When to plant · 24 cities · zones 4a–5a
When to plant cilantro in Minnesota
Direct sow cilantro around Apr 20 — the Minnesota statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of May 4 across 874 ZIP codes and 186 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.
Minnesota cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost May 4, first fall frost Oct 4, 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 20 | Jun 4 | 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 Minnesota's ZIP codes resolve to; 7 of 881 ZIPs have no datable freeze and are left out.
Cilantro in Minnesota, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minneapoliszone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| St. Paulzone 5a | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | May 25 |
| Rochesterzone 4b | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Bloomingtonzone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Duluthzone 4b | May 14 | Apr 30 | Jun 14 |
| Brooklyn Parkzone 5a | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Woodburyzone 5a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Plymouthzone 5a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Lakevillezone 4b | Apr 27 | Apr 13 | May 28 |
| Blainezone 5a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 5 |
| Maple Grovezone 5a | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| St. Cloudzone 4b | May 3 | Apr 19 | Jun 3 |
| Eaganzone 5a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 |
| Burnsvillezone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Coon Rapidszone 5a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 5 |
| Eden Prairiezone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Apple Valleyzone 5a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 |
| Edinazone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Minnetonkazone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| St. Louis Parkzone 5a | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Shakopeezone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Mankatozone 5a | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Moorheadzone 4a | May 5 | Apr 21 | Jun 5 |
| Cottage Grovezone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
What these cilantro become
What Minnesota 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 Minnesota: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Minnesota?
Direct sow around Apr 20 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 11 in the warmest tenth of Minnesota's ZIP codes to May 2 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 18 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Minnesota?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is May 4. In the warmest tenth of Minnesota's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 25; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 16.
When will Minnesota cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 4: 45 days from sow.
More for Minnesota
- 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 → · Minnesota frost dates → · How frost-date math works →