Cilantro is a wonderful herb to have in your garden because it often reseeds itself. This means that once you plant cilantro and let it go to seed, it will drop its seeds and grow new plants without much effort on your part. It’s like nature’s way of ensuring a cilantro harvest for a longer season!
To take advantage of cilantro’s ability to reseed, you can plant seeds every six weeks. This way, you’ll have a continuous supply of fresh cilantro throughout the growing season. By staggering the planting times, you can ensure that you always have a new batch of cilantro coming up as the older plants start to bolt and go to seed.
When cilantro goes to seed, it produces small, round seeds known as coriander. These seeds have a citrusy flavor and are often used in cooking, so you can collect them and use them in your recipes. By harvesting the coriander, you not only get to enjoy its unique taste but also encourage the cilantro plants to produce new growth.
In terms of timing, cilantro is typically ready to harvest within 45 days from sowing the seeds. The upper leaves, which are the newest and most tender, can be cut to harvest. Be sure to leave some leaves on the plant so that it can continue to grow and produce more cilantro.
Personal experience: I have grown cilantro in my garden for several years, and I’ve found that it does indeed reseed itself quite well. I usually let some of my cilantro plants go to seed towards the end of the season, and the following year, I always have new cilantro plants popping up in unexpected places. It’s like a delightful surprise to see them sprout and grow on their own!
To summarize, cilantro has the wonderful ability to reseed itself, making it a convenient herb to have in your garden. By planting seeds every six weeks and allowing some plants to go to seed, you can ensure a continuous supply of fresh cilantro throughout the growing season. Don’t forget to harvest the upper leaves when they are ready, and consider collecting the coriander seeds for culinary use. Happy gardening!
