Stop Fighting Cilantro

Cilantro has a mind of its own: sometimes it will thrive and grow lush in one area while in other areas it quickly bolts and doesn't produce many leaves. It's important to know that cilantro LIKES to flower, no matter if you get the so-called "slow-bolt" varieties or not. If it starts flowering, don't worry, the blooms smell and taste delicious as well, you can even eat the unripe green seed pods, they have a great fresh flavor. We have had good luck with cilantro growing quite lush in pots in partial shade, but often we find it will pop up on the edge of a bed in the mulch path in full sun – it seems to like being "tucked." But it will always go to seed eventually, and pruning back the blooms will not likely keep the plant producing greens, it will just produce more flowers. So don't fight it, let it bloom! Here are our tips to help you grow more cilantro...

The trick to grow more cilantro is to plant cilantro seeds everywhere in the garden, tuck them into pots, corners of beds or edges of paths and see where it pops up.

Sow cilantro seeds often, every 2-3 weeks. This will help keep a continual supply growing as some of it will start go go to seed while younger plants will keep producing greenery.  

You can even sow cilantro seeds in winter in outdoor pots, as they will germinate in their own time once the conditions are right, and they actually prefer cooler temperatures and can withstand frosts, so it's a great way to get a head start on the cilantro growing season. Just make sure to keep the soil moist so they can germinate when ready. It's also good to rub the seeds between your fingers to crush them into two separate seeds, one cilantro seed is actually 2 seeds, and doing this can help them germinate faster, though it's not an absolute must. 

Since Cilantro does like to bloom, it also produces a ton of seeds that you can save and use to re-sow everywhere in the garden continually every season! Just make sure to let the seeds ripen and dry to a brown color and they easily are pulled off the plant, and store them in a glass jar.

You can also use the cilantro seeds as the delicious kitchen spice, coriander. Crush and add coriander to provide great flavor to salsas, green chiles, potatoes, and more.

• Cilantro does not like to be transplanted, so direct sowing is best.
• Cilantro grows best in the cooler weather of early spring and late fall. It typically will start blooming in hot weather.
• The blooms are quite delicate, and look beautiful when companion planted in pots of peppers or other veggies. The flowers have a lacy, frilly beauty and smell delightful. Pollinators love them.
• The entire cilantro plant is edible, roots, stems, flowers, seeds and leaves!
• Cilantro loves loamy, nutrient-rich, well-draining soil that is consistently moist but not soggy. Planting cilantro seeds in good potting soil in pots can be very successful in early spring or late summer into fall.

As you probably know, some people LOVE cilantro, while others hate it as it tastes like soap to them. It's not because they are whiny. It's actually caused by a genetic variation in the OR6A2 olfactory-receptor gene that makes individuals highly sensitive to aldehyde chemicals found in cilantro, which are also used in soap manufacturing. We've found though, that when cilantro is blended well and added to salsa many people who don't like it will still enjoy the salsa. This is likely because the tomatoes and other flavors compliment and tone down the flavor of the cilantro. Personally, I don't think salsa is as good without it! But I'm one of the lucky ones who love the flavor of cilantro.