How to Grow the Cilantro Herb

Growing herbs for culinary purposes is easy, and one of the simplest ones that you can plant is the cilantro. While the process for growing it is simple, its taste is very special, as it has given flavor to numerous European and Mexican dishes.

The things that you will need for growing the cilantro are the potting soil, the starters or seeds and the usual gardening tools (containers, mulch and shovels). Now all you need to do is find the suitable location, and cilantro being a lover of the sun, you should dig it a hole where it will get as much sunlight as possible.

The other thing that you want to account for when growing herbs like cilantro is that you need to use soil with a lot of compost. This is as vital as the sun, as a combination of the two will go a long way towards promoting its growth. Once you have planted the cilantro seeds, use the mulch to keep away the weeds. It is crucial to know that the younger the plant, the more water they will need.

However, once the cilantro gets older, you will need to lessen the watering you put in. As the cilantro grows, you should sow crops so that the leaves will remain constant. The rate should be about every three weeks. The time for harvesting will depend on what you want to get. If it is the leaves, then you may pick them when they reach a height of half a foot. If you want the seeds, let them ripen, and slice them around the base. Dry them in a bag before using as garnishing.

A few more things need to be said about growing herbs like cilantro; they can be grown in pots, but only if they are about a foot deep. When growing them in pots, you should sprinkle with water more often, and also add more compost to the soil. As always be on the lookout for insects and certain other bugs that may appear.

Cilantro is also known as Chinese parsley, and sometimes called coriander as well. Once you have cultivated them, you can as stated, use them in spicy Mexican meals, but they are also an indispensable part of many Asian recipes, including Chinese food. By simply adding this ingredient to your recipe, the flavor can be enriched quickly.

And that is basically all there is to growing herbs like the cilantro. Once you have gotten a taste of this plant, you will very likely find yourself longing for it time and again.

Originally posted 2009-07-14 15:25:59.