secrets of growing cilantro?

habitat_gardener · July 10, 2015

Do you have to sow it often and thickly? I'm used to planting herbs and forgetting about them until I want to use them, and this approach does not work for cilantro!

My partner (not a gardener) offered to look after some plants for someone else for a month or so, and one pot is the dreaded cilantro. It's up a couple inches, and was kept in the house. We don't really have a sunny window. What's the best way to keep it happy?

My own cilantro has long since bolted, and I haven't gotten around to planting more.

jmsieglaff · July 10, 2015

Grow it as cool as possible, which for most places in the summer isn't realistic. So I think the only alternative is to sow often and sow thickly. That's the one thing I don't grow for the salsa we make, I get it at the farmer's market. It is an irritating herb to grow.

Gerardo · July 10, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

Grow it as cool as possible, which for most places in the summer isn't realistic. So I think the only alternative is to sow often and sow thickly. That's the one thing I don't grow for the salsa we make, I get it at the farmer's market. It is an irritating herb to grow.

I agree on the irritating aspect. You have to sow every 2 weeks or so to have decent pre-bolt leaves at your disposal.

There was very little, if any, discernible difference between homegrown and purchased, and that was reason enough for me stop growing it.

Pops on the other hand, swears by it.

clkeiper · July 10, 2015

expect it to bolt. Don't expect it to stay in the leaf stage more than a week or two depending on the temperatures. It is a plant that needs reseeding directly in the herb garden regularly.

Worth1 · July 10, 2015

I dont know about where you guys live but where I live it is as cheap as rotten duck eggs.
They practically give the stuff away.
If I were to grow it, it would be for the roots and seeds.
Yes all parts of the plant are edible.

Worth

Nematode · July 10, 2015

Sow often, some shade helps keep it from bolting.
Am currently experimenting with growing it under tomatoes.
It is growing slowly, so hopefully it will not bolt so fast.

RobinB · July 10, 2015

Grow it in the spring and fall. It's a cool season crop. That's why it bolts in the summer.

kurt · July 10, 2015

My neighbor grows it profusely.He calls it the "fall down over plant"(elder Trinidadian man)He showed me how it jumps up,falls over reseats(reroots)itself.Somewhat like arugula,poppy,some cabbage and lettuce varieties.He showed me how to dense plant,keeping soil only 3/4 up in propagating starting container(so as to use the sides as a holding wall,no sprawling)Then when he puts it into ground he uses round(cut from plastic clear containers)about 6 inch collars to keep plant upright.He says they need to hold each other up.He grows them for the seed(coriander).Him and his wife make some great recipes and do a lot of pickling with the seeds.

pauldavid · July 12, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by RobinB

Grow it in the spring and fall. It's a cool season crop. That's why it bolts in the summer.

I found that to be the case with Cilantro. The heat will cause it to bolt quickly.

b54red · July 13, 2015

It can take some really cold weather and during the dead of winter is the only time it doesn't bolt down here. One or two warm days and bam! its bolted. It is just too much trouble and bolts way too soon and when it is way too small during the time of the year when I'm getting tomatoes ripe off the vine for fresh salsa.

Bill

TNTiger · July 13, 2015

Quote:

Originally Posted by b54red

It can take some really cold weather and during the dead of winter is the only time it doesn't bolt down here. One or two warm days and bam! its bolted. It is just too much trouble and bolts way too soon and when it is way too small during the time of the year when I'm getting tomatoes ripe off the vine for fresh salsa.

Bill

We're pretty close to the northern edge of Alabama and I can grow it most of the time!
I'm thinking you must be in LA . . . Lower Alabama!

TNTiger · July 10, 2015

Routine watering is also pretty important for cilantro - mine does better if I keep the growing mix damp.

I grow it everywhere there's an open spot and if it bolts it's ok because the beneficial insects love the little white flowers. I just plant more while I wait for the seeds to form and ripen on the bolted plants. It is harder to keep it going during the hottest part of the summer but I have it in abundance the rest of the year except during the coldest part of the winter.

It is cheap in the stores so I don't mind buying it if I need more than I can cut from my own garden but I love having a pretty steady supply anytime I want it. I frequently run out to cut just a little to sprinkle over a sliced tomato or into a bowl of salsa.

NarnianGarden · July 11, 2015

I remember reading somewhere it is supposed to deter aphids, but my balcony garden last year proved otherwise - aphids seemed to love crawling on it, yuck.
So far, this year has been aphid-free... Hope that it will continue to be that way. Aphids are not welcome here!

joseph · July 13, 2015

A farmer brings beautiful cilantro to my farmer's market all summer long, but only because she grows it in an air-conditioned greenhouse.

AlittleSalt · July 13, 2015

Mine in summer turns into this 18" tall flowering weed. While I'm sort of curious to grow it, I cannot tell the difference in home grown cilantro and what we get for 28 cents at the grocery store.

LA - Pensacola through Tallahassee.

July 10, 2015	#1
habitat_gardener Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: California Central Valley Posts: 2,543	secrets of growing cilantro? Do you have to sow it often and thickly? I'm used to planting herbs and forgetting about them until I want to use them, and this approach does not work for cilantro! My partner (not a gardener) offered to look after some plants for someone else for a month or so, and one pot is the dreaded cilantro. It's up a couple inches, and was kept in the house. We don't really have a sunny window. What's the best way to keep it happy? My own cilantro has long since bolted, and I haven't gotten around to planting more.

July 10, 2015	#4
clkeiper Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: ohio Posts: 4,350	expect it to bolt. Don't expect it to stay in the leaf stage more than a week or two depending on the temperatures. It is a plant that needs reseeding directly in the herb garden regularly. __________________ carolyn k

July 10, 2015	#8
kurt Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Homestead,Everglades City Fl. Posts: 2,500	My neighbor grows it profusely.He calls it the "fall down over plant"(elder Trinidadian man)He showed me how it jumps up,falls over reseats(reroots)itself.Somewhat like arugula,poppy,some cabbage and lettuce varieties.He showed me how to dense plant,keeping soil only 3/4 up in propagating starting container(so as to use the sides as a holding wall,no sprawling)Then when he puts it into ground he uses round(cut from plastic clear containers)about 6 inch collars to keep plant upright.He says they need to hold each other up.He grows them for the seed(coriander).Him and his wife make some great recipes and do a lot of pickling with the seeds. __________________ KURT

July 10, 2015	#2
jmsieglaff Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2014 Location: Southern WI Posts: 2,742	Grow it as cool as possible, which for most places in the summer isn't realistic. So I think the only alternative is to sow often and sow thickly. That's the one thing I don't grow for the salsa we make, I get it at the farmer's market. It is an irritating herb to grow.

July 10, 2015	#5
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	I dont know about where you guys live but where I live it is as cheap as rotten duck eggs. They practically give the stuff away. If I were to grow it, it would be for the roots and seeds. Yes all parts of the plant are edible. Worth

July 10, 2015	#6
Nematode Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2012 Location: massachusetts Posts: 1,710	Sow often, some shade helps keep it from bolting. Am currently experimenting with growing it under tomatoes. It is growing slowly, so hopefully it will not bolt so fast.

July 10, 2015	#7
RobinB Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Near Reno, NV Posts: 1,621	Grow it in the spring and fall. It's a cool season crop. That's why it bolts in the summer.

July 13, 2015	#10
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	It can take some really cold weather and during the dead of winter is the only time it doesn't bolt down here. One or two warm days and bam! its bolted. It is just too much trouble and bolts way too soon and when it is way too small during the time of the year when I'm getting tomatoes ripe off the vine for fresh salsa. Bill

July 10, 2015	#12
TNTiger Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: TN Posts: 120	Routine watering is also pretty important for cilantro - mine does better if I keep the growing mix damp. I grow it everywhere there's an open spot and if it bolts it's ok because the beneficial insects love the little white flowers. I just plant more while I wait for the seeds to form and ripen on the bolted plants. It is harder to keep it going during the hottest part of the summer but I have it in abundance the rest of the year except during the coldest part of the winter. It is cheap in the stores so I don't mind buying it if I need more than I can cut from my own garden but I love having a pretty steady supply anytime I want it. I frequently run out to cut just a little to sprinkle over a sliced tomato or into a bowl of salsa.

July 11, 2015	#13
NarnianGarden Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Finland, EU Posts: 2,550	I remember reading somewhere it is supposed to deter aphids, but my balcony garden last year proved otherwise - aphids seemed to love crawling on it, yuck. So far, this year has been aphid-free... Hope that it will continue to be that way. Aphids are not welcome here!

July 13, 2015	#14
joseph Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2013 Location: Cache Valley, N/E of The Great Salt Lake Posts: 1,244	A farmer brings beautiful cilantro to my farmer's market all summer long, but only because she grows it in an air-conditioned greenhouse.

July 13, 2015	#15
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Mine in summer turns into this 18" tall flowering weed. While I'm sort of curious to grow it, I cannot tell the difference in home grown cilantro and what we get for 28 cents at the grocery store. LA - Pensacola through Tallahassee.