Let’s Make Cilantro Grow

There’s a little bonus that comes with this herb. When we let our cilantro grow to maturity, we get a kind of two for one deal right from Mother Nature. Of course growing and harvesting cilantro leaves right in your kitchen is a rewarding, delicious and healthy (and easy) thing to give yourself and your family. But did you know that Coriander seeds come from the cilantro plant? Coriander is the exotic and delicious flavor in curries and many of our favorite foods from India, the islands and around the world.

Cilantro is an “annual” herb. An annual is a plant that sprouts, grows, flowers and dies in a single growing season. The best way to make sure you have a constant supply of cilantro is to plant two cilantro seeds every two weeks through the spring and early summer. This will ensure a constant supply for your recipes and salads.

Plant Cilantro. Let Cilantro Grow. Harvest Cilantro. It’s That Easy

Sow your cilantro into moist and well drained soil. Mix in some compost with your soil to keep the soil from drying too quickly after watering. When deciding a spot to plant, let your cilantro grow in full sun. Good southern or western sun is preferred by most of the herbs we grow in our herb gardens and it’s true for growing herbs in pots as well.

We are going to plant cilantro after the last frost in spring and it will take about seventy five days before we harvest the leaves. If we plan on harvesting the coriander seeds it will be one hundred days from planting.

Why the Different Names? Aren’t Cilantro and Coriander the Same Thing?

Well, yes, cilantro and coriander are from the same plant, but many cultures call both the herb and the seeds, “coriander.” Over here in the west, however, we call the leaf “cilantro” and we call the seeds “coriander.” That’s because we tend to differentiate between “herbs” and “spices.” So we call the leaves “herbs” and we call the edible roots and seeds of a herb plant  the “spices.” While we’re at it, lets throw another name for cilantro into the mix. It is also known as Chinese parsley. You can see why, because the leaves are quite similar to parsley. Cilantro leaves are a broader and flatter.

Watching Our Cilantro Grow. Plant it for Both the Leaves and the Seeds

Cilantro uses

Cilantro leaves (the herb) is best used fresh and can be tossed into a salad, to season fish, and to add an exotic South and Central American flavor to your soups and stews. The herb leaves are tart and tangy.

Coriander uses

Coriander (the seeds of the cilantro plant) has an entirely different flavor to the leaves of its host plant, cilantro. Coriander is a sweeter scent, a bit of a citrus taste there, maybe a touch of lemon too. Coriander is used in a surprisingly varied menu. It is often added to cake and pastry ingredients, beads and cookies, but it is also mixed with cumin as an ingredient of our favorite curries.

I invite you to find out more about the truly amazing uses of herbs with my free mini-course where  you’ll find:

  • Ancient Secrets of the Curing Herbs
  • How to Start an Herb Garden
  • Herb Garden Designs

And much more… I’ll see you there.