When to plant · 6 cities · zones 6b–7a
When to plant cilantro in Rhode Island
Direct sow cilantro around Mar 28 — the Rhode Island statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 11 across 81 ZIP codes and 10 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.
Rhode Island cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 11, first fall frost Oct 30, 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 Rhode Island's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in Rhode Island, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Providencezone 7a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Cranstonzone 7a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Warwickzone 7a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Pawtucketzone 7a | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | May 23 |
| East Providencezone 7a | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Woonsocketzone 6b | Apr 22 | Apr 8 | May 23 |
What these cilantro become
What Rhode Island 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 Rhode Island: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Rhode Island?
Direct sow around Mar 28 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 28 in the warmest tenth of Rhode Island's ZIP codes to Apr 17 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 26 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Rhode Island?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 11. In the warmest tenth of Rhode Island's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 11; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 1.
When will Rhode Island cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 12: 45 days from sow.
More for Rhode Island
- 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 → · Rhode Island frost dates → · How frost-date math works →