When to plant · 31 cities · zones 7a–9a
When to plant cilantro in Washington
Direct sow cilantro around Mar 31 — the Washington statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of Apr 14 across 597 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.
Washington cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost Apr 14, 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 31 | May 15 | 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 Washington's ZIP codes resolve to; 5 of 602 ZIPs have no datable freeze and are left out.
Cilantro in Washington, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seattlezone 9a | Mar 13 | Feb 27 | Apr 13 |
| Spokanezone 7a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Tacomazone 8b | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Vancouverzone 8b | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 |
| Bellevuezone 9a | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Kentzone 8b | Mar 20 | Mar 6 | Apr 20 |
| Everettzone 8b | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | Apr 24 |
| Spokane Valleyzone 7a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Rentonzone 9a | Mar 13 | Feb 27 | Apr 13 |
| Federal Wayzone 8b | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Yakimazone 7a | Apr 8 | Mar 25 | May 9 |
| Bellinghamzone 8b | Apr 1 | Mar 18 | May 2 |
| Kirklandzone 9a | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Kennewickzone 7b | Mar 28 | Mar 14 | Apr 28 |
| Auburnzone 8b | Mar 20 | Mar 6 | Apr 20 |
| Redmondzone 8b | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Pascozone 7b | Mar 28 | Mar 14 | Apr 28 |
| Marysvillezone 8b | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | Apr 24 |
| Sammamishzone 8b | Mar 30 | Mar 16 | Apr 30 |
| Shorelinezone 9a | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Richlandzone 7b | Apr 6 | Mar 23 | May 7 |
| Lakewoodzone 8b | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Laceyzone 8b | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Olympiazone 8b | Apr 29 | Apr 15 | May 30 |
| Burienzone 9a | Mar 2 | Feb 16 | Apr 2 |
| Bothellzone 8b | Mar 8 | Feb 22 | Apr 8 |
| Bremertonzone 8b | Mar 29 | Mar 15 | Apr 29 |
| Edmondszone 9a | Mar 9 | Feb 23 | Apr 9 |
| Puyallupzone 8b | Apr 11 | Mar 28 | May 12 |
| Lynnwoodzone 9a | Mar 9 | Feb 23 | Apr 9 |
| Lake Stevenszone 8b | Mar 24 | Mar 10 | Apr 24 |
What these cilantro become
What Washington 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 Washington: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Washington?
Direct sow around Mar 31 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Feb 22 in the warmest tenth of Washington's ZIP codes to Apr 29 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 5 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Washington?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is Apr 14. In the warmest tenth of Washington's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Mar 8; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 13.
When will Washington cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around May 15: 45 days from sow.
More for Washington
- 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 → · Washington frost dates → · How frost-date math works →