The cilantro conundrum ?

[Smokin Okie]

I just helped my cilantro get through a couple of nights with over night lows around zero degree. I covered it with leaves, then soaked the entire bed, and then put Agribon row cover over the top. Its now uncovered and appears to be doing fine.

But I've got other cilantro plants that I did not cover and I think they made it also. Cilantro is a very cold hardy plant. But when temps get above 80* , my cilantro bolts and goes to seed and the flavor of the leaves changes some. I won't have fresh cilantro in June through September.

I save the seed and replant about the first of August and I'll have fresh cilantro all winter. And its one of the few plants that have far more flavor grown in the garden, than what I can buy at the grocery store.

Cilantro is used world wide, from Mexico to the Carribean to Asia to Europe. And they use it in climates warmer than ours.

So how do they grow it in Mexico ?

I was watching an older Steve Raichlen Primal Grill show, he was doing Jamaican jerk chicken. He used cilantro. How do they grow cilantro in the Carribean ?

 

[crankybuzzard]

Not sure how they do it in those regions you mentioned, but I start the plants inside, then they get acclimated over a few days and then planted in the SHADE. Just enough light filters through the oak trees for them to do well.

Ours here in NTX didn't fare well at all over the last 96 hours of below freezing with some mornings at 8 degrees f.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

In California it is mostly grown along the coast which is cooler. I would bet it's the same in other places.

I have grown it from time to time. I have some now that is overgrowing on the garden tower. I use way too much though and it would take up a lot of space to grow as much as I consume. I buy a new bushel every week. I just got some at Walmart a while ago and it is USA grown, Likely from here.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Wow, that's a lot of cilantro ! I bet the aroma there is amazing, especially when the wind blows and roughs it up.

I did some internet research and a lot of the commercial growers use large indoor facilities.

I haven't found anything on what they do in SE Asia or the Carribean.

Here's my cilantro bed, its on the south side of the house. This was last Friday when I had it prepped for the Arctic front. I grow far far more than we can use. But its all volunteer.

 

[jcam222]

I've never had Cilantro survive the winter here in Ohio. I do have thyme that's made it through 4 winters now. This year I have some potted BBQ rosemary that's still alive. I took it in th garage for the single digit temp week.

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

Wow, that's a lot of cilantro ! I bet the aroma there is amazing, especially when the wind blows and roughs it up.

Yes it smelled very nice every time I would drive by it. I am 90% sure that picture is in Camarillo, CA by looking at the mountains in the background which is along the coast just North of Los Angeles county. I used to drive thru there once a week before I retired to get to the Pt Mugu naval base.

If you look to the left you will see covered crops of blackberries and raspberries. The main crops in the area are strawberries but they don't have much of a smell.

There were several small stands (pickup trucks) with crates of different fruits you could buy for very cheap and I did many times on my way home from work.

Further inland on my way home is where much of the Avocado and Orange groves were located. There were a few large stands where I would buy strawberries, oranges, avocados, fresh honey and my favorite fresh caramel peanuts in bulk for very cheap. Also yellow watermelon which taste way better than the typical red ones.

 

[Smokin Okie]

Yes it smelled very nice every time I would drive by it. I am 90% sure that picture is in Camarillo, CA by looking at the mountains in the background which is along the coast just North of Los Angeles county. I used to drive thru there once a week before I retired to get to the Pt Mugu naval base.

If you look to the left you will see covered crops of blackberries and raspberries. The main crops in the area are strawberries but they don't have much of a smell.

There were several small stands (pickup trucks) with crates of different fruits you could buy for very cheap and I did many times on my way home from work.

Further inland on my way home is where much of the Avocado and Orange groves were located. There were a few large stands where I would buy strawberries, oranges, avocados, fresh honey and my favorite fresh caramel peanuts in bulk for very cheap. Also yellow watermelon which taste way better than the typical red ones.

My Dad had brothers living in Bakersfield. He and Mom would trip out to see them every so often, and Dad would bring back these large potatoes that had great flavor. He would rave about them. They made great french fries. And of course, there were oranges. One of his brothers lived next to an orange grove.

 

[Smokin Okie]

I've never had Cilantro survive the winter here in Ohio. I do have thyme that's made it through 4 winters now. This year I have some potted BBQ rosemary that's still alive. I took it in th garage for the single digit temp week.

I was worried about how long I kept the plants covered. I put the Agribon on Friday and took it off Wednesday. But the plants did fine without sun. I have to guess, that their metabolism slows way down and they don't need a lot of sun.

It got down to 14* here tonight and I covered it again yesterday to be on the safe side. Going down to 12* tonight. Gonna have a high temp of 26 today, but I'll still uncover it for a while, I worry bout the sun hitting the Agribon and cooking the plants. I did that to some tomato plants a few years ago.

 

[rw 12]

I just helped my cilantro get through a couple of nights with over night lows around zero degree. I covered it with leaves, then soaked the entire bed, and then put Agribon row cover over the top. Its now uncovered and appears to be doing fine.

But I've got other cilantro plants that I did not cover and I think they made it also. Cilantro is a very cold hardy plant. But when temps get above 80* , my cilantro bolts and goes to seed and the flavor of the leaves changes some. I won't have fresh cilantro in June through September.

I save the seed and replant about the first of August and I'll have fresh cilantro all winter. And its one of the few plants that have far more flavor grown in the garden, than what I can buy at the grocery store.

Cilantro is used world wide, from Mexico to the Carribean to Asia to Europe. And they use it in climates warmer than ours.

So how do they grow it in Mexico ?

I was watching an older Steve Raichlen Primal Grill show, he was doing Jamaican jerk chicken. He used cilantro. How do they grow cilantro in the Carribean ?

I will leave all the cilantro for yall! Ooooh thats some nasty tasting stuff lol!!!

 

[Smokin Okie]

I will leave all the cilantro for yall! Ooooh thats some nasty tasting stuff lol!!!

Well, I really didn't ask your opinion about the flavor of cilantro.