When to plant · 22 cities · zones 7b–8a
When to plant cilantro in Tennessee
Direct sow cilantro around Mar 23 — the Tennessee statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 6 across 636 ZIP codes and 154 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.
Tennessee cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 6, first fall frost Oct 29, 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 23 | May 7 | 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 Tennessee's ZIP codes resolve to.
Cilantro in Tennessee, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashvillezone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Memphiszone 8a | Mar 16 | Mar 2 | Apr 16 |
| Knoxvillezone 7b | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Chattanoogazone 8a | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | Apr 24 |
| Clarksvillezone 7b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Murfreesborozone 7b | Apr 9 | Mar 26 | May 10 |
| Franklinzone 7b | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | May 16 |
| Johnson Cityzone 7b | Apr 19 | Apr 5 | May 20 |
| Jacksonzone 7b | Apr 2 | Mar 19 | May 3 |
| Hendersonvillezone 7b | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Smyrnazone 7b | Apr 13 | Mar 30 | May 14 |
| Spring Hillzone 7b | Apr 3 | Mar 20 | May 4 |
| Kingsportzone 7b | Apr 9 | Mar 26 | May 10 |
| Bartlettzone 8a | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 |
| Gallatinzone 7b | Apr 16 | Apr 2 | May 17 |
| Colliervillezone 8a | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 |
| Lebanonzone 7b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Clevelandzone 7b | Apr 6 | Mar 23 | May 7 |
| Columbiazone 7b | Apr 10 | Mar 27 | May 11 |
| Brentwoodzone 7b | Apr 15 | Apr 1 | May 16 |
| Mount Julietzone 7b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| La Vergnezone 7b | Apr 13 | Mar 30 | May 14 |
What these cilantro become
What Tennessee 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 Tennessee: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Tennessee?
Direct sow around Mar 23 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Mar 14 in the warmest tenth of Tennessee's ZIP codes to Apr 6 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from Apr 23 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Tennessee?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 6. In the warmest tenth of Tennessee's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 28; in the coldest tenth, on or after Apr 20.
When will Tennessee cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 7: 45 days from sow.
More for Tennessee
- 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 → · Tennessee frost dates → · How frost-date math works →