I usually start cilantro from seeds with great results. About 4 weeks after I set out the seedlings, they get real bushy and full of leaves. Then, they start spouting much thinner leaves, produce seed pods and then no more large leaves. Is there any way to keep the cilantro producing bushy leaves?
After about 8 weeks I snipped off all the pods and the most of the skinny leaves thinking the large leaves would return. Now I think they're going to die.
Should I be snipping off the early pod formations to keep them bushy? I'll try that next year.
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The Helpful Gardener
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)After some searching on google, I found the following, which makes sense...
FACT 1
Expedite the germination process by washing seeds in dish soap and then rinsing and partially drying them before sowing. Plant your seeds ½ an inch deep and 1 inch apart outdoors after the last frost. Rows should be 15 inches apart. Harvest your seeds as they ripen or their weight will bend or break stalks. Cilantro does not transplant well. When plants are 1 to 2 inches tall, thin plants 8 inches apart. Cut leaves sparingly when 4 to 6 inches high.
FACT 2
Cilantro is a cool weather herb if you grow it as cilantro instead of coriander, which is harvested for the seeds.Cilantro is actually the leaves of coriander. Growing it as cilantro you will be able to harvest as soon as 40-50 days after planting the seeds. Cilantro is successfully grown where the summers are dry, and not humid. The seeds are planted after the danger of frost has passed.It doesn't transplant well, so sow the seed where you want it to grow. You'll want to harvest when the plant is 4-6 inches tall. You can either cut leaves as needed or pull the entire plant and use the roots in soup. When the plant "bolts" or starts to flower it becomes bitter and is no longer is used as cilantro. It will take about 120 days until the coriander seed matures. You can plant more cilantro every 7-10 days to keep a steady supply. In the heat of the summer, especially in hot climates, it won't do as well. It's a good spring/fall herb to grow and will withstand temperatures down to 10 degrees.
FACT 1
Expedite the germination process by washing seeds in dish soap and then rinsing and partially drying them before sowing. Plant your seeds ½ an inch deep and 1 inch apart outdoors after the last frost. Rows should be 15 inches apart. Harvest your seeds as they ripen or their weight will bend or break stalks. Cilantro does not transplant well. When plants are 1 to 2 inches tall, thin plants 8 inches apart. Cut leaves sparingly when 4 to 6 inches high.
FACT 2
Cilantro is a cool weather herb if you grow it as cilantro instead of coriander, which is harvested for the seeds.Cilantro is actually the leaves of coriander. Growing it as cilantro you will be able to harvest as soon as 40-50 days after planting the seeds. Cilantro is successfully grown where the summers are dry, and not humid. The seeds are planted after the danger of frost has passed.It doesn't transplant well, so sow the seed where you want it to grow. You'll want to harvest when the plant is 4-6 inches tall. You can either cut leaves as needed or pull the entire plant and use the roots in soup. When the plant "bolts" or starts to flower it becomes bitter and is no longer is used as cilantro. It will take about 120 days until the coriander seed matures. You can plant more cilantro every 7-10 days to keep a steady supply. In the heat of the summer, especially in hot climates, it won't do as well. It's a good spring/fall herb to grow and will withstand temperatures down to 10 degrees.
-
The Helpful Gardener
- Mod
- Posts: 7491
- Joined: Mon Feb 09, 2004 9:17 pm
- Location: Colchester, CT