Cilantro or coriander is a herb that delights your taste-buds with its aromatic flavor, but, some people find its taste a little odd. Cilantro is used widely in cuisines like Thai, Mexican, and Indian. When it comes to growing this herb at home, it becomes a little challenging as Cilantro is one of the most difficult herbs to be grown in pots. But, if you follow these easy steps that we are going to show today, then you will definitely learn how to grow cilantro at home.
1. Procure the cilantro seeds
Growing cilantro from seeds is the best way to grow them at home. However, its preferable if you can use freshly available coriander seeds instead of old as seeds of coriander are often infested by pests and bugs, rendering them useless. It’s always a better idea to make use of seeds that are only meant for sowing and not for cooking. Most coriander seeds that are processed never germinate. When making your purchase, make sure that you buy these seeds from reliable places.
2. Choosing a suitable pot or container
For growing cilantro indoors, you can make use of any deep container or pot. But, do not waste your money on buying pots with shallow depth as cilantro needs a large space to grow. Its like dill that needs a deep pot too. Choose a container that measures at least 18 inches wide and is at least 10 inches deep. Bear in mind that you stick to the measurements given. Cilantro is a plant that needs one permanent space to grow into a full grown mature plant.
3. Start planting the seeds
Planting seeds properly is an essential part of the process related with how to plant cilantro seeds indoors. Firstly, you need to start filling up the container with a soil type that doesn’t clog. Its best to select a fast draining soil for planting cilantro. To this soil, you can add fertilizer, but its not compulsory.
After you have filled the soil and added the fertilizer, its time to spray water in order to keep the soil moist. But, make sure that you do not water it excessively as this will cause the soil to clog. After you have moistened the soil, its time to spread the seeds gently over the soil cover. Make sure that you use at least 1/4 inches of soil to cover up the seeds. Be slow and gentle.
Before you start planting the cilantro seeds, first look out for frost. Start to plant only when the frost has passed. However, it is a herb that can withstand little frost. Cilantro can grow well in winter season in regions that fall in the zone 8 and more. For regions falling in zones 10 and above, this herb will grow well both in fall as well in winter.
4. Show sunlight to the pot
The next important step in how to grow cilantro at home is showing sunlight to the cilantro pot. Once you have planted the seeds of cilantro in the pot, show it ample sunlight by selecting a proper location. This herb requires full sunlight to grow to its optimal best. That is why most people growing cilantro indoors prefer to keep the pots on widow sills. A windowsill gets loads of sunlight through the day, and this is perhaps the best spot for your cilantro pot. Once exposed to full sunlight, the cilantro would start germinating in a matter of 10 days.
5. Water your soil
This is a tricky step in cilantro planting as the amount of water you use will determine the growth of your cilantro plant. Never make the mistake of pouring water directly on the soil as it may damage the planted seeds and displace them. Instead, use a sprayer to moisten the soil. Do it lightly.
6. Harvest cilantro
When cilantro stems reach 6 inches in length, its a signal for you to harvest them. It takes about 3 to 4 weeks for the cilantro plants to start producing young leaves after they are sown as seeds. However, in case you need to harvest the whole cilantro plant, you will have to wait for a long time ranging between 45 to 70 days.
Caring for a cilantro plant – Basic tips
Now that you have learnt how to grow cilantro at home, it’s time to look at some basic tips for taking care of this herb. These are basics which will see to it that your cilantro plant grows and propagates to its ultimate best. Some of these include:
Light
Cilantro likes bright indirect light but dislikes intense, direct sunlight. The best option for container gardens is morning sun in an east-facing window or a very bright sill that doesn’t get too much direct sun.
Soil
Cilantro does best in airy, light, fast-draining soil with plenty of perlite or sharp sand mixed in to increase drainage. If the cilantro is in a garden, add mulch around the plants as soon as they’ve grown enough to be visible. In a container, use a premium potting mix rather than a garden soil, which is too heavy.
Plant the cilantro seeds between 12 and 18 inches apart in the fall in zones 8 and higher or in the spring about a month before the last frost in the lower zones.
Water
Keep the soil regularly moist, but not soaked. Good drainage is essential, as cilantro has deep roots. Aim for about 1 inch of water per week.
Temperature and Humidity
Cilantro bolts easily, especially in warm weather. Keep your plants around 70 degrees Fahrenheit to you’ll extend the harvest time. Once cilantro bolts, the flavor changes. Keeping the plant over 75 degrees will greatly hasten flowering, which means it’s done growing.
Fertilizer
Use liquid fertilizer, or supplement the soil with controlled-release pellets. For organic cilantro, use organic fertilizer or fortify soil with compost. Feed the herb once a month.
Potting and Repotting
Cilantro is an annual that grows with a deep taproot. As a result, it dislikes repotting and will often bolt at the slightest provocation. It’s best to repot your garden-center cilantro only once after bringing it home, then keep the plant in that container for the rest of its life.
Seed-grown cilantro can transition from your seed-starting pot to its permanent home pot. Because cilantro is an annual, mature plants should never need repotting. A fully mature flowering cilantro plant can hit 24 inches tall, including flower stalks.