How To Harvest Cilantro Without Killing The Plant

Cilantro is a delicious herb that can be used in many dishes. Growing cilantro is easy, but there is one catch: you have to harvest it correctly or you'll kill the plant. In this blog post, we will discuss how to harvest cilantro without killing the plant. We'll also provide tips on how to store cilantro so you can enjoy it for months!

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What is Cilantro?

Cilantro, a delicate green annual herb with long stems and feathery leaves similar in form to parsley is often found growing tall. It's often used in Mexican food and other dishes as well.

Cilantro is a member of the Apiaceae family, and it has characteristics in common with parsley, carrots, and dill. It actually comes from the plant Coriandrum sativum. There are two parts of the plant that can be used for cooking - the leaves and the seeds. The leaves of the plant are referred to as cilantro and the seeds are called coriander.

The cilantro leaf has a distinct flavor and smell. People either love or hate cilantro's unique flavor. Some people think that it tastes like soap!

There have even been studies done showing how some people have genetic variations that make cilantro leaves taste bad to them. If you're one of those people, there are other herbs to use instead like parsley or basil!

But hopefully, you are here because you love the taste of cilantro and want to learn how to harvest it correctly!

Growing Conditions That Can Effect Cilantro's Harvest

Knowing some of these important growing conditions can help you to be more successful at growing and harvesting herbs.

Cilantro can be a little fussy about its growing conditions. The first thing to keep in mind is the climate. Cilantro prefers cooler weather and is the perfect fall herb and will bolt (go to seed) if the temperature gets too hot. Although it likes to have full sun and will tolerate partial shade! It will tend to bolt faster in the summer months particularly when the temperature is over 80 degrees. The growing season for cilantro is early spring to late spring or in the fall. This will allow for a longer harvest period.

The other main condition that can affect your cilantro harvest is how much water it gets. It's important not to over-water cilantro or it will rot. But, you also don't want the soil to be too dry or the plant will wilt. You want well-draining soil.

Spreading a layer of mulch around your cilantro will help to prolong its life and time to harvest.

Cilantro is a short-lived plant, the plant goes to seed in about 2 months' time before it has to be replanted again. If you are hoping to get herbs for the entire summer and into the fall, you might want to consider cultivators such as 'Leisure', 'Slo Bolt', or 'Santo' which don't bolt to seed as quickly or do succession planting.