How to Grow and Harvest Cilantro

• Plant cilantro in an area with full sun, but provide shade from intense heat if you live in the South.
• When planting cilantro in in-ground or raised bed gardens, use Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil.
• Grow cilantro in outdoor containers using Miracle-Gro Organic™ Outdoor Potting Mix.
• Check soil often and water when the top inch becomes dry.
• Begin feeding cilantro with Miracle-Gro Organic™ All Purpose Plant Food one month after planting.
• Harvest once leaves are big enough to eat.

Cilantro brings distinctive flair to many dishes, especially Mexican and Asian cuisine. It delivers the biggest flavor when fresh, so it makes sense to grow cilantro at home if you love this herb. This herb is also known as fresh coriander, and seeds are referred to as coriander seeds. It's an annual, meaning it doesn't come back year after year except in the warmest climates, and it tends to grow fast, so it's important to know how to plant and harvest cilantro properly.

Let us teach you how to grow cilantro in your garden.

When choosing where to plant cilantro, pick a spot that receives full sun. In the hottest regions, shade from intense afternoon sun is ideal. Be sure to provide well-drained soil rich with organic matter:

• In-ground gardens: Enrich existing soil and improve drainage by mixing 3 inches of Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil into the top 6 inches of soil.
• Raised beds: Miracle-Gro Organic™ Raised Bed & Garden Soil is also perfect to use in your raised beds.
• Outdoor Containers: Fill containers with Miracle-Gro Organic™ Outdoor Potting Mix, which also contains compost but is lighter and fluffier than in-ground soil.

If you live in the North, it's best to plant cilantro in spring after the danger of frost has passed in your area. For those in warmer Southern and Southwestern regions, plant cilantro in either fall (4 weeks before the first expected frost in your area) or early spring. In warmer climates, cilantro can survive through the winter, making fall an ideal time to plant this herb.

If you just can't wait to harvest, plant young starter plants, like those available from Bonnie Plants. You'll be able to snip cilantro to use in the kitchen right away! Give in-ground plants plenty of room so they can self-sow—or allow their seeds drop to start new baby plants—and remember to water well after planting.

• In-ground or raised beds: Space young plants 12 to 18 inches apart. If you have seedlings growing in your planting bed, thin them out so mature plants will be 12 to 18 inches apart.
• Outdoor Containers: Use a container that is 8 inches or larger in diameter with a drainage hole.

If you'd prefer to start from seed, plant seed directly into the soil outdoors in planting beds or pots. Cilantro seeds should be sown ¼ to ½ inch deep and spaced a few inches apart. When seedlings begin to appear, snip all but the strongest plants.

Now that your cilantro is growing in its new home, make sure you take care of your cilantro to maximize its growing season and have fresh flavor for your kitchen.

• Encourage more leaves. Once plants reach several inches tall, pinch off the growing tips to encourage branching and fuller plants.
• Water regularly. Cilantro craves moist, but not soggy, soil, so check the soil every couple of days and water whenever the top inch of soil is dry. When growing cilantro in containers outdoors, you may need to water more frequently, especially as temperatures begin to rise.
• Add mulch. After planting cilantro, put mulch around (not on) the plants to help reduce weed seed growth (by not letting sun reach them), maintain soil moisture, and keep leaves clean. Aim for a 3-inch layer of Miracle-Gro Organic™ All Natural Mulch, or use straw, shredded leaves, or pine straw.
• Feed cilantro. Two keys to an amazing harvest are fantastic soil and just the right amount of nutrition. A month after planting, begin feeding cilantro with Miracle-Gro Organic™ Plant Food to keep those tasty leaves coming.
• Prevent bolting. Bolting is when cilantro grows a tall, central stalk with feathery leaves that will eventually flower and go to seed. This means the end of the harvest for that cilantro plant. Prevent bolting by cutting the central stalk as soon as it appears. Also regular harvesting will also help slow bolting.
• Let cilantro self-sow. If your cilantro does bolt and go to seed, let the seeds drop! You'll get fresh new cilantro plants, and the harvest can continue. Just remember that you'll need to be patient while new plants are growing.

Start picking individual leaves as soon as they're big enough to eat. Harvest entire stems by cutting them off at soil level, but don't take more than one-third of the entire plant at one time.

Summer heat and long days will trigger flowering, which ends the leafy harvest. Ripe cilantro seed is known as coriander, which is a garnish on its own. You can either let seeds drop and grow new plants, or collect seeds to add to dishes. To collect seeds, slip stems with seeds attached into a paper bag. As seeds ripen, the husks around them will split, dropping seeds into the bag.

Fresh cilantro is commonly used in salsas, guacamoles, and chutneys. However, cilantro leaves are too delicate for cooking. For the most intense flavor, add this herb to dishes like soups and stir-fried just before serving. The stems can also be used to infuse cilantro flavor into cooked dishes.

Ready to start growing cilantro in your garden? Use this guide to help get started on your cilantro growing adventure.