Grow Cilantro and Let it Bolt!

Did you ever try growing cilantro, only to have it bolt quickly to seed? After all, the rap on cilantro is: “It just bolts.”

So what! I say, let it bolt. Cilantro is a great friend in my garden because I have let it do its own thing for several years in a row now, and the more I learn about its charms and its quirks, the better I like having this plant close to my kitchen door.

After all, fresh cilantro leaves are so tender and full of flavor. They add so much to many types of cuisine. The flavor is more nuanced than parsley, and not to everyone’s liking. But if you like it, you love it and usually can’t get enough.

Cilantro is very easy to grow in the garden. Sow the seeds directly in sunny, fertile soil and let it go. The plant germinates quickly and puts on nice leaf growth within a month.

And yes, if grown in hot weather, cilantro will bolt very fast and you might think that’s the end of the story. Cilantro grown for leaf will last the longest if sown in cool weather, and will last especially long if sown in late summer or early fall. Mine goes right through the winter — it’s that tough. And I have a new crop sprouting all by itself as soon as March rolls around.

Now here’s the best part of bolting cilantro. Once it sets its small round seeds, keep an eye open and harvest the seed heads as they start to dry out. Don’t let them burst and spread out in the garden. Instead, dry they seeds on newspaper in a dry spot indoors, or give them a little time in a dehydrator.

The seeds are now called coriander, and are the spice used for many different dishes. By collecting the seeds each fall, and drying them so they don’t get musty, I have a year’s worth of coriander seed to use for cooking. Wonderfully fragrant, homegrown, and organic.

So give cilantro a try!