If anyone has tried to grow this in the South, can you tell me if it would be a summer annual or a winter annual? I started some from seed in a pot. They stayed there for a couple of months growing slowly. Once I planted them in the ground, they were blooming within two weeks. Does that mean that they are done (like dill)? This is the first time that I've managed to keep them alive long enough to plant and I hate to think that I wasted my chance to eat it. Can it take cold at all? I thought that dill was a summer annual, but reseeded dill came up during the winter and, surprising to me, wasn't touched by the cold, which is great because I can grow it year-round. Or is it that all cilantro is genetically programmed to bloom this time of year? Thanks.
Cilantro in the South
I think you are referring to Coriander, hopefully!
In England, I grow it, as we use a lot of it, and it is expensive in supermarkets.
Normally after germination it crops in eight weeks, or less, depending on our fickle weather.
So I sow it, every week, so we have a constant supply of this wonderful stuff!
Don't let it seed, keep cutting it and using it, all the time it will soon come back!
I chop it and put in Ice cube containers, top it with a tiny bit of water, and it freezes very well.
Then in the winter I have some, I do the same with Basil as well.
As for Dill we do have some, however I find chervil to be more subtle in its flavours.
It is also a hardy annual, so you can continually sow it1
Regards from England.
Neil.
Yes, it is coriander. So this may be normal. Should I cut the flowers off immediately then? It germinates easily for me, but it has been difficult to get past a few leaves. If it's hardy, that may be the reason why - I've been trying to grow it in the scorching Florida summer.
I've had very good luck with basil and dill. I have been able to grow them year-round (mulch over the basil on cold nights). I've never tried chervil.
Thank you.
Pillita ~ I've not grown it but it stands to reason it would grow in the southern heat as it is a staple in Hispanic cooking. As a result it is becoming better known as cilantro.
So you made me look it up in Southern Herb Growing. It sounds like a winter annual. It is recommended that it is started from seed in the early fall in a sunny spot. It says it is not fussy about soil or water and is winter hardy. Now might be the time to seed some? It also states the blooms are some of the first you will see in the spring. Seeds ripen quickly and need to be harvested or they will reseed freely. Good luck.
cilantro or chervil does not grow in warm weather. for lack of better term, both are "allergic" to warm/hot temperature. i can never grow either one, both bolts when temperature get warmer. i do not know if it has something to do with altitude or atmospheric pressure? the upper desert, has dry air year round. where i live is 4,200 ft above sea level. during winter time, temperature is down to 10 deg. F, but when temperature gets warm in the dead of winter cilantro/chervil also bolts. even if flowers are cut, the plant does not respond. it just die.
one thing i know for sure, we can not compare how plants behave cuz they are affected by many condition on areas where we live.
jmo,
ma vie
That is exactly the same line of reasoning that I had. I love Mexican food. Because cilantro is often called for, I assumed that it grew there and consequently must like hot weather. I've been trying to grow it for two years with miserable luck until now.
I have really had my eyes opened about annuals this last year. I read called Sunbelt Gardening written by a guy who lives in zone 8 in Texas. I'd still been gardening by the old school method taught to me by my mom. Plant in a frenzy in spring, keep it alive in the summer, pull them out in fall, and do nothing in the winter. What a surprise it was to find out that some much more is possible because of where we live. Last year was my first attempts at fall planting and it definitely made a nice difference in my yard for winter and early spring.
Thanks for the information.
I did pinch off the flowers that were just opening on mine. I shouldn't have a problem growing it now, so even if this plant goes, I'll just try it again.
I do like to read about what plants grow in California because my particular area is a sandhill which stays very dry, but you are right. We are nowhere near that elevation and I'm sure that makes a lot of difference.
I wonder what would happen if you pinch it before it even thinks about making seeds. I do this with my basil - keep the tops pinched even if I'm not going to use it. I'll experiment a bit with the cilantro once I get a few more plants going.
Try growing some Cilantro in the fall. Then plant more in the winter. It does fine in the "warm to mildly cold" areas of the south. Oh...and I have Chervil seed I'm going to start soon also!
This message was edited Sep 4, 2009 3:17 PM
That's what I'll be doing. Thanks!
You could also try Culantro...very similar flavor (though stronger) and it loves the heat.
I use it regularly as a substitute.
Very interesting. I had never heard of it. I've just begun researching and trying to grow foods common in other countries, but not easily found here. This fits right in!
Carolyn I have some young culantro that's still in individual 4" pots. I've got them under a small tree so they don't get full sun. Can you give me some growing tips? It seems very slow growing. I'm supposed to just harvest some of the larger leaves, right? Info isn't plentiful on this plant it seems.
Twiggy, I've heard that they like part shade and rich, moist soil.
That said, I've got mine in about half sun, in the ground, in somewhat sandy soil. Mostly it fends for itself in terms of water. As it's a perennial it can take a while to get established, but once it's settled in it self seeds fairly readily, but is not invasive.
I've had mine for several years now and it has several baby plants around it, and has continued to supply me with a fresh leaf now and then as well as flower several times a year, so I have to assume it's fairly happy.
Thanks for that. I think I'll just plant mine under the tree. It's real close to a rain barrel and I can easily tend it there. The soil is rich there too and far better than my sand in the rest of the yard. I noticed the leaves from the grocery store were kind of leathery so maybe it's almost like a succulent. I didn't know it was perennial. That's great news. Thanks.
Cilantro will withstand a light frost but "bolts" when the ground temperature goes above 75 degrees-so it is strictly a winter annual in your area.
I've had some planted out in the ground now for over a month. It's not made the ferny foliage yet. They're definitely in my fall seed box now.