Cilantro

KYTraci 6/11/2014, 10:55 am

This is my first time with any type of garden. I have been trying to figure out cilantro and growing seeds. I have been picking any flowers that I see but if I want to do try growing seeds in order to use for planting later how do I do this? I have tried searching but I can't find much info on google.

Thanks!

rabbithutch 6/11/2014, 11:45 am

Cilantro is the name applied to the leaf and coriander is the name applied to the seed of this plant. If you let the plant go to seed, you will find little seeds that are about an eighth of an inch in diameter and mostly round. I haven't done this since I lived in NC, but I had no trouble getting the plants to go to seed there.

As for pinching off the flowers, I have no idea what that accomplishes other than preventing it going to seed. Where did you learn to do that and what is the purpose?

KYTraci 6/11/2014, 11:56 am

I have talked with friends that grown cilantro and they said remove the flowers to prevent the seeds from growing. Is this not correct?

rabbithutch 6/11/2014, 12:07 pm

KYTraci wrote:I have talked with friends that grown cilantro and they said remove the flowers to prevent the seeds from growing. Is this not correct?

Yes, that will prevent them from going to seed. I thought, however, that you were interested in collecting seed from your plants to use in a future growing season. Did I misunderstand? (My wife says I almost always do Rolling Eyes

)

If you are interested in harvesting seed, don't pinch the flowers off; but pinch them off if you want the plants to continue to leaf until they lose their vigor.

Boz 6/11/2014, 12:40 pm

In my experience once coriander decides to flower the leaves lose their taste.
If you want the leaves, I would pull up the ones you have and replant younger plants.
If you eat the flowers then harvest the flowers.
If you want the seeds leave the plant alone and collect the seeds.
This post should get you some detailed help

KYTraci 6/11/2014, 5:01 pm

rabbithutch wrote:
KYTraci wrote:I have talked with friends that grown cilantro and they said remove the flowers to prevent the seeds from growing. Is this not correct?

Yes, that will prevent them from going to seed. I thought, however, that you were interested in collecting seed from your plants to use in a future growing season. Did I misunderstand? (My wife says I almost always do )

If you are interested in harvesting seed, don't pinch the flowers off; but pinch them off if you want the plants to continue to leaf until they lose their vigor.

Can you allow them to go to seed while still harvesting? Someone told me that the flowers will change the taste of the cilantro. You didn't misunderstand, I'm probably not explaining it correctly.

KYTraci 6/11/2014, 5:02 pm

Boz wrote:In my experience once coriander decides to flower the leaves lose their taste.
If you want the leaves, I would pull up the ones you have and replant younger plants.
If you eat the flowers then harvest the flowers.
If you want the seeds leave the plant alone and collect the seeds.
This post should get you some detailed help

Thanks!! This does help.

**walshevak** 6/12/2014, 8:45 am

I planted a pot of cilantro every other month to get leaves through out the summer and let the first two pots go to seed for the following year. The coriander seeds are a spice I've seen in recipes but never used. Did this for my son as I don't like the taste of cilantro.

Kay

GWN 6/12/2014, 10:48 am

I have been growing cilantro from seed for a few years and then towards the end of summer, let them go to seed, now I no longer need to plant them, they are growing wild everywhere ....

ilvalleygal 6/12/2014, 11:54 am

I saved some coriander seeds last year for the pantry out of curiosity. They are wonderful to use when cooking. Toss a few in a very hot skillet to let them toast and pop a bit, then add to soups, chilis, stews for an interesting, citrusy flavor. I did not collect all the seed heads, I did leave some to self-sow and that is working well this year too.

grownsunshine 6/12/2014, 2:17 pm

Thanks everyone for the great advice! I just hadn't gotten to planting my cilantro yet, but now I plan on growing some for seed and some for cilantro. Thanks! thanks! and ....thanks!

countrynaturals 6/18/2019, 11:29 am

How about cuttings? I need more cilantro for a family that can never get enough and actually buy it at the store . 2 of my plants are trying to bolt. Could I cut off those sprigs to root or would I be better off chucking those and root from leaf cuttings?

OhioGardener 6/18/2019, 11:43 am

When you see the plants starting to bolt to seed, pinch out the center stem with the flower head to direct the plant's energy back into the leaves instead of producing seeds. Unless, of course, you want Coriander seeds for your spice rack - then you want it to go to seed.

countrynaturals 6/18/2019, 12:37 pm

OhioGardener wrote:When you see the plants starting to bolt to seed, pinch out the center stem with the flower head to direct the plant's energy back into the leaves instead of producing seeds. Unless, of course, you want Coriander seeds for your spice rack - then you want it to go to seed.

Done! Now, can I use those cuttings to start new plants or should I use regular leaf cuttings for that?

**donnainzone5** 6/18/2019, 1:21 pm

Save some of the seed to re-plant in late summer. You may get a second crop in the fall.

I have three volunteers in a flower bed because I let a mature plant go to seed last year.

Dan in Ct 6/19/2019, 9:07 am

Does anyone succession plant cilantro? Here cilantro bolts end of June beginning of July and so never it fresh as an ingredient for my salsa. It never occurred to me that succession planting might be the answer. Now I am wondering if as OhioGardener states just pinch off to keep the leaves growing, would do the trick. I have always heard the leaves will have a bitter taste and to be honest not a big fan of either cilantro or coriander. So at best my attempts were half-hearted. Well thanks for the great information as I give cilantro one more try or two every few weeks or so.

OhioGardener 6/19/2019, 9:20 am

Dan, it is best to succession plant the cilantro one a 2-week schedule so there is a constant flow of young tender leaves. My experience has been that if the flower buds are pinched out as soon as they become visible, the leaves do not become bitter. But, if the flowers are left to develop the leaves will quickly become bitter. But then, of late I have come to think that there are better, more valuable crops to grow in my beds than Cilantro....so, I am not even growing any this year.

countrynaturals 6/19/2019, 12:00 pm

GRRR! I read that you can't transplant cilantro and I believed it. Now I'm reading that we can buy cilantro at the store, cut off the bottoms with little root stubs on them, and plant them. That's gotta be a whole lot worse than any transplant. What gives? Mad

OhioGardener 6/19/2019, 12:21 pm

CN, Cilantro has very deep tap roots which makes transplanting them very difficult. Seeds can be started in pots, such as peat pots, and then transplanted to the garden successfully. But, trying to dig up established plants in the garden usually results in breaking off the tap root, which they don't appreciate.

**sanderson** 6/23/2019, 2:43 pm

In Zone 9A, I find that cilantro is a great winter crop, and Parsley is a great summer crop. That works out because I use more fresh parsley in tabbouleh in the summer and lots of cilantro in the hot winter dishes, especially in soups. The cilantro starts to bolt late Feb-March, which the early pollinators like, and then goes to seed (coriandor).

countrynaturals 10/6/2019, 10:31 am

sanderson wrote:In Zone 9A, I find that cilantro is a great winter crop, and Parsley is a great summer crop. That works out because I use more fresh parsley in tabbouleh in the summer and lots of cilantro in the hot winter dishes, especially in soups. The cilantro starts to bolt late Feb-March, which the early pollinators like, and then goes to seed (coriandor).

Note to self: Plant a pot of cilantro, today. Cilantro 1787710427

**sanderson** 10/10/2019, 4:46 am

So, did you plant some cilantro? I finally got mine into the herb bed yesterday.

countrynaturals 10/10/2019, 1:18 pm

sanderson wrote:So, did you plant some cilantro? I finally got mine into the herb bed yesterday.

Yup. Got a nice little pot of it going on the heat pad. As soon as it gets going good, I'll start another one. Cool

markqz 1/10/2023, 12:41 pm

I have a cilantro plant that has had flowers for months now. But still no seeds.

Also, sometimes family members say that the cilantro tastes like celery. I'm wondering if cilantro can cross-breed with celery (or celeriac). The leaves certainly look similar.

OhioGardener 1/10/2023, 1:02 pm

markqz wrote:I I'm wondering if cilantro can cross-breed with celery (or celeriac). The leaves certainly look similar.

Interesting question. Since Cilantro is a member of the Carrot Family (celery and celeriac, dill, chervil, coriander or cilantro, carrot, fennel, parsley), it would seem that cross-pollination would be possible if not likely.

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