When to Plant Cilantro? Detailed Guide to Timing and Methods
When it comes to cilantro, which people either love or hate, everyone has mixed feelings that are hard to put into words. Although some people dislike it, adding a little cilantro to dishes with a strong fishy or gamy smell can still make them much tastier. What's more, its medicinal value is also very high. People who love cilantro eat it often too - how come they never thought of growing it themselves? Actually, cilantro is not hard to grow. Below, let us introduce the planting time and methods for cilantro.
1. Planting Time
Cilantro can be planted all year round, but growth vigor and yield vary greatly. Normally, the standard planting times for cilantro are March and April in spring and September in autumn. This is because the optimal temperature for cilantro growth is between 15 and 20 degrees. Below 15 degrees, cilantro struggles to germinate, and even after germination it grows very slowly. Above 20 degrees, the quality of cilantro is also affected. If planted in summer at temperatures of over 30 degrees, without artificial regulation you will generally get no harvest at all.
2. Planting Methods
1. Choosing and Preparing the Land
Cilantro is actually quite delicate and very picky about its growing environment. So you must choose fertile soil containing organic matter. It also needs good moisture and nutrient retention. Ideally, use level ground with a good drainage and irrigation system. Before planting, the land needs to be deeply plowed and turned, and base fertilizer should be applied. The base fertilizer is usually farmyard manure.
2. Sowing and Raising Seedlings
Before sowing, the seeds need to be treated. First, rub off the outer layer of fruit skin on the cilantro seeds, then soak them in water for one day. After removing them, wrap them in a damp cotton cloth, and finally place them in an environment suitable for seed germination to promote sprouting. After about seven to ten days, the sprouts will basically all emerge. Once the sprouts have emerged, you can sow. When sowing, be careful to first moisten the soil, then scatter the sprouted seeds in rows, cover the seeds with fine soil, and finally cover with a layer of plastic film. When three to four leaves have grown, uncover the film to let in air.
3. Field Management
After sowing and watering, there will be a long period during which no watering is needed. Generally, you wait until after the seedlings are established to water for the first time. After this watering, you usually water once every seven to ten days. In the early stage of cilantro growth, not much watering is generally needed. In the middle stage, you need to keep the soil moist, usually watering once every five to seven days. In the later stage, watering once every ten or so days is fine. Generally speaking, if you applied enough base fertilizer, no additional topdressing is needed later. If the early application was insufficient, you can still supplement appropriately in the later stage.
Because cilantro is a plant that does not tolerate drought, we must water it once every week to ensure a sufficient water supply. During its growing period, water about six times in total. Plants, after all, need water as the source of life, so we still need to ensure an adequate water supply during the growing period. Only then will it grow vigorously and beautifully.
4. Disease Prevention
Cilantro generally has few diseases, but relatively more pests, so pest prevention measures should be taken. Spray pesticide once every week.
The above is a brief introduction from Tuliu.com on the planting time and planting methods for cilantro, for the reference of friends only. When cilantro grows to ten to fifteen centimeters, it can be harvested, using the method of harvesting the large ones while keeping the small ones. Then apply fertilizer once more, and the small ones will continue to grow.