oriandrum sativum. Santo is a popular home garden and commercial variety for all-season sowing, Direct sow short rows of Santo every other week from spring to late summer for a continuous harvest. The mature seeds, better known as coriander, are easy to harvest, and used in many dishes – notably curry powder blends. Keep an eye on your cilantro crop as it is fast-growing. As soon as a central stem appears and the uppermost leaves become frilly, flowering is imminent. The roots are useful – check out our Coriander Root Paste recipe. Because of this taproot, cilantro does not transplant well.
If growing for seeds, simply allow the plants to flower. Cilantro flowers are highly attractive to beneficial insects like Syrphid flies, lacewings, and lady beetles. Be warned that if the seeds are not harvested when they are mature, you will have volunteer cilantro plants for years to come.
Cilantro will grow somewhat leggy, but productively in partial shade, and it is quite tolerant of cool temperatures. With the protection of a cloche greenhouse, cilantro will continue growing all winter.
How To Grow, Timing: Direct sow from just after the last frost date to late spring. Direct sow in the fall under cover for a winter crop. Optimal soil temperature for germination: 15°C. Seeds should sprout in 5-10 days.
How To Grow, Starting: Sow 2cm deep in short rows. Thin seedlings to stand 5-10cm apart if harvesting leaves. If growing for seed, allow 23cm between plants.
How To Grow, Growing: Cilantro is tricky because several factors can cause it to bolt. Avoid transplanting for this reason, and avoid hot conditions as well as too much moisture. It does best in light, well-drained soil in partial shade, in relatively dry conditions. This is easy to achieve beneath a cloche in winter, where cilantro will thrive. Once it blooms, the seeds ripen suddenly, in only a couple of days, so care should be taken to prevent self sowing or simply losing those useful seeds.
How To Grow, Harvest: Pick young leaves once they have reached about 10cm in height. The flavour, though intense when fresh, diminishes quickly when dried or cooked, so always add cilantro just before serving. Try freezing it in ice cube trays with water. The stems and roots are also full of flavour. Harvest the seeds by sticking 6 or 8 seed heads in a paper bag and hanging it up somewhere airy, away from direct sunlight. The bag will catch the seeds as they ripen and fall out.
Approx: 80 Seeds.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.