When to plant · 16 cities · zones 6a–7a
When to plant cilantro in Missouri
Direct sow cilantro around Mar 28 — the Missouri statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 11 across 1,047 ZIP codes and 193 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.
Missouri cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 11, first fall frost Oct 25, 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 28 | May 12 | 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 Missouri's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in Missouri, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas Cityzone 6b | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| St. Louiszone 7a | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Springfieldzone 7a | Apr 9 | Mar 26 | May 10 |
| Columbiazone 6b | Apr 5 | Mar 22 | May 6 |
| Independencezone 6b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Lee's Summitzone 6b | Apr 7 | Mar 24 | May 8 |
| O'Fallonzone 6b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| St. Charleszone 6b | Apr 8 | Mar 25 | May 9 |
| St. Josephzone 6a | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| St. Peterszone 6b | Apr 9 | Mar 26 | May 10 |
| Blue Springszone 6b | Apr 7 | Mar 24 | May 8 |
| Joplinzone 7a | Apr 9 | Mar 26 | May 10 |
| Florissantzone 7a | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 3 |
| Chesterfieldzone 7a | Apr 4 | Mar 21 | May 5 |
| Wentzvillezone 6b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Jefferson Cityzone 6b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
What these cilantro become
What Missouri 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 Missouri: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Missouri?
Direct sow around Mar 28 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 19 in the warmest tenth of Missouri's ZIP codes to Apr 5 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 28 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Missouri?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 11. In the warmest tenth of Missouri's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 2; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 19.
When will Missouri cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 12: 45 days from sow.
More for Missouri
- 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 → · Missouri frost dates → · How frost-date math works →