Last Updated on September 17, 2026
How Many Cilantro Plants per Square Foot?
9 cilantro plants per square foot, 4 inches apart in a 3 x 3 grid, when you grow it for leaves. The harvest changes the number: a plant you leave to flower for coriander seed needs far more room, so give it a whole square.
The spacing pattern
| Grown for | Leaves | Coriander seed |
|---|---|---|
| Per square foot | 9 (a 3 x 3 grid) | 1 |
| Inches apart | 4 inches | 12 inches |
| 4 x 4 bed (16 squares) | up to 144 plants | up to 16 plants |
| 4 x 8 bed (32 squares) | up to 288 plants | up to 32 plants |
| 3 x 6 bed (18 squares) | up to 162 plants | up to 18 plants |
The bed totals are grid maximums, not a plan. Leaf cilantro is cut young and bolts in warm weather, so sow a square or two at a time, every few weeks.
Why the chart says 1 to 9: leaves or seed
My square foot gardening chart lists cilantro at 1 to 9 per square, and the Plan My Garden planner sets it at 9. Cilantro and coriander are one plant: you cut leaves first, and seed comes after it flowers. Extension guides space it by the harvest you want.
| Source | For leaves | For seed or full-size plants |
|---|---|---|
| Utah State University Extension | 2 inches apart | 8 to 10 inches apart |
| Clemson Home & Garden Information Center | 6 to 8 inches apart, one figure for both | |
| Oregon State University Extension | thin to 8 inches apart, one figure for both | |
On a square foot grid, Utah State’s 2 inches for leaves is 6 rows of 6, or 36 in a square, tighter than anything on my chart (16 per square is 3 inches). The 6 to 10 inches used for full-size plants sits between 4 per square (6 inches) and 1 per square (12 inches). So 9 per square is a middle setting for leaves cut young, and one plant per square gives a seed plant more room than any of these guides ask for.
Close planting suits a leaf crop: Utah State lists growing plants close together among its ways to slow bolting. Heat and long days end the leaf harvest. Oregon State says midsummer cilantro typically bolts and sets seed within 4 to 6 weeks, and its cilantro guide says it bolts quickly above 80°F.
Planting the square
- Choose a square with at least six hours of sun (Clemson). For sowings that will grow into warm weather, Oregon State suggests a cool or semi-shaded spot.
- Mark a 3 x 3 grid, spots 4 inches apart and 2 inches in from the edges, and sow each spot 1/4 inch deep, the depth Clemson uses (Utah State gives 1/4 to 1/2 inch).
- Keep the soil moist until seedlings come up. Utah State says germination takes about 21 days, and Oregon State gives 55-68°F soil for germination. Thin to one seedling per spot.
- Mulch around the seedlings once they are up to hold down weeds and keep the soil cool (Utah State).
- Sow the next square 2 to 4 weeks later: every 2 weeks per the Wood Prairie Santo listing, every 3 to 4 per Oregon State.
When to plant cilantro
These are the windows the Plan My Garden planner and my seed starting calendar use, counted from your average last spring frost. Turn the weeks into dates with the seed starting calendar, or enter your zip code on Plan My Garden.
| Start indoors | n/a (the planner sows cilantro directly) |
|---|---|
| Transplant out | n/a |
| Direct sow | 4 weeks before to 1 week before your last frost |
| Days to maturity | about 50 days |
| Frost tolerance | Semi-hardy, per the planner. Oregon State notes mature plants tolerate light freezing. |
Cilantro has a second season. Oregon State recommends planting in early spring and again in late summer, as temperatures cool and days shorten.
Growing notes
Utah State University Extension calls cilantro a cool-season herb and harvests the leaves when they are about 4 to 6 inches tall. Oregon State cuts whole plants or single leaves and says to check daily once plants reach about 6 inches, because cilantro goes to seed quickly. Utah State says to water regularly while plants establish, then only as needed, since cilantro does not do well in damp or humid conditions.
A bolting plant makes fewer leaves and sends up a flower stalk (Oregon State). Those seeds are coriander: Utah State waits until the plant has flowered and the seed heads turn brown. For leaves, Utah State recommends a slow-bolting variety, and Oregon State lists Santo among the types that are slower to bolt.
Where to get seed
Wood Prairie carries organic Santo cilantro seed. The listing calls it slow-bolting with 50 days to leaf harvest, and a packet holds about 100 seeds, enough for about 11 squares at one seed per spot, or about 5 if you sow two per spot and thin. Code PMG5 takes 5 percent off.
Quick questions
How far apart should cilantro be in a square foot garden?
4 inches apart, 9 per square, for leaves you cut young. A plant left to flower for coriander seed gets its own square; Utah State University Extension spaces seed plants 8 to 10 inches apart.
How many cilantro plants fit in a 4×8 raised bed?
Up to 288 at 9 per square foot, or 32 grown for seed. Leaf cilantro bolts in warm weather, so sow a square or two every 2 to 4 weeks instead of filling the bed at once.
Can you plant cilantro closer than 9 per square foot?
For leaves, yes. Utah State University Extension thins leaf cilantro to 2 inches apart, which works out to 36 per square, and lists growing plants close together among its ways to slow bolting.
Why does cilantro bolt so fast?
Heat and long days. Oregon State University Extension says cilantro bolts quickly above 80°F and in midsummer can flower and set seed within 4 to 6 weeks, so sow it in early spring and again in late summer.
Let the planner place them
Plan My Garden sorts out the squares for you and is free to start: enter your zip code, draw your beds, pick cilantro and everything else you want to grow, and it places each plant at square-foot spacing and builds a planting schedule from your frost dates.
Related: Square Foot Gardening Chart · Seed Starting Calendar · 4×4 Raised Bed Garden Layout · How Many Spinach Plants per Square Foot? · How Many Lettuce Plants per Square Foot?
