Cilantro

Quick Garden Tips

• Easy and quick to grow. Great for beginning gardeners.
• Cilantro can be grown from seed or transplanted. If transplanting, take care with the tap root system (main single root that grows down and other roots arise from).
• For an ongoing supply of fresh leaves, plant seeds every 3 to 4 weeks starting in late spring and continuing through fall.
• Near the end of its life cycle, a cilantro plant will make fewer leaves and send up a flowering stalk of small lacy flowers that turn to seeds. This is known as bolting. Cilantro bolts quickly when temperatures are above 80 degrees F. Plant in a cooler area to slow bolting.
• Cilantro flowers attract helpful insects to your garden plants. The seeds they form are called coriander.
• Find more cilantro garden tips.

Season and Location

• In spring or fall, plant in full sun. In summer, plant in partial sun.

Container Gardening

• Cilantro roots are not deep, so you can plant the seeds in shallow containers.
• Water regularly to keep the soil from drying out.

Cilantro (coriander) Seeds can be used to grow new plants and to spice your food.

• Harvest the seeds after they turn mostly brown.
• Cut them off the plant with a few inches of stalk, put in a paper bag and store in a cool and dry place to finish drying. Shake the bag to break away the seeds and store them in a labeled container in a cool and dry place.
• Seeds can last 3 to 4 years for planting or eating.
• For the most flavor in cooking, toast or grind just before using. To grind, use a coffee or spice grinder, a mortar and pestle, or
  put them in a bag and roll over with a rolling pin.

When to Plant and Harvest Cilantro in Oregon

• Central and Eastern Oregon: Plant June to mid-July. Harvest mid-July through mid-August.
• Willamette Valley: Plant April through early June. Harvest mid-May through June.
• Coast: Plant April through early June. Harvest early May through June.

Recommended Types to Grow

These types grow quickly and are slower to bolt.

• Marino: has a high yield
• Santo: has a dark color and citrus flavor

When and How to to Harvest

• Harvest entire plants or individual leaves by cutting or pinching off stems.
• Cilantro goes to seed quickly (bolts), so check daily to harvest once plants are about 6 inches tall.

Storage and Cooking

• Refrigerate fresh cilantro upright in a glass of water like flowers. Cover with a loose plastic bag.
• Rinse just before using by pushing up and down in a bowl of water; then lift out of the water. Repeat in fresh water until no dirt appears in the bowl.
• Freeze for up to a year to use in cooked dishes. Remove clean, dry leaves from main stems, spread on a tray and freeze. Package in an airtight freezer container labeled with “cilantro” and the date.
• Try this Food Hero recipe: Cowboy Salad