How to Keep Cilantro from Bolting

Cilantro is one of those herbs that you either love or you don't. It has a very distinct flavor - some really love it, but others will do anything they can to avoid it. It's pungent, a little lemony and a little peppery. Some think it tastes a little soapy. As a result, you're usually either pro cilantro or no cilantro. I'm definitely pro cilantro and I'm going to teach you how to keep your cilantro in the garden as long as possible without it bolting.

As you may know, bolting is when a plant sends up a center stalk that produces flower heads and then goes to seed. Cilantro is one of those plants that's very prone to do that. You can tell when cilantro is going to bolt whenever the center stem becomes very hard. And once cilantro bolts, the leaves lose a lot of their flavor.

So here are some tips to help keep your cilantro from bolting:

Tip #1 Plant Your Cilantro in the Cool Season

Cilantro doesn't like hot weather. That's just a fact. Even though you may find cilantro plants for sale at your local nursery during the late spring or summer months, that doesn't mean that cilantro should actually be planted in the garden at the same as tomatoes. Tomatoes and cilantro prefer very different weather. Cilantro is a cool season plant. When it gets hot, cilantro kind of freaks out and bolts.

Tip #2 Sow Your Cilantro Directly From Seed

If at all possible, start your cilantro from seed that you sow directly into the garden. If you start your cilantro from directly sown seed, chances are good that your plants will go to flower and bolt much slower than if the plants are purchased as seedlings and then transplanted into the garden. Cilantro is in the carrot family and the plants in the carrot family (including cilantro, celery, parsley and carrots) don't really like being moved around. By direct sowing your cilantro, you are disrupting it less and you will have happier plants.

Tip #3 Look for Local Seed Varieties

Oftentimes you can find local botanists and farmers that have worked on new types of cilantro that can last longer in the garden. These varieties may be called "Slow Bolts" or "Long Standing". So if you can find a seed producer that's in your area, getting cilantro seeds from them is probably going to up your chances of keeping your cilantro longer because it's a variety of cilantro that is used to growing in your climate.

Tip #4 Harvest Regularly

Cut your cilantro leaves on a regular basis. This keeps the plant healthy. Plus cilantro tastes the best when it's fresh. If you keep harvesting on a regular basis, cilantro will keep producing new leaves from the center. Cut the outer lower leaves and leave the interior leaves to keep growing. The more you harvest your cilantro, the more chance you have of snipping off those immature flower stalks. This will help delay any bolting.

Tip #5 Plant Tall Plants

Plant large tall plants around your cilantro. The idea is when the weather starts to warm up, your cilantro and the soil it's in will be shaded by the larger plants and will get a little bit of sun protection. It's when the soil heats up and gets too warm that cilantro bolts. And cilantro doesn't really need full sun to grow - about 4 to 6 hours is enough. Interplanting your cilantro with larger plants will help extend its life in the garden.

Tip #6 Succession Planting

Succession planting won't exactly help keep your cilantro from bolting, but it will give you a continuous supply of cilantro. Succession planting is when you direct sow new seeds into the garden every couple of weeks. When one set of cilantro plants starts to bolt, you'll have another set of cilantro plants coming along behind it that will be ready to harvest.

If you want to learn a little bit more about cilantro and other herbs that you can grow in your garden all year long, take a look at Gardenary's Herb Garden Guide. And let's get your garden growing!