cilantro

[chalstonsc]

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]

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]

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]

Thanks to you both!

[biscgolf]

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]

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]

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?

[ScottinAtlanta]

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

[riceke]

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.

[biscgolf]

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.

[kath]

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

[efisakov]

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.

[b54red]

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

[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.

[kath]

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