Does Cilantro Grow Back When You Cut It

This late July planting produced through the fall. PHOTOS BY ANDY TOMOLONIS

I love fresh cilantro, plucked from the garden, diced and sprinkled on summer vegetables. But to pick cilantro throughout the summer, you need to plant new seeds every two weeks. If not, even slow-bolting varieties may go to seed when you need cilantro the most – like when those Serrano peppers and tomatillos are ripe and ready to pick.

I found an easy way to stretch the cilantro harvest, improvising on a post I saw on Pinterest. I was able to grow cut-and-come-again cilantro in a patio pot from mid-summer and into the fall – without replanting. It worked so well, in fact, that I took photos and wrote this step-by-step guide.

All you need is a big pot in full sun, some compost and growing mix, cilantro, seeds and water. Follow these seven steps to grow your own:

1. START WITH A BIG POT, FULL SUN AND GOOD POTTING MIX

Remember to leave a half-inch of space at the top of your cilantro pot so you can cover your seeds after sowing.

I planted my cilantro in a big plastic pot, about the size of a whiskey barrel planter. I filled it with a mix of compost, peat and perlite in even proportions, along with a few scoops of garden loam. My compost has enough nutrients for the cilantro to grow strong, so I didn't add fertilizers. If you want, you can mix in some granular organic fertilizer, but use it sparingly. When filling your pot, leave room for a half-inch of potting mix, which you will use to cover the seeds.

2. SOW YOUR SEEDS EVENLY

This spice jar is filled with cilantro seeds that I saved from plants that were left to bolt during the summer.

The easiest way to sow seeds evenly is to shake them out of an old spice jar. Cilantro seeds are pretty large, so the holes have to be big enough to let the seeds flow freely. I buy a large bag of cilantro seeds from FEDCO, and I save some cilantro seeds from previous seasons, as I always let a few plants go to flower in the main garden because the blossoms attract beneficial insects.

3. MAKE FINAL ADJUSTMENTS BY HAND

A quick poke of your index finger will move overcrowded cilantro seeds to a nearby bare patch.

I like to sow seeds about a half-inch to an inch apart, allowing some room for the young plants to grow. Check for pockets of crowded seeds, and space them out evenly by hand, filling in any bare spots. Cilantro seeds are about the size of B-Bs, so they're pretty easy to see.

4. COVER WITH A HALF-INCH OF GROWING MIX

Sprinkle your potting mix evenly across the newly sown seeds.

When finished, lightly pack your seeds into the soil and cover with a half-inch of planting mix. Then water daily to keep them from drying out.

5. SIGNS OF SUCCESS IN TWO WEEKS

This planting is fairly even, but I will pluck out a few overcrowded seedlings and sow new seeds in bare spots.

In about two weeks, the seeds will have germinated and will start growing. If you have some extra seeds, sow them into bare spots. Also thin any crowded spots.

6. READY TO HARVEST IN FOUR TO SIX WEEKS

At last... your cilantro is ready to cut and come again. Use scissors to snip off only what you need.

Once your cilantro will be ready to harvest, you'll need to do it carefully. Use scissors to cut tall leaves, leaving the crown (about an inch of stubble) behind. I picked my cilantro in wedges, like a big, leafy pie.

7. CUT AND COME AGAIN … ALL SUMMER LONG

If you leave an inch of stubble when cutting, the cilantro will keep coming ... and you can continue harvesting!

When you need more, take another slice of pie, and keep working around in a circle. By the time you get back to the original wedge, the cilantro will have regrown, so you can continue in a second circle. Remember… when cutting, leave about an inch of stubble, which will contain the crown that produces new growth.

Some tips:

• Water deeply after you harvest. Cilantro has long tap roots that will help the plants regrow, but only if you give them water – especially during the summer heat.

• I use a variety known as Calypso, which is slow to bolt — even in hot weather. Slow-Bolt and Santos are two other slow-t0-bolt varieties.

• Don't use liquid fertilizers. If you're picking every day, fish and seaweed emulsion can give the herbs a foul taste.

• You should be able to make several cuttings before the plants weaken. I started my cilantro patch in early August and picked into December, until a hard freeze killed off the plants. I will try another round this spring and see if it lasts through the entire summer. Let me know how it works for you.

Does Cilantro Grow Back When You Cut It

Source: http://blogs.southcoasttoday.com/dirtcheap/2016/04/17/a-pot-of-cilantro-that-wont-bolt/

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