Crazy Cilantro

Sun May 08, 2011 10:17 pm

Can anybody tell me what in the heck I should do with this cilantro? I have gotten plenty of good stuff off of it already but then this happened. I was told it was easier to grow in a pot. The only herb I have ever grown is basil and it always turns out terrific. I kind of want to pull it out. Any suggestions?

Sun May 08, 2011 11:14 pm

I need your cilantro for all of the rockin salsa I'm making when my tomatoes ripen!!!

Sun May 08, 2011 11:26 pm

I haven't grown cilantro for about 4 or 5 years, but as I recall, it gets bitter after it flowers. The sudden flowering is called "bolting". Lettuce is famous for bolting, because like cilantro, it likes kinda coolish temperatures.

However, I would suggest that you allow it to flower and go to seed, then collect and save the seed. The seed is also used as a seasoning for foods. You might know it under the name Coriander.

Sun May 08, 2011 11:33 pm

I was also going to suggest you let it go to seed. I don't have to buy seeds or sow them any more because they self sow like crazy and germinate in cool weather according to what suits them -- spring and fall. In fact, I was hoeing sprouted cilantro like weeds today to clear the way for sowing bush bean seeds. I already have enough thinnings from other parts of the garden and got tired of plucking them one by one. :wink:

Mon May 09, 2011 12:25 am

It looks to me like your plant is trying to flower and make seed. I always cut off the flowers but you have to keep a very close watch on the plant within a week it will be trying to flower again in a different place. Just keep cutting off the flowers. In the mean time get another plant started from seeds. Once your other plant is up and doing fine let the first plant make seeds. I have noticed my plants aways try to make seeds as soon as the weather gets hot so I keep starting new plants from seeds about every 4 weeks. All the plants make seeds and I get a pint jar of seeds every summer.

Mon May 09, 2011 1:46 am

kimbledawn wrote:I need your cilantro for all of the rockin salsa I'm making when my tomatoes ripen!!!

LOL Well that's exactly why I planted it. I also planted onions and tomatoes so I could make it any time I wanted! great minds think alike! :wink:

Mon May 09, 2011 1:55 am

Kisal wrote:I haven't grown cilantro for about 4 or 5 years, but as I recall, it gets bitter after it flowers. The sudden flowering is called "bolting". Lettuce is famous for bolting, because like cilantro, it likes kinda coolish temperatures.

However, I would suggest that you allow it to flower and go to seed, then collect and save the seed. The seed is also used as a seasoning for foods. You might know it under the name Coriander.

Yes I had heard that about the seeds however I would rather have the cilantro. I planted it so that I could make fresh salsa. I'm just not sure what to do because it gets really hot here in the summers, sometimes over 100 and I don't think it does well in that temp and in full sun. I did read an article that said its better to grow it in a pot where it gets partial sun and then harvest it starting on one side and slowly rotating around like a clock. This way it will continue to have regrowth. Not sure if that's correct or not though.

Mon May 09, 2011 1:59 am

applestar wrote:I was also going to suggest you let it go to seed. I don't have to buy seeds or sow them any more because they self sow like crazy and germinate in cool weather according to what suits them -- spring and fall. In fact, I was hoeing sprouted cilantro like weeds today to clear the way for sowing bush bean seeds. I already have enough thinnings from other parts of the garden and got tired of plucking them one by one.

Holy cow! That's crazy, I had no idea! I know I don't want them taking over my garden like weeds but I do want fresh cilantro. I know they don't transplant well so now you have me wondering what to do with them. I was honestly going to pull it out. I have basil planted to the left of it and strawberries planted to the right. hhmmm food for thought. Thank you once again!

Mon May 09, 2011 2:01 am

Gary350 wrote:It looks to me like your plant is trying to flower and make seed. I always cut off the flowers but you have to keep a very close watch on the plant within a week it will be trying to flower again in a different place. Just keep cutting off the flowers. In the mean time get another plant started from seeds. Once your other plant is up and doing fine let the first plant make seeds. I have noticed my plants aways try to make seeds as soon as the weather gets hot so I keep starting new plants from seeds about every 4 weeks. All the plants make seeds and I get a pint jar of seeds every summer.

WOW! That's amazing! So, how long are the seeds good for? Do you have to plant them right away?

Mon May 09, 2011 2:52 am

You are suppose to stagger your plantings if you want a continuous supply of cilantro. Your plant has definitely bolted. It will drop it's seeds though and you'll find some surprise plants at some point if you leave the plant alone.

Personally, I stopped growing cilantro because it is so abundant in the store and it seems a pain to grow enough to have when you want it.

Mon May 09, 2011 3:18 am

Yogas, that's why I stopped growing it, too. I can buy fresh organic cilantro in just about any store for a very reasonable price. I prefer to dote on my tomato plants. :lol:

Mon May 09, 2011 3:30 am

Yogas wrote:You are suppose to stagger your plantings if you want a continuous supply of cilantro. Your plant has definitely bolted. It will drop it's seeds though and you'll find some surprise plants at some point if you leave the plant alone.

Personally, I stopped growing cilantro because it is so abundant in the store and it seems a pain to grow enough to have when you want it.

I think that's what I am going to do, I have heard the same thing. Most people tell me its easy to grow, if you put it in a pot but don't like it in the garden.

Mon May 09, 2011 3:31 am

Kisal wrote:Yogas, that's why I stopped growing it, too. I can buy fresh organic cilantro in just about any store for a very reasonable price. I prefer to dote on my tomato plants.

AMEN! I'm jumping on that train! That will make room for something else in my garden! :wink:

Tue May 10, 2011 10:38 am

Wow that is a monster !!. For me I would take what is still usably and try and make something like a cilantro pesto, which should store for a wile in the fridge, or else you could put it into ice cube containers and freeze them down, then you can you use them when ever you need them and they will store for ages

Tue May 10, 2011 12:33 pm

how do you collect seeds from flowering herbs i tried getting some from my sage it flowered big purple flowers but i didn't find any seeds

Tue May 10, 2011 2:08 pm

speedster7926 wrote:how do you collect seeds from flowering herbs i tried getting some from my sage it flowered big purple flowers but i didn't find any seeds

Let the plant die and dry out most of the seeds stay attached to the plant. I cut or break the stems off in small pieces and put them in a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Stir them around and some of the seeds fall off. Crumble the plant up with your hand and rub it between your hands the seeds are round balls they roll right off into the bucket. Pull out the stems out and throw then away the seeds are in the bottom of the bucket.

This works good for other plants for collecting seeds.

Thu May 12, 2011 4:06 pm

Gary350 wrote:
speedster7926 wrote:how do you collect seeds from flowering herbs i tried getting some from my sage it flowered big purple flowers but i didn't find any seeds

Let the plant die and dry out most of the seeds stay attached to the plant. I cut or break the stems off in small pieces and put them in a 5 gallon plastic bucket. Stir them around and some of the seeds fall off. Crumble the plant up with your hand and rub it between your hands the seeds are round balls they roll right off into the bucket. Pull out the stems out and throw then away the seeds are in the bottom of the bucket.

This works good for other plants for collecting seeds.

Ok so after you get the seeds is it ok to just plant them in a pot and let it grow on the patio? I read that cilantro does better in a pot then in the ground and you should harvest it in sections going clockwise (or counter clockwise, which ever you prefer). This way it will continue to reproduce. Is this true?

Mon Jun 20, 2011 1:10 am

When cilantro bolts it becomes all legs with very few leaves. Whatever leaves are there will taste alright, there just aren't so many all of a sudden. I would let it go to seed. You can collect the seeds for next year or for using in the kitchen as coriander. But it'll self-seed and give you a crop every year from now on.

Mon Jun 20, 2011 12:27 pm

wow that really took off.

Wed Aug 24, 2011 4:17 pm

I am jealous of all of you - my cilantro dies out quickly - at about 4 inches tall - and it's very hard to buy around here, Europe Zone 8. Any basic tips would be very, very welcome!

Lisa

Fri Aug 26, 2011 5:33 pm

I've got maybe 5 cilantro plants growing currently, and they're flowering, but I haven't noticed any particular change in flavor, and certainly not increased bitterness. I've been cutting back the flowers on some of the plants, but some I'm letting go to seed, gonna TRY to start some seeds to keep growing over the winter. I hope I can pull that off.

The plants (all my herbs, for that matter) are more pungent and flavorful than ANY I've ever gotten in a store, so I'm definitely willing to grow them again.

Fri Sep 02, 2011 4:52 pm

Seeds are good for a very long time, several years.

You should plant about 30 to 50 seeds every 2 weeks or sooner. When the plants come up about 8" tall cut them all off that is your whole crop of cilantro from that planting. If you have several plots of 50 seeds each growning you can cut them off and harvest a crop every day.

I have a lot of trouble with growing just 1 plant it always tries to go to seed. It is good to plant a dozen plants just for seeds only.