Growing Cilantro in Your Garden

How to Grow Cilantro in Your Garden

Cilantro is a very aromatic herb that is used in many Mexican and Chinese food recipes. It is a key ingredient in salsa, along with chopped tomato and jalapeno. The cilantro plant does best in cool, sunny weather. Celantro can also be planted in the fall. It can be planted in the warmer part of summer if you take care to locate you crop in a shaded area.

Cilantro is also known as coriander leaf or Chinese parsley. The seeds are known as coriander and are used in a variety of Thai, Vietnamese and Mediterranean food recipes. The seeds have a different flavor than the leaves. The tangy flavor of the leaves make cilantro ideal for countless recipes.

Cilantro should be grown from seed since they do not transplant well. Prepare the soil by adding compost to provide nutrients and drainage. Make rows 18" wide and 24" apart. Plant seeds a quarter inch deep and three inches apart. When the plants are two inches tall, thin to allow 24" between plants to allow sunlight to penetrate the center of the plant. Cilantro grows to a height of about two feet. The cilantro seeds sprout in 7 to 10 days. 

Cilantro needs lots of water, especially during the hotter days of summer. Mulch the plants  with straw mulch when they are about five inches tall to preserve moisture. Mulching also prevents the plants from bolting--going to seed prematurely.

You can start to harvest the leaves when the plant reaches about six inches tall. Simply clip the leaves with scissors. Harvest some leaves every week and the plant will produce even more leaves.

Cilantro can be used in soups, stews and stir fry. Add a few chopped cilantro leaves to mashed potatoes for a unique taste. Cilantro can also be added to grilled or baked chicken, and sauces. It can also be added to salads.

Cilantro is rich in Vitamins A, B6, E, and K. It also contains phosphorus, potassium, zinc and manganese.

Growing cilantro in your garden can be fun and very rewarding. Fresh cilantro and coriander seed are the choice of many cooks who value its distinctive flavor. Plant a few seeds in your garden and enjoy this delicious herb in your recipes.