When Is Cilantro Ready to Pick?
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GardenSays
Harvest cilantro plants when leaves are full-sized, usually about a month after sowing — cut before the plant sends up a flower stalk (bolting) or leaves turn bitter — watch the plant, not the calendar.
- Ready when
- leaves are full-sized, usually about a month after sowing
Ready when: leaves are full-sized, usually about a month after sowing — cut before the plant sends up a flower stalk (bolting) or leaves turn bitter. Snip outer leaves, or cut the whole plant an inch above the soil for a single harvest.
Do this this week
- 1.Watch for the sign: leaves are full-sized, usually about a month after sowing
- 2.Pick like this: snip outer leaves, or cut the whole plant an inch above the soil for a single harvest
- 3.Then: use fresh — cilantro doesn't hold well; refrigerate stems in water like cut flowers for a few extra days
Calculated result · 1 verified source · Checked 2026-07-18 · How we decide
Why
Storage: use fresh — cilantro doesn't hold well; refrigerate stems in water like cut flowers for a few extra days.
- Days-to-maturity figures are averages from trial conditions — your season, variety and weather move them, which is why the visual readiness sign is the deciding test.
When this doesn't apply
- If you planted earlier or later than the typical window, shift the estimated dates by the same amount.
How this was calculated
Data sources
- University of Minnesota Extension — Growing herbs in home gardens — Cilantro is a fast-growing herb, ready for harvest about a month after sowing. (checked 2026-07-18)
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