cilantro

chalstonsc · June 27, 2013

Still learning. Last year grew cilantro to large, beautiful mature plants which survived the winter. Replanted in a new location and not long after getting established it started to go to seed and stopped producing new lush foliage as in the past. Been doing this for couple months or so. Does it ever go back to producing foliage as it did at this time last year, or is all it is capable of doing at this point is to try to make seed?

Redbaron · June 27, 2013

My cilantro usually bolts and dies back. But to keep it as long as possible I regularly trim it back heavily. But at least for me it never goes back to the other type foliage.

Luckily for me I like the lacy foliage. To me it adds the flavor I want without too much chlorophyll greeniness.

If that's a word

But it's mostly stem, which is a pain.

ddsack · June 28, 2013

Once it starts to send up seed heads, it's pretty much done for in terms of the desirable foliage for cutting. I just let a few go to seed, and I always have volunteer plants popping up. I rarely have any luck transplanting them, even when they are young. They survive it, but never really get over the disturbance and never grow to full potential. I suppose because they have a carrot like tap root.

chalstonsc · June 28, 2013

Thanks to you both!

biscgolf · June 30, 2013

let them go to seed and harvest the seed once it's good and brown. grind in coffee or spice grinder- you'll never want to use coriander from the store again.

clkeiper · June 30, 2013

All parts from cilantro can be used, too. It all tastes like cilantro, leaves, flowers, stems and the green seeds. Once they turn brown then the seeds are called coriander. My advice is to throw a few seeds out in the flower bed every week so you have a successive crop growing. Once the weather turns hot it bolts quickly.

riceke · July 10, 2013

What is the secret for growing cilantro in a mild climate? I've tried for 3 years and all I get is a single skinney stem that bolts at the first sight of heat. Someone told me that this plants habitat is in the mountains in Mexico where it has cool nights and days. Am I trying to fight it's natural environment here in the Atlanta area?

kath · July 11, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by riceke

What is the secret for growing cilantro in a mild climate? I've tried for 3 years and all I get is a single skinney stem that bolts at the first sight of heat. Someone told me that this plants habitat is in the mountains in Mexico where it has cool nights and days. Am I trying to fight it's natural environment here in the Atlanta area?

Have you tried just growing a patch of it by sowing seeds about an inch apart in all directions and not thinning? This works for me. I don't live in a particularly mild climate but I just sowed a bunch of it in a raised bed about 2 weeks ago and it came up fine and is growing nicely in the crazy hot, wet, humid stretch we've been experiencing. It bolts quickly so you need to keep sowing a new patch every few weeks. Calypso doesn't bolt nearly as fast as regular cilantro.

My brother lived in NJ his whole life before moving a bit east of Atlanta about 10 years ago and he swears that it isn't that much more hot or humid there than in Jersey but that it just lasts a few months longer!

kath

riceke · July 18, 2013

KATH: sorry for the late response. That's how I do sow it. Scatter seeds on a 14" pot. I get germination and growth but then bolts before I get enough green leaves. Thanks for the advice.

kath · July 18, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by riceke

KATH: sorry for the late response. That's how I do sow it. Scatter seeds on a 14" pot. I get germination and growth but then bolts before I get enough green leaves. Thanks for the advice.

The soil temp will be higher in a pot- do you have a spot in the ground where you can put some seed, perhaps with some shade cloth over it?

kath

ScottinAtlanta · July 10, 2013

I can't grow it outside in Atlanta, either. Perhaps an indoor pot?

riceke · July 10, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I can't grow it outside in Atlanta, either. Perhaps an indoor pot?

Your right, I've never tried that but am going to give it a go.

b54red · July 18, 2013

Quote:

Originally Posted by ScottinAtlanta

I can't grow it outside in Atlanta, either. Perhaps an indoor pot?

Scott the trick is to set it out in the fall once the nights start getting cooler. It can also be set out in February for spring plants. It is hopeless as soon as the hot weather arrives.

Bill

biscgolf · July 11, 2013

our climate doesn't differ greatly from atlanta's and i can grow cilantro just fine in may and september but not in the summer.

efisakov · July 12, 2013

Mine bolts as well too fast. I am ok with it because I can use soft leaves for salsa and stems for lamb soup/stew. Any seeds are welcome.

June 27, 2013	#1
chalstonsc Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: sc Posts: 339	cilantro Still learning. Last year grew cilantro to large, beautiful mature plants which survived the winter. Replanted in a new location and not long after getting established it started to go to seed and stopped producing new lush foliage as in the past. Been doing this for couple months or so. Does it ever go back to producing foliage as it did at this time last year, or is all it is capable of doing at this point is to try to make seed?

June 27, 2013	#2
Redbaron Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 4,488	My cilantro usually bolts and dies back. But to keep it as long as possible I regularly trim it back heavily. But at least for me it never goes back to the other type foliage. Luckily for me I like the lacy foliage. To me it adds the flavor I want without too much chlorophyll greeniness. If that's a word But it's mostly stem, which is a pain. __________________ Scott AKA The Redbaron "Permaculture is a philosophy of working with, rather than against nature; of protracted & thoughtful observation rather than protracted & thoughtless labour; & of looking at plants & animals in all their functions, rather than treating any area as a single-product system." Bill Mollison co-founder of permaculture Last edited by Redbaron; June 28, 2013 at 08:42 AM.

June 28, 2013	#3
ddsack Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Northern Minnesota - zone 3 Posts: 3,231	Once it starts to send up seed heads, it's pretty much done for in terms of the desirable foliage for cutting. I just let a few go to seed, and I always have volunteer plants popping up. I rarely have any luck transplanting them, even when they are young. They survive it, but never really get over the disturbance and never grow to full potential. I suppose because they have a carrot like tap root. __________________ Dee **************

June 30, 2013	#6
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	All parts from cilantro can be used, too. It all tastes like cilantro, leaves, flowers, stems and the green seeds. Once they turn brown then the seeds are called coriander. My advice is to throw a few seeds out in the flower bed every week so you have a successive crop growing. Once the weather turns hot it bolts quickly. __________________ carolyn k

July 10, 2013	#7
riceke Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Snellville, GA Posts: 346	What is the secret for growing cilantro in a mild climate? I've tried for 3 years and all I get is a single skinney stem that bolts at the first sight of heat. Someone told me that this plants habitat is in the mountains in Mexico where it has cool nights and days. Am I trying to fight it's natural environment here in the Atlanta area? __________________ *Ken*

June 30, 2013	#5
biscgolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 353	let them go to seed and harvest the seed once it's good and brown. grind in coffee or spice grinder- you'll never want to use coriander from the store again.

July 18, 2013	#9
riceke Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Snellville, GA Posts: 346	KATH: sorry for the late response. That's how I do sow it. Scatter seeds on a 14" pot. I get germination and growth but then bolts before I get enough green leaves. Thanks for the advice. __________________ *Ken*

July 10, 2013	#11
ScottinAtlanta Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Atlanta, Georgia Posts: 2,593	I can't grow it outside in Atlanta, either. Perhaps an indoor pot?

July 11, 2013	#14
biscgolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 353	our climate doesn't differ greatly from atlanta's and i can grow cilantro just fine in may and september but not in the summer.

July 12, 2013	#15
efisakov Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NJ, zone 7 Posts: 3,162	Mine bolts as well too fast. I am ok with it because I can use soft leaves for salsa and stems for lamb soup/stew. Any seeds are welcome. __________________ Ella God comes along and says, "I think I'm going to create THE tomato!”