When to plant · 16 cities · zones 4b–6a
When to plant cilantro in Wisconsin
Direct sow cilantro around Apr 20 — the Wisconsin statewide median, counted from a last spring frost of May 4 across 779 ZIP codes and 202 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.
Wisconsin cilantro, by step
Statewide median last frost May 4, first fall frost Oct 7, 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 20 | Jun 4 | 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 Wisconsin's ZIP codes resolve to; 4 of 783 ZIPs have no datable freeze and are left out.
Cilantro in Wisconsin, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukeezone 6a | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Madisonzone 5a | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 1 |
| Green Bayzone 5b | May 7 | Apr 23 | Jun 7 |
| Kenoshazone 5b | Apr 28 | Apr 14 | May 29 |
| Racinezone 6a | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | May 25 |
| Appletonzone 5b | May 4 | Apr 20 | Jun 4 |
| Eau Clairezone 4b | May 8 | Apr 24 | Jun 8 |
| Waukeshazone 5b | Apr 30 | Apr 16 | May 31 |
| Oshkoshzone 5b | Apr 24 | Apr 10 | May 25 |
| Janesvillezone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| West Alliszone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| La Crossezone 5a | Apr 23 | Apr 9 | May 24 |
| Sheboyganzone 6a | May 2 | Apr 18 | Jun 2 |
| Wauwatosazone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
| Fond du Laczone 5b | May 1 | Apr 17 | Jun 1 |
| Brookfieldzone 5b | Apr 26 | Apr 12 | May 27 |
What these cilantro become
What Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin: questions
When should I plant cilantro in Wisconsin?
Direct sow around Apr 20 at the statewide median; across the state that date runs from Apr 12 in the warmest tenth of Wisconsin's ZIP codes to May 5 in the coldest. To cut the freeze risk to one year in ten, count from May 20 instead of the median last frost. Use the city table for your own town.
When is the last frost in Wisconsin?
The ZIP-weighted median of NOAA 1991–2020 station medians is May 4. In the warmest tenth of Wisconsin's ZIP codes the median last frost falls on or before Apr 26; in the coldest tenth, on or after May 19.
When will Wisconsin cilantro be ready to harvest?
Cilantro planted on the statewide date is ready around Jun 4: 45 days from sow.
More for Wisconsin
- 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 → · Wisconsin frost dates → · How frost-date math works →