Cilantro is a Greek herb that is in the same family as parsley. It is used in a variety of dishes in cuisines as varied as Mexican and Thai. Coriander, the seed of the cilantro plant, is also used to flavor a wide variety of dishes.
Soil and Temperature
Cilantro prefers light, well-drained sandy loam soil, but it will grow in other soils as long as it is fertilized and watered well. It is a cool season crop, growing best in temperatures from 50 degrees F to 85 degrees F. If the temperature is over 85, cilantro will bolt. That means that it needs to be planted in the early spring and late fall in hot areas.
Spacing
Set the seeds two inches apart and in rows twelve to fifteen inches apart. If you are growing the herb for its seed, plant the seeds eight inches apart in rows fifteen inches apart. Plant the seed 1/4 to 1/2 inches deep.
Fertilizer
Cilantro needs to be fertilized twice, four weeks apart. Apply 1/2 teaspoon of ammonium nitrate per square foot of plants. Water in well after fertilizing the plants.
Pests and Diseases
Cilantro is susceptible to bacterial leaf spot. This is treated with neem oil. Cilantro is also vulnerable to beet armyworm, cabbage looper, or the green peach aphid. Bt will kill the beet armyworm and the cabbage looper, while neem oil will kill the green peach aphid.
Harvesting
Cilantro leaves are ready to harvest 45 to 70 days after planting. Cut the plants about one to two inches above the soil. Alternatively, you can cut part of the plant to use as cilantro and let the rest seed out to get coriander. If you cut more cilantro than you need immediately, you can hang the plant upside down in a dry, cool place and let the leaves dry out. Put newspaper under the plants to catch any leaves that fall off during drying.
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