When to plant · 7 cities · zones 6b–8b
When to plant cilantro in New Mexico
Direct sow cilantro around Apr 18 — the New Mexico statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of May 2 across 371 ZIP codes and 156 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.
New Mexico cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost May 2, first fall frost Oct 15, 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 18 | Jun 2 | 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 New Mexico's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in New Mexico, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerquezone 7b | Apr 6 | Mar 23 | May 7 |
| Las Cruceszone 8b | Mar 12 | Feb 26 | Apr 12 |
| Rio Ranchozone 7b | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | May 17 |
| Santa Fezone 6b | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 |
| Roswellzone 7b | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 |
| Farmingtonzone 7a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 |
| Hobbszone 8a | Mar 28 | Mar 14 | Apr 28 |
What these cilantro become
What New Mexico 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.
Paid links. We earn a commission from Amazon if you buy; you pay the same. Disclosure.
Cilantro in New Mexico: questions
When should I plant cilantro in New Mexico?
Direct sow around Apr 18 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 15 in the warmest tenth of New Mexico's ZIP codes to May 15 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 17 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in New Mexico?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is May 2. In the warmest tenth of New Mexico's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 29; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 29.
When will New Mexico cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 2: 45 days from sow.
More for New Mexico
- 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 → · New Mexico frost dates → · How frost-date math works →