Whining about cilantro..

[DrakeMaiden]

Ha ha, no, I do believe that you have just aquired a tolerance for the heat. Well, ok, I don't know that for sure, but that is my guess.

 

[big brown horse]

You are probably right!!

 

[emmak]

I'm in the Dallas area. My family loves cilantro. I had a very nice plant from seed in early spring, but it's gone now. I bought two more plants from the garden store, but they aren't doing well. I wonder if it's just too hot here now. I also wonder if I could grow it inside the house?

 

[elf]

I love it, but here in Ga. it bolts as soon as it gets out of the ground, except in earliest spring. So then in hot weather it becomes a coriander plant, for the seeds, but I don't cook with that much.

 

[digitS']

from a month ago:

My best cilantro plants of the year are the ones that over-winter. There won't be many because the gardens are tilled but if some are missed, those will be big, robust plants.

I've whined about cilantro's short season. I can't get it to grow well outside of a few weeks early in the season. And yet, it is available in the store year-around :/?

I complained to a knowledgeable gardener and was told that it is grown in greenhouses . . . year-around. Oh.

So, keeping it from burning up in the summer is possible. Maybe I could use a shade cloth.

Steve

It's windy here again this morning. I guess the shade cloth is looking too problematic. There's lots of basil in the greenhouse yet but, wow - it's cooking in there thru the afternoon. I still don't have a good plan for cilantro thru the summer.

I also don't have the best variety. I got Xiang Cai Chinese cilantro from Johnny's. The stuff looks like it is bolting from the get go. In other words, it has only a few broad leaves and then goes to that lacey foliage. The flavor is fine but the plant is quite small. Maybe it won't actually bolt until later but that remains to be seen, at this point.

Once again, my best cilantro plants are the ones that overwintered. They were few and already carried into the kitchen.

Oh, I know a Southwest gardener who never plants cilantro in the garden. He sows seed continuously in planters and moves them around to where ever he thinks they will like it best.

Steve

 

[hoodat]

If you find yourself unable to find cilantro seed don't forget coriander is the same thing. I can get a two ounce pack of coriander in Mexican markets for the same price as a tiny pack of seeds.
It's right at home here in San Diego year round. It only has to be planted once to have it in your garden forever more here. I just let some of it reseed itself. If it threatens to become a pesky weed in my garden, all I have to do is tell my Mexican neighbors to send the kids over to pick it. Sometimes granny shows up instead of the kids.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Sometimes granny shows up instead of the kids.

I'm not at all surprised at the granny's interest, after seeing photos of you on another post, but I think I suspect it is not the coriander they are after......... ........... !!!!!!!!!!





Hattie

 

[hoodat]

I loved mine last year...The problem is the cilantro is ready way before the tomatoes. I am hoping to plant a second time, and get the two ready for salsa at the same time. Maybe I'll find my seeds by then! LOL I would definitely try a shade, it would be worth it! Nothing like fresh herbs!

The first cilantro is too early for the tomatos but let it reseed itself and the second go around will usually be just right.

 

[obsessed]

Try vietmnamise (spelling) cilantro. I don't know where to get it but they have it at the local library herb garden and I went once for a meeting and they show us and let us taste it. It loves the heat and the humidity and tastes like cilantro.

 

[hoodat]

I like the Thai or Vietnamese basil better than the Italian also. Our Asian immigrants brought some good plants with them.