What's up with my cilantro???

[charla]

I planted a cilantro plant in my garden for the first time this year. It had big leaves on it at the beginning but now it only has very fine leaves and it has bloomed out. I had tried to prune the smaller leaf stems off, but now it is totally very fine leaves and flowers. Is there anything I can do to resurrect it and get some bigger leaves? Did I do something wrong in the first place? Or does cilantro only have a very short harvesting time?

[greenleafknitter]

Mine has done the same thing! I'm curious to see what others say.

[charla]

I only got two pickings off it so that's some pretty expensive cilantro, I have to say, at $3.50 for the plant.

[Allison]

I think that cilantro goes to seed quickly when it starts to heat up outside. Whenever I've planted cilantro it flowers not long after I finally get to pluck a few leaves from it. Mine is flowering right now, actually.

Let it go and the flower heads will fall off and seed and it will regrow. Probably over and over again. It just has a short growing time.

[jujubnme]

I've had the same experience... so I just googled and found this:

http://fragrantfields.com/howtogrowharvestcilantro.aspx


Apparently hot soil temperature will cause it to go to seed. Who knew?

---------- Post added at 11:08 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:07 PM ----------

cross-posted with Allison...

[believer]

:yes it is the heat. I have a friend who grows all sorts of stuff - he has cilantro and a few weeks ago said it would only grow when it is cool and his was already going to seed.

[Macky]

Andrea's link said everything I was going to say. :) Cilantro is sooo stinking easy to grow from seed. Next time buy a packet. :yes I'm planting mine later so it matures around the time I'm canning salsa. :yum

[charla]

Thanks for the information. That really helps a lot. I'm glad to hear that it will re-seed itself. Maybe it's not as expensive as I thought. :giggle I planted it because I really like cilantro instead of mint in tabouli and had high hopes of having it all through the summer especially when I can harvest tomatoes, cucumbers and parsley from my garden. Bummer.

So I've heard of people planting a salsa garden, but how would it work for the cilantro and tomatoes and peppers to be harvested at the same time? ETA: Crossposted with Spirited Duo. Oh plant it later, that makes sense. :doh

Do you think it will come back in the fall after the soil temp drops?

[Macky]

That same plant won't, no. Once it bolts, it's done. I'd go buy a seed packet, read the back and find out days to maturity (eta: seems most varieties are around 45 days). Count back from when your other plants (the ones you want to use it with) will mature to figure out when to plant the seeds. :) eta: For example, I want my cilantro to mature around the end of August or early September, so I'll plant around mid-July. You're going to need way more than one plant if you want to use it in any quantity in the kitchen.

[HindsFeet]

Interesting to read - mine is doing the same thing, though I've still got some big leaves on it as well. Bummer about the heat. :-/

[mountainash]

There's also this variety of cilantro that has finer leaves...
http://www.all-americaselections.org/Winners_Print.asp?ID=126

[Allison]

I container garden all of my herbs. My plan for the last two years was to bring them in when it got cold, but I got lazy. :doh Anyway, could you container garden your cilantro and bring it in when it gets hot?

[charla]

I container garden all of my herbs. My plan for the last two years was to bring them in when it got cold, but I got lazy. :doh Anyway, could you container garden your cilantro and bring it in when it gets hot?

That's a great idea. :rockon I wondered about the possibility of that. I've wanted an indoor herb garden so this might be as good as time as any to start one. Now to figure out which windowsill is best. No windows at all in the kitchen. :think

[joystrength]

I share a co-op garden with two other families. We are in HOT Texas, and cilantro is a mainstay! A local botanist and organic gardening expert said to just pinch off the blooms as soon as they appear and the bush will keep growing. We just tear off chunks of leaves as we need them. :shrug3

[charla]

I share a co-op garden with two other families. We are in HOT Texas, and cilantro is a mainstay! A local botanist and organic gardening expert said to just pinch off the blooms as soon as they appear and the bush will keep growing. We just tear off chunks of leaves as we need them. :shrug3

Hmmm, maybe I didn't keep at it as vigilantly as I needed to. :think

[This Busy Mom]

I had the same problem with basil

[canadiyank]

You can make it last a bit longer into the season by pinching back the tops regularly, but it will bolt. I just let it go to seed...it's easy and sprouts when it should, usually fall again and the next spring. I bought a plant one and then had 5 yrs. of seeds from it - it's probably still going, but we moved. :)