Sow and Grow Cilantro

Sow and Grow Cilantro

Cilantro Plant

Cilantro loves the cool weather like dill so the sowing and growing tips are similar.  There are some cilantro varieties that are slower to bolt in the summer heat.

Outdoor Sowing Tips:  1) In order to germinate, cilantro seeds prefer soil temperature between 60°F and 70°F.  This means that you can start sowing outdoors a few weeks prior to the last spring frost and around 8 weeks before the first fall frost.   2) Cilantro seeds should be sowed 1/2″ deep.  I typically only grow one cilantro plant at a time.  If you want to grow more than one plant, you need to take a look at the seed packet to see how far apart to plant them.

 

Cilantro seedlings growing close together

If you are having trouble with it bolting, you can always grow cilantro in the summer like baby lettuce by sowing the seeds close together under a taller plant – cilantro is good for succession planting and interplanting.

Indoor Sowing Tips:   1) Sow the seeds in seed trays under grow lights in early spring or mid summer. 2) I usually transplant in the grow room once the cilantro seedling is a few inches tall.  After hardening off the seedling, I will transplant the seedling when it is about 5 inches tall under cover in mid spring or mid to late summer.

While I typically sow the seeds outside in the summer under taller plants, I usually start my first and last cilantro plant in the grow room and then transplant when it is cool.

Growing Tips:  3)  Keep the cilantro seedlings and plants moist but not soggy!  4) In the summer, provide some shade.  As for shade, you can plant cilantro under taller plants or use a shade cloth over a hoop tunnel.

Click on the link to see how to sow and grow dill.

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