Buzz
Cilantro is a plant that is simple to grow and harvest. You can easily pick fresh cilantro whenever needed, whether it's a small indoor plant or one growing in your garden. While cilantro can produce seeds, regular pruning helps slow this process and ensures a steady supply of fresh leaves. Be gentle when plucking or cutting the leaves to avoid damaging the plant. You can preserve cilantro by freezing or drying it for later use in cooking.
Steps
Prune Small Cilantro Plants
Start pruning when the plant reaches 15 cm tall. Cilantro needs regular pruning to encourage new leaf growth. Older, larger cilantro leaves tend to be more bitter, so taller plants are often less desirable. Once your cilantro reaches about 15 cm, you can begin trimming the leaves as needed.
- Add fresh cilantro to salads, soups, salsa, guacamole, and more.
- Typically, cilantro will reach this height 60-75 days after planting.
Remove or cut the leaves of the cilantro plant by plucking the outermost branches. Continue until you reach the leaf buds below. Cut the leaf stems about 1 cm above the bud. If you prefer, you can use scissors instead of plucking them by hand.
- Avoid pulling the leaf stems as this could damage the remaining part of the plant.
Store fresh cilantro in the refrigerator for up to a week. Place the freshly picked cilantro in a clean plastic bag and keep it in the fridge's vegetable drawer. The cilantro will retain its flavor and freshness for up to a week.
Harvest cilantro in large quantities
Pick cilantro regularly throughout spring and autumn. The cooler months of spring and autumn are the best time to harvest cilantro from your garden. Cilantro doesn't grow well in warm weather, as the heat will cause the plant to go to seed. It's best to pick cilantro early and often to encourage continuous growth.
- Once the cilantro plant flowers and begins to seed, it can no longer be harvested. However, you can dry the seeds and use them in cooking recipes.
- In general, only pick the outer leaves and leave the inner ones to continue growing.
- The cilantro plant will produce new leaves every week during its flowering phase that can be harvested.
Maggie Moran
Gardener
Gardener
"Once the cilantro plant has flowered, the leaves will lose their flavor. However, you can use cilantro seeds as a spice in Asian, Indian, and Mexican dishes."
Cut the leaf stems close to the ground. Use sharp scissors or pruning shears to cut the largest cilantro leaves just above the soil. Mature cilantro plants typically have leaves that are 15-30 cm tall. Avoid cutting stems shorter than 15 cm.
Harvest no more than 1/3 of the branches from each plant. To keep your plant healthy, only prune a third of the branches when harvesting. Removing too many branches can weaken the cilantro plant, leading to stunted growth. Make sure to count the number of large branches on each plant before deciding how many to cut.
Freeze cilantro. To store large quantities of cilantro, wash and dry it thoroughly. Lay the cilantro in a thin layer inside a resealable plastic bag or an airtight container. You can freeze cilantro and keep it for up to a year.
- To use frozen cilantro, simply break off the desired amount and return the rest to the freezer.
- If you're cooking a dish with cilantro, you can add frozen cilantro directly into your recipe.
- To thaw cilantro for garnish, leave it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours.
Dry cilantro. Drying cilantro is another way to preserve it. Tie a bundle of cilantro and hang it in a warm, dry room. Leave it there for several days until the cilantro is completely dried.
- Once the cilantro branches are dried, you can remove the leaves and store them in a small spice jar.
- You can also dry cilantro by placing it on a baking tray and oven-drying it at the lowest temperature for about 30 minutes.
Growing Cilantro
Plant cilantro in the spring or early autumn. Cilantro thrives during the spring and autumn, making these the best seasons for planting. Avoid planting cilantro in summer, as the heat will cause the plant to flower prematurely. This ends the harvesting cycle and makes the leaves taste bitter.
Choose a partially shaded location for cilantro. Whether indoors or outdoors, cilantro requires some direct sunlight to grow but also needs partial shade to avoid overheating. Too much sun will lead the plant to go to seed, which stops further harvesting.
Plant cilantro in soil with a pH between 6.0 and 8.0. If you're planting only a small amount of cilantro, you can purchase soil with a pH between 6.0 and 8.0. For garden planting, it's best to test the soil pH using a pH testing kit. If needed, add fertilizer to adjust the soil's pH before planting.
Grow cilantro from seeds rather than seedlings. It's best to grow cilantro from seeds since seedlings are delicate and may not thrive after being transplanted. Sow the seeds in high-quality soil at a depth of about 1 cm. Cilantro seeds can be sown outdoors in rows or indoors in medium-sized pots.
- Cilantro seeds will germinate within 2-3 weeks of sowing.
Keep the soil warm. Avoid overwatering to prevent the plant from becoming waterlogged. Water the cilantro with approximately 2.5 cm of water per week, or provide just enough water to keep the soil consistently moist. Check the soil and water the plant more if it appears dry.
