Today we'll be showing you all about growing cilantro indoors! Cilantro, also called coriander or Chinese parsley, is one of those herbs that can give life to any meal including soups, salads, stews, and even meats! Its strong, refreshing flavor imparts an exotic taste to any dish, so having fresh cilantro in your home at all times is simply a must! So how to grow cilantro indoors? Let's find out!
Growing Cilantro Indoors – What You Need to Know
Growing cilantro indoors is easy, and if you follow this gardening guide, you'll have your own fresh cilantro in no time! If you're already growing cilantro outdoors, do not transplant – cilantro does not do well when transplanted. Instead, purchase fresh cilantro seeds or use starter plants.
Climate:
Since we're growing this indoors, you just need to make sure that is has plenty of morning sunlight and that the temperature does not go below 70F.
There are two ways to grow cilantro: from seeds or from grow kits. Today, we'll show you how to grow cilantro indoors from seeds as well as from grow kits!
Growing Cilantro From Seeds:
You can purchase seeds from your local gardening or hardware store or even online. Or, you can harvest the seeds from a previous plant as well! The best and fastest way to grow cilantro from seeds is to place a few cilantro seeds (6-8) in a shallow dish with water. Leave the seeds in the water overnight to soak them. Then, remove the seeds from the water and place them in plastic bag, sealed. Place the plastic bag with the seeds in a sunny spot for a day or two until you see a tiny white sprout appear from the seeds. Make sure the bag has some sort of moisture, if not, spray some water into the bag.
Once the sprouts have appeared, add a little potting mix to the bag and leave them in there until the seeds expand a bit and begin to sprout. Remove the seeds from the bag and plant them in a container with potting soil. Cover the seeds with potting soil and mist with water. Place the pot in a spot that will have at least 4 hours of sunlight. Wait for your cilantro to grow to at least 6 inches before harvesting!
Growing Cilantro From a Grow Kit:
Your local hardware or gardening store will often sell herb grow kits, including cilantro! This is the best and easiest way to grow cilantro. These plants should already be 2-3 inches tall. Simply remove the plant from the grow kit or starter pot and place it in a pot that is at least 12 inches deep, and make sure the container has a good drainage system as cilantro has long, stringy roots. Fill the pot with potting soil all the way up to about one quarter inch beneath the base of the plant.
Place your potted cilantro in a pot where it will receive plenty of morning sunlight. Cilantro does not like sunlight all day long, so make sure the afternoon light is not as strong. Keep the soil moist but do not overwater as the roots will then start to rot.
Harvesting Cilantro:
You should be harvesting your cilantro when the plant is at least 6 inches tall. You can also harvest the seeds by allowing the plant to grow blooms and seed heads. Keep in mind that cilantro is annual, so a new crops needs to be planted once the plant matures or goes to seed. Save your seeds so you can keep replanting, or just purchase a new grow kit once your plant has reached maturity!
Happy Planting and Don't Forget to Share 🙂
