Photo 1: Cilantro seed heads drying out
Photo 2: New cilantro plants sprouting from seed
There is an
article in Sunset magazine that talks about a "better way" to grow cilantro. The article explains how to grow and harvest cilantro in a way that will provide you a continuous supply of cilantro until the plant goes to seed.
Two square feet of cilantro is more than enough for our family of four. By rotating the sections we harvested the cilantro from, we were able to have a continuous supply of cilantro for several weeks. I do encourage you to plant your cilantro in the shade to keep it from going to seed so quickly. However, if you are a fan of coriander or would like some cilantro seeds, allow your cilantro plant to flower and go to seed. To learn more about harvesting your own cilantro seeds (also known as coriander),
click here.