Did you know that growing cilantro at home is easy?

Cilantro is used in cuisines from all over the world especially in Mexico and Asia, yet very few people want to grow cilantro at home. People think that it’s difficult, especially when compared to herbs like parsley and basil, but the truth is that it’s just as easy!

Also known as coriander outside of North America, cilantro seeds grow quickly into strong, pungent leaves that can be used in cooking of all types.

It’s sold in the stores, but why buy in the stores when you could be picking fresh cilantro from plants that you grow yourself?

Getting started now!

Growing cilantro at home is as simple as four easy steps.

Step 1: Getting the Cilantro seeds (coriander)

The seeds are found in the husks of the dried fruit (known as coriander). Each husk contains two seeds that need to be separated from the husk so that your plants will grow. Simply separate the seed husk and soak the cilantros for about 24-48 hours. Dry them off and they’re ready to plant!

Step 2: Planting Cilantro

We recommend growing cilantro indoors as it allows for better control of tempuratures. You’ll want to find a place that gets about 4-5 hours of sunlight. Put the seeds in an unglazed terra cotta container with plenty of drainage holes.

You’ll want to use a mixture of potting soil and sand to allow water to move freely. If you’d like (though this is optional), you can add some fertilizer to the soil to help the plans grow quickly.

Step 3: Watering your cilantro plant

Water your plant thoroughly, not frequently. You’ll want to add enough water that it comes out of the drainage holes, but only do so when the soil is dry. Of course, in the summer, you’ll need to do this more often. If you have access to a growing light to give you cilantro plant some light, then your chances of success will be higher.

Step 4: Harvesting your plant

Within a few short weeks, your plant will begin to sprout delicious leaves that you can trim off. Prune your plant frequently and harvest the top 1/3 of the plant. You’ll be harvesting it about once a week (or even more if it’s growing very quickly).  Use sharp scissors to trim the plants and leave a couple leaves at the top so that the plant can continue to grow.

Some of the benefits of growing cilantro at home include

• You don’t need to run to the store each time you want to make salsa, guacamole, pho, curry or a host of other cuisines
• You know exactly what went into your herbs – no pesticides, GMO or anything or that sort. It’s completely organic and you control everything
• You pay less! Cilantro plants, grow quickly and can produce edible leaves in just a couple of weeks. Think about it as a constant replenishing supply of herbs!
• You’ll also experiment more with cooking. With all the cilantro that your plant will produce, you’ll have to come up with new and innovative ways of using it up.