Transplant after the first frost, spacing 6 inches apart. Keep the soil moist and expose the seedlings to sunlight or indoor plant lights once the seeds germinate. However, if you want to get a jump on the planting season, start your seeds indoors in potting soil and small containers you can plant directly into the ground about two to three weeks before the last frost is expected. Keep the soil moist until the seeds sprout at least two leaves, then thin to 6 inches apart.Ĭilantro develops a taproot, so it doesn’t like to be transplanted. Plant the seeds about 2 inches apart about a 1/4 inch under the soil. Soak the seeds for 24 to 48 hours and dry them before planting.īecause cilantro grows so quickly, most gardeners sow seeds directly into the soil soon after the last frost in the spring.
If the seeds are still in their husk, gently crush the husk to release the seeds-two in each husk. You can also purchase seeds from a reliable seed source online or in a store. Ideally, you should use seeds from an organic cilantro plant. You can collect seeds from a friend’s garden and plant them. So, plant it in a location where there is room for dropped seeds to sprout the next year. Though cilantro is considered an annual plant, meaning it grows for one year and dies, cilantro often reseeds itself. Sprinkle chopped cilantro on Mexican dishes and salsas to add a fresh flavor. Cilantro is an annual flowering plant that belongs to the parsley family. If your gravy is too thin, whisk a 1/2 cup of the gravy with 1. The moment that the soil is getting wet or soaking in water, you will lose your plants or seedlings. Cilantro is widely used in Mexican cuisine while parsley is used in Mediterranean dishes. You should just make sure to keep the soil moist. If leaf production and harvest are your goal, sow cilantro successively over three to four weeks and make sure your plants get some afternoon shade to slow bolting. Cilantro plants don’t want to be watered too much, and they can die if you are keeping the soil too wet for too long. The leaves die and you’re left with the seeds, called coriander, which is used as a spice. It sprouts quickly in the cooler months, is ready to harvest in as little as 30 days, then bolts and flowers under the hot summer sun. Cilantro has a relatively brief lifecycle. Photo: Clemson University - USDA Cooperative Extension Slide Series, Bugwood.You can easily grow cilantro from seeds, seedlings, or cuttings, indoors or out. Covering the seeds with compost or Sphagnum Moss (instead of sowing mix) may also help. Sulfur powder, or a tea of Seaweed, Garlic or Chamomile has been used to treat small areas of infection and prevent it spreading. Damping Off fungi need high humidity, so thin your seedlings promptly to prevent overcrowding, avoid overwatering (especially on cool sunless days when water doesn’t evaporate quickly) and make sure there is good ventilation and air circulation.
Heres how to grow cilantro (and coriander) in your garden.
You can trim the afflicted leaves or cut the stalk off and leave six inches of stem. However, if your climate dictates that you start your seedlings inside then you have a potential problem. Cilantro is primarily known as a major component in Asian and Latin American style of cooking. Growing your seedlings in a well ventilated, cool greenhouse will produce far fewer problems with Damping Off. Damping Off is mostly a disease of indoor seed raising. You may lose a few plants occasionally, but so what. It shouldn’t be a big problem if you take the precautions outlined below.
The best defense against Damping Off is to avoid giving it the growing conditions it needs. Fortunately such techniques aren’t really necessary for the home grower. Almost all soil contains the spores of Damping Off so commercial growers often avoid soil in their mixes, or sterilize it with heat or chemicals. Other kinds of Damping Off kill the seed before it germinates, or rot the roots, causing the tops to turn yellow and die. This type of Damping Off mainly affects very small seedlings and becomes is less of a problem as they get older and their stems get tougher. These develop shrunken black stems and eventually fall over and die, though the stem may remain upright for a while afterward. The best known type of Damping Off first manifests itself as a fuzzy whitish mold on the surface of the soil and then goes on to girdle the succulent stems of newly germinated plants. This fungus disease can be the bane of the inexperienced seed starter and comes in several guises.