{"id":906,"date":"2019-08-29T03:47:33","date_gmt":"2019-08-29T03:47:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=906"},"modified":"2019-09-17T05:20:35","modified_gmt":"2019-09-17T05:20:35","slug":"cilantro-coriander","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/29\/cilantro-coriander\/","title":{"rendered":"Cilantro \/ Coriander"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Coriandrum<\/em> <\/em>sativum<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: This annual provides two quite distinct\nfoods. The leaves (often called by their Spanish name cilantro) have a unique\naromatic flavor you either love or hate (I have an old English gardening book\nthat described the foliage as \u201cfoul smelling\u201d). I am in a position to\nappreciate both sides of this argument, as I used to be one of the people who\nreally disliked it. However over the years, through its use in Mexican foods I\nhave grown to love it (I guess if you eat anything for long enough you\neventually get to like it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The large ripe seeds (pods) are known as coriander and have an\naromatic orange-like flavor and smell. They are particularly popular in Middle\nEastern and Southeast Asian foods. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I really like the immature green seeds also. They have an\nintriguing flavor that is somewhere between that of the leaf and the ripe seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional value: <\/strong>The leaves are actually a nutritional superfood, containing\nvitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, C, E and K, as well as folate, calcium, copper,\niron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, manganese and zinc. They also contain a\nvariety of beneficial phytonutrients and antioxidants. We could all benefit\nfrom eating more cilantro (even those who don\u2019t enjoy it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For what\nits worth cilantro also contains about 104 calories per pound (not that even\nthe most fanatical cilantro lover would ever eat a pound of it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Climate: <\/strong>Cilantro is a cool weather plant and prefers growing temperatures below 75\u02daF. It is just about hardy enough to tolerate light frost, but\nanything more severe will kill it. It is also day length sensitive and bolts\nquickly during the longer and warmer days of summer. This can be a problem if\nyou are growing it for leaves. It often seems like it finally gets going\n(producing leaves) and suddenly its gone (bolted.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: To its aficionados coriander\/cilantro is an indispensable\nflavoring herb. To the rest of you it is a minor and rather unpleasant (foul\nsmelling?) herb.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
About Coriander<\/strong>  <\/strong>
Seed facts:<\/strong> Seed viability: 2 \u2013 4 years
Germ time: 5 – 10 days
Germ temp: 55 (60 – 65) 75\u02daF  <\/strong>

Planning facts<\/strong> Growing temp: 40 (50 – 60) 75\u02daF
Spring crop:
Direct sow 0 – 6 wks before last spring frost
Fall crop: Start 6 – 8 wks before first fall frost
Days to maturity: 40 – 50 leaf
                             70 – 90 seed
Plants per person: 3
Height 18 – 24\u02dd
Width 6\u02dd   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>:\nCoriander is fairly easy to grow during cool weather and in my garden it\nvolunteers reliably every spring. It is harder to grow in summer though, as it\nbolts when exposed to high temperatures and long days. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a\nrelatively short lived plant at the best of times and is quite prone to\nbolting, which can shorten its life even further. In extreme cases it will only\ngrow 4 or 5 leaves and then flower, even if just 6\u02dd tall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.0 (6.5 \u2013 6.8) 7.5<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cilantro\nwill grow in most soil types, but does best in the average fertile,\nwell-drained, moisture retentive garden soil. If the soil is very poor, it will\nbolt even more rapidly than usual.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>:\nThis isn\u2019t a very demanding plant, but if the soil is poor add a couple of\ninches of compost or aged manure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: Cilantro\nprefers full sun when growing in its ideal cool weather. In warmer weather you\nwill often have better luck with partial shade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: Cilantro\ndoesn\u2019t like heat and bolts quickly once the weather warms up. In warmer climates\nit can only be grown in the cool weather of spring or early fall, but in milder\nareas you may be able to grow it all summer (though bolting may be a problem\nduring the long days of mid-summer). In very mild winter areas it may continue\nto grow right through the winter. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is often\nsuggested that you plant cilantro around the last frost date, but you can plant\na lot earlier than this. The seed won\u2019t be harmed by cold soil (it often\nself-sows) and it will germinate whenever it is ready (it knows when to do this\nbetter than you do). If you want to try and get it as early as possible you can\nstart it inside, 6 weeks before the last frost. It can also be sown in autumn\nfor an early spring crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This annual is easily grown from seed (more easily than most members of\nthe Apiaceae<\/em>). The familiar round \u201cseed\u201d is actually a capsule and\ncontains a number of seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct\nsowing<\/strong>: Cilantro doesn\u2019t\nlike transplanting, so is usually direct sown. Space the seeds \u00bc \u2013 \u00bd\u02dd deep and\nfairly thickly (1 – 2\u02dd apart) to start with. You can then harvest thin every\nother plant as they get bigger, until they reach the desired spacing (or bolt,\nwhichever comes first).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting indoors<\/strong>: If you want to start cilantro indoors it\u2019s best to use plug\ntrays, cell packs or soil blocks, to minimize root disturbance. Start indoors 6\nweeks before the last frost date and plant out around the last frost date. If\nhard frost threaten after planting, you could cover them with a frost blanket.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fall crop<\/strong>: Start 6 – 8 wks before the first fall frost, or whenever the\nweather cools down sufficiently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing<\/strong>: The\nplants should be spaced 6 – 8\u02dd apart in a bed. If you grow in rows you should\nspace them 6\u02dd apart, with 18 – 24\u02dd between rows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Succession sow<\/strong>:\nCilantro is a pretty short lived plant (often only 6 – 8 weeks), but you can\nensure a longer supply by making frequent succession sowings every 2 weeks. Do\nthis for as long as you can get usable leaves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeding<\/strong>: Cilantro\nisn\u2019t very vigorous when young and needs to be kept free of weeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: It\nprefers moist soil and needs watering regularly in dry weather. Dry soil may\ncontribute to bolting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests and disease<\/strong>:\nCilantro is fairly pest and disease free. In fact it actually attracts\nbeneficial insects such as predatory wasps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bolting<\/strong>: Cilantro is notorious for its penchant for\nbolting. This is most often caused by high temperatures combined with long\ndays, but it can also be caused by poor soil, or root disturbance due to\ncareless transplanting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saving seed<\/strong>: If left alone this insect pollinated plant\nwill eventually produce seed and will often self-sow. There aren\u2019t many\nvarieties, so you probably don\u2019t have to worry too much about\ncross-pollination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The leaves\ncan be gathered as soon as the plants are big enough. If you plant thickly you\ncan harvest thin to extend the harvest. Do this by removing every other plant\nand using them in the kitchen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The small\nwhite flowers are a nice addition to salads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather the\nseed heads when the seeds start to turn brown. Put them in a paper bag in a\nwarm place to dry fully and then separate out the large seeds from the chaff. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: You can\nkeep the leaves in a plastic bag in the fridge for a few days. They don\u2019t keep\ntheir flavor very well when dried. The best way to store them and retain their\nfresh taste is to freeze them. You can freeze the leaves whole in a plastic\nbag, or you can put the chopped leaves in ice cube trays and cover them with\nwater. Once they are frozen you can transfer them to a plastic bag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dry seeds will be good for several years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing ideas<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers:<\/strong> Cilantro\ndoes pretty well in containers and can even be grown indoors in this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microgreens<\/strong>: If you must have fresh cilantro in the heat of summer salsa\nseason, you could try growing it as microgreens. You can do this outside in a\nshady bed (maybe use misters to keep it cool) or inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For a long\ntime if you wanted to grow this plant there was just one type of generic\ncoriander\/cilantro seed (sometimes labelled as Chinese parsley). This has\nchanged in recent years and now quite a few varieties are available, mostly\nbred with the aim of slowing down bolting (these can help a lot).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slow\nbolt aka Santo <\/strong>– As\nyou might guess this variety was bred to be slow to bolt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Long standing <\/strong>– This variety was bred to be long standing\n(aka slow to bolt!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Calypso\n<\/strong>– This one was bred to\nbe even slower to bolt than Slow Bolt (by 3 weeks!)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A very\ninternational plant, the seeds and leaves are important in Mexican, Vietnamese,\nThai, Indian and other cuisines. I read somewhere that the roots are edible\ntoo, though I\u2019m not sure I believe it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course\ncilantro is an essential ingredient for salsa (see Tomato<\/strong> for a good recipe for this).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm\nweather cilantro alternatives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The frustrating thing about cilantro is that it doesn\u2019t grow well in hot\nweather, when you have all those tomatoes, peppers, garlic and onions crying\nout to be made into salsa. Fortunately there are a number of other similar\ntasting plants that actually thrive in hot weather (they don\u2019t taste exactly\nthe same, but they are close enough for most purposes). If you crave cilantro\nduring the summer, you will probably be interested in trying these heat loving\nalternatives. Once I found these I became less concerned about cilantro bolting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culantro<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Eryngium foetidum)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I would say this small tender plant has the closest resemblance to\ncilantro of the three. It is usually grown from seed and takes up to 21 days to\ngerminate. It is a fairly slow growing plant and takes about 75 days to start\nproducing a worthwhile amount. It is normally started indoors early and planted\nout after the weather has warmed up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have never had a lot of success with culantro in my garden, it\njust grows too slowly to be of much use. I\u2019m assuming this is because the\nnights here are too cool. I haven\u2019t really pursued it though, because the other\ntwo grow so easily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papalo<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Porophyllum ruderale<\/em>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This species is commonly used in its native Mexico as a warm\nweather substitute for cilantro. In restaurants there it is often found in a\nvase on tables, to be added to food to diners taste. It is now in demand for\ngourmet restaurants in this country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papalo isn\u2019t related to cilantro (it\u2019s a member of the daisy\nfamily) but it tastes somewhat similar. It is a vigorous, almost weedy, plant\nand may eventually grow to 4 feet in height, but <\/p>\n\n\n\n

is best harvested when about 12\u02dd tall. It likes well-drained soil\nand full sun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have found the biggest drawback of using papalo is finding seed\nto plant; it simply isn\u2019t available in many places. When I finally found some\nit never germinated. Then I got some at a seed exchange and it germinated very\neasily. I now consider it a garden essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vietnamese Coriander <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Polygonum<\/em> odoratum)<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This sub-tropical plant needs moist soil and can even be grown in\nwater gardens. The first time I grew it I never realized this and only gave it\nwater sparingly. It survived but didn\u2019t really thrive until I increased the\namount of water they received. In ideal conditions it can be very vigorous and\ncan grow like a weed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This tender perennial isn\u2019t considered very hardy, but it usually\nsurvives the winter in my garden and has been there for at least five years now.\nIt has even survived a cold snap where we had frost every night for two weeks.\nIf you want to grow it in marginal situations you have to look for warm\nmicroclimates to put tender it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

My plants haven\u2019t produced seed (to my knowledge), but are easily\npropagated by division or cuttings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vietnamese coriander has become a fixture in my garden because it\nis a do nothing plant. It just grows and I just harvest. The flavor is slightly\ndifferent from cilantro, but close enough for most purposes.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Coriandrum sativum Introduction: This annual provides two quite distinct foods. The leaves (often called by their Spanish name cilantro) have a unique aromatic flavor you either love or hate (I … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-herbs","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Cilantro.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=906"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1684,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/906\/revisions\/1684"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=906"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=906"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=906"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}