question about our cilantro

we have never grown cilantro before.....we started them from seeds....the plant seems to be doing very well.....but im wondering if its going to flower now?....see how the top leaves look differnt then the bottom ones do.....

is that what they are suppose to do?.....can we still eat from it?.....or does bolting/flowering change the taste?.....should we cut off the top to keep it from flowering?.....we are taken back a bit.....we are in the PNW and really thought cilantro needed heat and would last thru the summer.....should we start some more?

thanks......

hugs

rose

Your cilantro is getting ready to flower... and there is nothing you can do that will change it's course. Some people continue to eat the cilantro once the leaves change. Others say that the taste is bitter. You could always try and see if you can taste any difference. I would certainly start another pot to have some around when the tomatoes ripen

I am trying some slo bolt cilantro this year to see if it makes any difference, but I've had a time getting it to grow from seed....

Agree with above post. After the plant flowers and goes to seed, the seed can be dried and used in cooking. One of my favorite spices, coriander.

We had so many seeds on our cilantro last year that we weren't able to harvest them all. I left them on the plant, and this year I have cilantro growing in the same place... it reseeded itself!
This year's plant is about at the same stage as yours, so am planning on throwing a few more seeds into the ground and hoping that it grows before the other one flowers.
Here's to hoping you have a chance to use some of your cilantro before it flowers... mine went so quick I only used it once!

I have had some success snipping off the feathery bits if it's just a heatwave and temps go back down. I did that earlier this year and had more regular leaves grow, but now we're in the triple digits and mine have reached the point of flowering, so I'll just let them reseed. Here's a method I saw on Pinterest, but haven't tried yet, that's supposed to help solved that problem.

Thanks elliephant for the link....I am going to go home and start it this weekend

this is how i prefer to grow and harvest cilantro:
http://www.sunset.com/garden/flowers-plants/better-way-grow-cilantro-00400000017171/

Mine is doing the same and I have it planted in my 4x4 sfg. I am not sure I want it to reseed there. Can I did it up now and put it in a container that
already contains cilantro?

crs wrote:Mine is doing the same and I have it planted in my 4x4 sfg. I am not sure I want it to reseed there. Can I did it up now and put it in a container that
already contains cilantro?

Dig it up and put it where you want it. My experience with cilantro is that it is pretty hardy stuff. Mine takes continual abuse and neglect and still manages to give me a crop! I also have not intentionally planted it in several years. It reseeds itself so well that as it comes up I just dig it out and put it where I want, or pull it like a weed.

GG

thank you everyone!!

im off to the links provided......wondering if i can cut the leaves and dry them?

hugs

rose.....who wishes her basil would grow as well as her cilantro is .....off to start more seeds.......

you can dry the leaves very easily! if you are in a hurry, dry them in the microwave between two pieces of clean towel, then store them in a jar whole. don't crush them until you need them.

if you have time, cut the stems and tie them together and put them in a paper bag with the stems sticking out the top. close the bag around the stems and hang this somewhere dark and cool. the bag keeps bugs and dust off the leaves until they dry and catches any pieces that crumble off.

it is my experience that you can move just about anything--after all, if you buy a transplant in a nursery, you are de facto moving it.

rowena......does my plant look like i can cut it and dry it?.....i went out today and i see tiny flower buds but they have not opened yet.....i picked off a leaf and it seem to tast fine.....but....i have never eaten a cilantro leaf plain....its always been in salsa....so not sure what its suppose to taste like....but...it didnt taste bad or bitter....tasted like a leaf.....LOL

i did re sow more today

hugs

rose

oh.....also learned from the links (thank you!) that cilantro is a cool weather crop

did not know that.......we even brought the plant into the green house because we thought it was to cool out for it..... no wonder it went to flower......

hugs

rose

Rowena, thank you so much for the Sunset site. Brilliant! I shall be planting just such a pot tomorrow! .... even though I have almost mature cilantro in one pot, and a whole square planted in one of the SFG beds. You have me wondering if the same technique would work with the basil outside the Kitchen and save the big basil plot for pesto to freeze. Hmmmmm.

Cilantro will develop a main tap root it is not too long and has side shoots but if you damage that tap root too much you will have little chance of it surviving the transplant. Take enough depth of dirt to avoid disappointment. The stuff grows wild in my regular garden because It gets to go to seed to be ground into coriander for cooking use and to have plenty of seeds too. A clump of young shoots can be easily potted to grow or use from a container, just keep the transplant well watered for a while till it recovers from the shock. As for basil I take cuttings from branches that have not developed flower ends yet and root them in a glass of water. In 2-3 weeks there are enough roots to pot for winter use indoors or just set it back into the garden for the next generation plants for fresh use. Last winter I had to prune the indoor basil plant because it got big and went to seed. Those clippings were rooted in water and are now already providing harvest outdoors in the garden. So far there is no detectable difference in plant quality they are just bigger plants than those from seed or the nursery.

Thank you, Westie, you've taught me another new thing! Wow, easy basil and easy cilantro--I'm on it! Nonna

yes so much

we are still so new to growing herbs from seed.......and with our odd warmer spring weather it really has thrown us for a loop.....

hugs

rose

As a follower I should add that it is best to sow some new seeds every couple weeks in my case to have a continuous supply of cilantro that is young and tender all season long. I find ways to add cilantro to a whole lot of my fresh cooking. That is also true of many other herbs. Also my purslane is now coming into harvest, it has more omegas than fish and is of course plant based omegas. Google this site for a bunch of purslane recipes put up here last summer. It is great in omelets and salads too. I plan to blend some and freeze in ice cube trays for winter use in stir fries and many other dishes including my green blender smoothies.

FamilyGardening wrote:rowena......does my plant look like i can cut it and dry it?

definitely! i cut my herbs liberally and often. with herbs like cilantro, just cut off the whole stem (the ones that have the flat leaves are the best flavor). the stems are edible, but when i dry cilantro i always just dry the leaves.

westie wrote:Last winter I had to prune the indoor basil plant because it got big and went to seed. Those clippings were rooted in water and are now already providing harvest outdoors in the garden. So far there is no detectable difference in plant quality they are just bigger plants than those from seed or the nursery.

that is exactly what i do with all my woody herbs. right now on my window sill i have lemon mint, lemon basil, lemon verbena (i like lemon), rosemary, lavender, and stevia all rooting, and in the outdoor flats i have lemon mint potted up. earlier this spring i had more herbs potted but i gave them away at the grand opening of our gleaning gardens.