When to plant · 35 cities · zones 5b–7a
When to plant cilantro in Massachusetts
Direct sow cilantro around Apr 13 — the Massachusetts statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 27 across 539 ZIP codes and 72 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.
Massachusetts cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 27, first fall frost Oct 14, 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 | Apr 13 | May 28 | 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 Massachusetts's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in Massachusetts, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bostonzone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Worcesterzone 6a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Springfieldzone 6a | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 3 |
| Cambridgezone 6b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Lowellzone 6b | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Brocktonzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | May 23 |
| Lynnzone 7a | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| Quincyzone 7a | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| New Bedfordzone 7a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Fall Riverzone 7a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Newtonzone 6b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Lawrencezone 6b | Apr 13 | Mar 30 | May 14 |
| Somervillezone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Framinghamzone 6b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Haverhillzone 6a | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 1 |
| Maldenzone 6b | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Walthamzone 6b | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Tauntonzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | May 23 |
| Reverezone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Weymouthzone 6b | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| Medfordzone 6b | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Peabodyzone 6b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | May 25 |
| Chicopeezone 6a | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 3 |
| Methuenzone 6b | Apr 13 | Mar 30 | May 14 |
| Everettzone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Barnstablezone 7a | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | May 17 |
| Attleborozone 6b | Apr 27 | Apr 13 | May 28 |
| Salemzone 7a | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| Leominsterzone 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Woburnzone 6b | Apr 25 | Apr 11 | May 26 |
| Beverlyzone 6b | May 4 | Apr 20 | Jun 4 |
| Pittsfieldzone 5b | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 5 |
| Marlboroughzone 6b | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 |
| Fitchburgzone 6a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Amherstzone 6a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 5 |
What these cilantro become
What Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Massachusetts?
Direct sow around Apr 13 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 30 in the warmest tenth of Massachusetts's ZIP codes to Apr 23 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 11 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Massachusetts?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 27. In the warmest tenth of Massachusetts's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 13; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 7.
When will Massachusetts cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 28: 45 days from sow.
More for Massachusetts
- 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 → · Massachusetts frost dates → · How frost-date math works →