maryland statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 5 across 488 ZIP codes and 54 NOAA stations.
The rule: Direct sow in 60–70 °F soil, a short row every two weeks from four weeks before the last frost until the heat arrives, then again from late summer.
Maryland cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 5, first fall frost Nov 5, 2027 season. Each cultivar's own indoor lead time and days to maturity, same engine as the Plan Builder.
| Cultivar | Start indoors | Sow | First harvest | Days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CilantroSlow Bolt (Coriandrum sativum) | Direct sow | Mar 22 | May 6 | 45 from sow |
Tight means first harvest lands within two weeks of the median first fall frost. Statewide dates are the ZIP-weighted median of every NOAA 1991–2020 station Maryland's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in Maryland, city by city
Cilantro, scheduled from each city's nearest NOAA station — the same dates as its frost page.
| City | Last frost | Sow | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimorezone 8a | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | Apr 24 |
| Frederickzone 7b | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 3 |
| Gaithersburgzone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Rockvillezone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Bowiezone 7a | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | May 23 |
| Hagerstownzone 7a | Apr 7 | Mar 24 | May 8 |
What these cilantro become
What Maryland cilantro need
Cilantro / Coriander Seed
Bolts in a heartbeat and there is nothing you can do about it — so you succession-sow instead of fighting it. Non-negotiable in salsa verde and zhoug.
Organic Seed Starter Potting MixMust have
Seed-starting mix is not potting soil with a nicer label — it is finer, lighter, and low in nutrients on purpose, because a seedling's first roots want air and moisture, not fertiliser.
Ocean Forest Potting SoilMust have
Pre-charged with enough nutrition to carry a transplant for its first month without feeding, which is exactly the window when most container plants stall.
5-Gallon Fabric Grow Bags, 5-Pack
Fabric pots air-prune roots and drain faster than a plastic pot can, which is the entire reason container tomatoes fail. Five gallons is the honest minimum for a pepper; a tomato wants ten.
AG-30 Frost Protection Row Cover
AG-30 buys roughly 6 °F of frost protection while passing about 70% of light — enough to carry a crop through an early-October cold snap that would otherwise end your season two weeks short.
6" Micro-Tip Pruning SnipsMust have
Ninety percent of sauce-garden cutting is snipping a pepper stem or a basil node, and a fine-tipped snip does it better than any pruner. Pulling peppers by hand tears the branch.
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Cilantro in Maryland: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Maryland?
Direct sow around Mar 22 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 13 in the warmest tenth of Maryland's ZIP codes to Apr 8 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 19 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Maryland?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 5. In the warmest tenth of Maryland's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 27; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 22.
When will Maryland cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 6: 45 days from sow.
More for Maryland
- When to plant tomatoes
- When to plant peppers
- When to plant tomatillos
- When to plant basil
- When to plant onions
- When to plant carrots
- When to plant mustard greens
Cilantro in every state → · Maryland frost dates → · How frost-date math works →