🌿 Cilantro
How to grow
Direct sow — cilantro grows a taproot and transplants sulk. Sow every 2-3 weeks for continuous supply, because each planting bolts within weeks once heat arrives. In Florida, cilantro is strictly fall-through-spring: sow October through February; summer growing is a lost cause (try culantro or papalo as heat-proof substitutes). Up north, sow as soon as soil can be worked and keep sowing until midsummer. Seeds germinate best in cool soil (55-65°F) and can take 2-3 weeks — don't give up on them. Shade cloth and afternoon shade buy time in the shoulder seasons. Once it bolts, let it: the flowers feed beneficial insects and the seeds are coriander, a whole second spice from the same plant.
Water & feeding
Keep evenly moist — about an inch a week. Drought stress triggers instant bolting, which is cilantro's answer to every problem. Work 5-10% worm castings into the bed before sowing; cilantro is a light feeder and castings are plenty — excess nitrogen actually dilutes the essential oils that give it flavor. Mulch to keep roots cool; cool roots are the secret to delaying the bolt.
Common problems
- Bolting in heat — succession sow, use shade, and try slow-bolt varieties like 'Calypso' or 'Cruiser'.
- Aphids on flower stalks — blast with water; the flowers attract ladybugs that handle the rest.
- Damping off in warm wet soil — sow in cool weather, don't overwater, and space for airflow.
Harvest
Snip outer leaves when plants are 6 inches tall, taking no more than a third at a time. Harvest in the morning for peak oil content. Once the central stalk shoots up, leaf production ends — let it flower for pollinators, then collect the round seeds: that's coriander, and freshly dried homegrown coriander tastes nothing like the dusty jar from 2019.