Cilantro-Any tips for successful growth?

[HotPepperQueen]

I have tried planting cilantro twice, and I cannot every get it to be successful. I live in MN and our summers get hot enough to grow it. It will start out super healthy and nice for about a month, then it starts to die off for no reason. Any suggestions?

 

[HunkieDorie23]

???? You are growing this in the garden right? When you say it starts dying off what does it look like?

 

[HotPepperQueen]

I tried growing it in a large pot the first time, then in the garden the second time. The plant turns brown and crispy no matter how much water it gets or how little sunlight it gets. I am very puzzled at why this is happening. I am a very experienced herb farmer and my herbs all get blue ribbons at the county fair/state fair every year. No one can seem to figure out why this happens!

???? You are growing this in the garden right? When you say it starts dying off what does it look like?

 

[HunkieDorie23]

Well I was going to guess over fertilizing or something out of wack in your soil, but if you are a experience herb gardener then that probably isn't it. I'll look through my books.

 

[HotPepperQueen]

That's very nice of you, thanks! Keep me posted :tools

Well I was going to guess over fertilizing or something out of wack in your soil, but if you are a experience herb gardener then that probably isn't it. I'll look through my books.

 

[digitS']

I was thinking that this would be the usual question about cilantro bolting so quickly to seed . . .

Plant problems that aren't easily explained make me think of the soil, also. Was the soil in the pot from the garden?

Here is what the University of California Cooperative Extension has to say about cilantro that I think might be the problem: "Cilantro is susceptible to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) and stubby-root nematode (Paratrichodorus sp.). Rotation away from infested fields is recommended."

I think my garden plants often have trouble with nematodes. They attack just about everything and plants may survive but not thrive. These worms are microscopic critters and there's no real way of seeing even what damage they are doing without ripping the plant out of the ground.

Just an idea . . .

Steve

 

[rebbetzin]

Goodness, here in AZ, Cilantro is a weed in my yard, but only in the winter.
Too hot here in the summer for cilantro.

It comes up in the fall, (just about everywhere I don't want it) and goes all winter.
When it gets close to 90 degrees, (late March early April, usually) they go to seed, and that is it until fall comes again.

I have tried planting it in the spring here, it sprouts, and then goes to seed almost immediately.

Sorry you are not having a hard time with it.

 

[digitS']

Yeah, that isn't quite my experience with cilantro here, Rebbetzin, as I'm sure you can understand.

Still, the very nicest plants are the ones that survive the winter. Not all of them can but those that do, start off the season the size of a dinner plate! Then the little guys show up but when those are gone - they're gone . . .

I know one gardener who uses a larger planter. He can move this around during the summer and has cilantro later in the year. I don't know quite how this works but think he has probably got his timing down real well.

BTW - it is my understanding that rocky soil is a "happy home" for nematodes.

Steve

 

[lesa]

I haven't had any trouble with cilantro. If this were happening to me, I would find a different spot for it. Try, try again- but then it is time to try a different spot! Sometimes mother nature just doesn't agree with my "design sense" and wants something else instead! Don't fight it.

 

[hoodat]

Cilantro has always been easy for me, to the delight of my Mexican neighbors. I'm afraid I can't advise you as to what is happening but in regards tto fast bolting to seed there are some varieties that are supposed to be slow bolting but I've never tried them. I just let mine make and scatter their own seed and pull it for the neighbors if it comes up where I don't want it. If I need more seed I just buy it off the spice rack in the Meican grocery. (Coriander is the seed for cilantro)