How to Grow Cilantro, Coriander, in Your Urban Home

Cilantro is a herb as well as species that most of us use in cooking. Cilantro is also called coriander. It is a very useful ingredient for flavoring different foods and is used in a lot of kitchens and is one of the herbs that are very easy to grow yourself. Growing cilantro saves money since you don’t have to keep buying it and it also smells very nice which can add a nice aroma to a room or a garden, depending on where you choose to grow the plant. It can be grown either inside or out, but if you are growing it outside then you should always wait until the coldest months of the year are over before you plant it. This is especially true if you are growing cilantro straight from its seeds, because they will not sprout if it is too cold. Cilantro is an herb from the parsley family and it is an ingredient in a lot of Tex-Mex and Asian recipes.

Growing cilantro

• To begin with, you have to wash the cilantro seeds in dish soap and then rinse them completely. Make sure to let them air dry till they are no longer wet. Plant the cilantro outside in well-drained soil and in full sun unless you live in a very hot climate then you want to plant them in the shade.
• Make sure to space the cilantro seed around an inch apart and a half-inch deep into the soil. The rows must be at least 15 inches apart and plant only when the risk of frosts is over.
• When your plants are six-inches tall you can harvest the cilantro leaves. You have to cut the leaves which are farther away from the central stalk. If you want to harvest coriander seeds then you should cut leaves sparingly as the cilantro plants grow. If you don’t want any seeds then continue to trim the flower heads from the plants.
• When your cilantro plants are two years old you have to cut the stems of the dead flowers. Take the heads and tie them together and then hang them upside down over a container so the seeds can fall inside and dry out. If you don’t cut the flower stalks the cilantro will continuously reseed itself every few weeks.
• If you want to maximize your cilantro leaf harvest get a big planter and fill it with well-draining soil. Wet the soil and mix it the cilantro seeds with sand. Afterward spread them evenly and then cover the seeds with a light layer of soil.
• Make sure to place the planter in full sunlight unless it’s a very hot climate, then in the shade. In seven to ten days cilantro seeds will start to sprout and then you can harvest the plants weekly.
• Cut leaves from an area of the planter and the next time you cut leaves cut from a different spot. You will continue to get a supply of leaves.

You can easily grow cilantro in a vase, grocery bads, empty food cans, plastic bottles etc. You can also grow this herb/spices in your toof terrace or balcony. If you have tried growing cliantro, please share your experience below.