From seed selection to harvesting and beyond, follow these five beginner-friendly tips for successfully growing cilantro from seed all season long.
You’re probably familiar with cilantro for one of two reasons: you love it or it tastes like soap.
If you’re anything like me, you love cilantro’s aromatic flavor and use the leaves often in a wide range of dishes.
From Latin America to the Middle East and over to Southeast Asia, cilantro (aka coriander) is a delicious and medicinal herb – one that has made its mark all across the world for thousands of years.
And for obvious reasons: its flavor is irreplaceable and it’s pretty easy to grow.
In fact, along with basil and dill, cilantro is one of the easiest herbs to grow from seed. In my opinion, no kitchen garden is complete without it.
Although growing cilantro from seed is very beginner-friendly, there are a few things to keep in mind so that you always have fresh cilantro ready for picking.
Whether you’re a beginner gardener or interested in growing your culinary herbs, consider these five quick tips in growing cilantro from seed to get the most out of your herbs all season long.
If you’re someone who’s always cooking with various herbs, you can level up your cooking with growing your favorite ingredients in a small herb garden – I teach you in three simple steps on how to get started (it’s easier than you think).
Why You should Be growing Cilantro from seed
Coriandrum sativum is an annual herb that offers the best of both worlds.
The bright green leaves, called cilantro, provide complex flavor to practically any savory dish. The seeds, often known as coriander, are crushed into a spice for sauces, curries, or baked goods.
Cilantro plants are fast growers – so much so that they grow through their entire life cycle, producing both leaves and seeds, in just a few short months (oftentimes less depending on the climate).
And so comes the one problem with growing cilantro – it prefers to grow at the wrong time for most gardeners.
While cilantro wants to be paired with warm-loving veggies like peppers and tomatoes in your tacos and salsas, it grows best in cool weather (when tomatoes and peppers are not in season).
Consistent warm weather above 75°F stresses cilantro plants, forcing them to bolt (produce seeds) and causing their leaves to taste bitter and unappetizing.
The mature cilantro plants available for purchase at the garden center have already produced most of their green leafy growth. At this stage, they are quickly on their way to completing their short life via seed production – at which point you’ve missed out on harvesting most of the herb.
Picking the right seeds
To avoid buying cilantro seedlings from the garden center every month (or worse: buying overpriced herbs from the grocery store), you’ll need to grow your cilantro from seed.
Purchase slow-bolting cilantro seeds that can withstand warmer temperatures and thus are less likely to speed into seed production.
One pack of seeds is under $4, and with your slow-bolting seeds (and my five tips below) you’ll not only grow enough cilantro for the whole season, but you’ll also be able to easily harvest your own seeds for future sowings (aka you’ll never have to buy a pack of cilantro seeds again).
Tip #1: Sow cilantro Seeds in clusters
Due to its long taproot, cilantro doesn’t tolerate transplanting well. Around your average last frost date, direct sow your seeds where you plan for your cilantro to grow.
In my experience, herbs like cilantro that grow best from seed thrive when the seeds are sown in clusters. This secret trick results in bushier, more productive plants, which is particularly beneficial if you’re growing in a small garden space.
For cilantro, place 3-4 seeds per hole, or do a gentle sprinkling in a 2-3 inch diameter space.
Space these “cluster sowings” about 1/2 inch deep and 4-6 inches apart from each other or other plants.
To ensure good germination, be sure to keep the soil damp (not wet) until the seedlings emerge in about 7-14 days, and then water regularly.
Tip #2: Succession Sow Cilantro Seeds
Although it prefers cooler temps, cilantro is typically low-maintenance, pest-free, and happy to grow in full sun or part shade.
However, once the weather starts to warm up, your mature cilantro plants in full sun will likely soon bolt. And once they’ve bolted, their delicate, aromatic leaves are no longer tasty.
As the warm weather days set in, succession sow a new batch of cilantro seeds every 2-3 weeks in partly shady spots to maintain a steady supply of cilantro throughout the season.
As the first few rounds begin to bolt, you’ll be able to rely on your more recent sowings to be ready for harvest.
Tip #3: Harvest Your Cilantro Leaves Frequently
You can begin to harvest the flat, feathery leaves once the plant is a few inches tall, being sure to take only up to 1/3 of the plant at a time.
Harvest by cutting or picking the outer stems at the base of the plant without disturbing the center where the new growth is emerging.
Frequent harvestings will encourage the plant to produce new green leafy growth from the center and will result in an overall more productive plant.
Cilantro left unharvested for long periods will quickly bolt, so make sure to get out there and harvest those leaves 1-2 times a week.
My favorite way to use fresh cilantro is in salsas and dips like this Grilled Corn and Black Bean Dip.
Tip #4: Cut Back the Flowering Stem
As the plant matures (or the weather warms), you’ll notice a few changes in your cilantro.
Emerging from the center will be a tall stem that is thicker and more fibrous than the others. This stem will have thinner, more fern-like leaves and perhaps the beginnings of small white flowers.
If you see these changes happening, your cilantro is most definitely bolting (womp womp).
With cilantro, bolting is inevitable, but you can temporarily delay it.
At the level of the soil, simply cut off the flowering stem and discard it (the leaves don’t taste too great).
Pruning off this central stem will tell the plant to send its energy back into green leafy growth. For at least another week, you’ll be able to delay bolting, giving you time to harvest the final tasty leaves.
Tip #5: Harvest and Collect Cilantro Seeds (Coriander)
So you’ve tried cutting back the flowering stem, but your cilantro continues to bolt. Now what?
At this point, most gardeners would pull out the plant, but I encourage you to wait it out – this is where your cilantro gets a chance at redemption.
Once all hope is lost with my cilantro, I allow it to bolt completely in my garden.
The flowering stems quickly grow to three feet tall. The beautiful white umbel flowers attract pollinators and beneficial insects while deterring unwanted ones like spider mites, aphids, and potato beetles.
Over time, the flowers will transform into coriander seeds, which you can harvest for fresh eating while they’re immature and green.
If you wait a bit longer, the green seed heads will begin to turn brown, at which point you should cut out the plant – unless you want your cilantro to reseed itself all over your garden (there are worse things).
Bring the seed heads inside to a cool, dry spot and simply hang them upside down in a brown paper bag. The coriander seeds will continue to ripen, dry, and fall off into the paper bag.
Now, look at you! You just grew your own coriander!
You can grind up your coriander seeds for use in your cooking and baking.
Better yet, use them to grow more cilantro! No more buying cilantro seed packs for you.
Be sure to store your seeds in an airtight container in a cool, dry location to keep them in the best condition, and now you’re on your way to growing cilantro from seed season after season!
More Learn-To-Grow Guides
- How To Grow Chives (The Easiest Herb)
- 3 Leafy Greens Anyone Can Grow
- 3 Simple Steps to Starting a Small Herb Garden
Hey there, thanks for reading! Growing herbs is a passion of mine, and I’d love to know which ones are your favorites to grow – let me know down in the comments!
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