cilantro give me your best shot

GWN 2/13/2013, 1:34 pm

I would love to grow TONS of cilantro this year. Last year I started it inside greenhouse and then put it out too soon, and then it died, then I planted more and they grew and went to seed.
PLEASe tell me everything you know about growing cilantro.

**Turan** 2/13/2013, 2:00 pm

Find a slow bolting variety. Use the leaves when it bolts, they are tasty too and so are the flowers. I have never tryed transplanting it, seems like that would trigger it bolting faster? I plant one square early (infact I usually have some self seeded from last year), and then do succession sowing. I usually get 2 big pickings from each planting. I freeze it to put into later salsa making. I have not yet managed to have a bunch in the garden ready when the tomatillos are all ready to go.

GWN 2/13/2013, 2:24 pm

so Turan, does last years that seeded itself, come up as volunteers? I was hoping I could just get the cilantro growing like Dill. Seems like you only have to start Dill once and when it seeds itself all over the place, you always have some dill ripening.
Maybe I will just get some plants growing from last years that all went to seed.

**Turan** 2/13/2013, 2:51 pm

I usually find some volunteers sprouting. I have not noticed volunteer succession sprouting through the summer though. It seems all in one time.

**donnainzone5** 2/13/2013, 3:49 pm

Turan,

I never thought of freezing cilantro! How is it done? Do you wash, then drain it on a paper towel before freezing? With berries, that's what I do, then place them on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer. Then, into zip-loc bags they go.

GWN 2/13/2013, 4:26 pm

Yes Turan I was wondering the same thing. about freezing.

**Turan** 2/13/2013, 10:30 pm

I think I rinse it, shake it out a bit, toss into a ziploc bag and freeze. I sorta squish it flat to get out all the air and make it easy to break off bits as needed. I did not bother to chop it, but i left out the biggest stems. Then I chop as I use it.

**RoOsTeR** 2/14/2013, 9:36 am

Cilantro always seems to either do really good or really bad for me. I find I have the best luck planting directly early in the season, and again late when cooler fall temps roll in. I've never had any luck at all planting during the summer. It just immediately bolts. When I do plant cilantro, I do succession plantings and pull the whole plant. I just don't seem to have much luck with multiple cuttings. Smile

**gwennifer** 2/14/2013, 10:04 am

I'm glad to see this post - I tried cilantro for the first time last year. Absolutely love the way it tastes and smells but hadn't realized I wouldn't be able to enjoy cutting off one plant all summer like I can with other herbs. I made it last a little while longer by continually cutting off the stems that went to seed.

**Turan** 2/14/2013, 12:56 pm

I lazily shook the gone to seed dried cilantro over the garlic bed last fall. Maybe I will have a whole bed and then might have enough in a single cutting for salsa? I want to grow carrots in that bed as well, in between the garlic. Cilantro and carrots are in the same family so they should get along. I am sure there is going to be some adjusting in the squares come spring rofl

happycamper 2/14/2013, 6:24 pm

You should be able to get two crops of cilantro living in BC, spring and fall. I plant seed directly in the garden and a second crop for fall. Since the cilantro is almost never growing when I want to can salsa, I store it by chopping or cutting with scissors and packing it into ice cube trays, freezing then place the cubes in a storage bag so that I have some when I need it. If anyone tries this, just be sure to add enough water to cover the cilantro so it does not get freezer burned from any exposed leaves. This method works well for ginger and other garden items also. I do this for chopped up hot peppers also. Good luck with the cilantro!

**camprn** 2/14/2013, 6:35 pm

The coriander seed is delish too!

**gwennifer** 2/14/2013, 6:39 pm

happycamper wrote:...I store it by chopping or cutting with scissors and packing it into ice cube trays, freezing then place the cubes in a storage bag so that I have some when I need it. If anyone tries this, just be sure to add enough water to cover the cilantro so it does not get freezer burned from any exposed leaves...

Fabulous tip! thankyou

**llama momma** 2/14/2013, 7:16 pm

All this talk about cilantro - haven't tried to grow it yet, Baker Creek sent it along as a freebie gift, guess I'll try it out and maybe make salsa for the first time but even better, if anyone else like me has a once in awhile taco bell craving for a meximelt, fresh cilantro in this healthy copycat version sounded pretty good to me
http://thetastyfork.com/2012/12/06/copy-cat-recipe-taco-bells-meximelt-healthy-option/

**camprn** 2/14/2013, 7:39 pm

I think the last time I hit a taco bell was more than 6 years ago... do you mean to say they actually have some type of fresh food there these days? Shocked

I too simply chopped and froze my cilantro and pull out a pinch every now and then.

Succession planting is the key to having enough of the fresh stuff when all the tomatoes are being harvested. Very Happy

**llama momma** 2/15/2013, 9:24 am

camprn wrote:I think the last time I hit a taco bell was more than 6 years ago... do you mean to say they actually have some type of fresh food there these days?

Don't know for sure..Pico de gallo used in meximelts years ago had cilantro in it and fresh? well, not sure but - the copycat/fresh recipe I mentioned in my previous post sounded appealing.

kittykat 2/16/2013, 12:38 am

happycamper wrote: I store it by chopping or cutting with scissors and packing it into ice cube trays, freezing then place the cubes in a storage bag so that I have some when I need it.

Funny! I *just* today read this exact same tip in a green smoothie Facebook group! I like adding parsley and cilantro to my green smoothies, but it's such a nuisance to deal with both herbs in the process of smoothie-making! I am definitely going to do the ice cube tray thing!

southern gardener 2/28/2013, 2:40 pm

we have a nice little "lawn" of cilantro growing. It's super green and lush, and the more we pick, the more we are getting! It's growing nice and low not tall, so all of the leaves are edible and tender; not a bunch of long stems, soooo good in salsa or on top of mexican food. bounce

Sponsored content

cilantro give me your best shot

cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Cilantro

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot

Re: cilantro give me your best shot


	Hello Guest! Welcome to the official Square Foot Gardening Forum. There's lots to learn here by reading as a guest. However, if you become a member (it's free, ad free and spam-free) you'll have access to our large vermiculite databases, our seed exchange spreadsheets, Mel's Mix calculator, and many more members' pictures in the Gallery. Enjoy.