No hay nada como las hierbas frescas para hacer que tus recetas destaquen, e incluso si no cocinas, las hierbas son una adición fragante a tu jardín. El cilantro (también conocido como cilantro o perejil chino) es resistente, fácil de cultivar y puede promover una piel sana y reducir la inflamación, entre otros beneficios para la salud, cuando se ingiere. Puede crecer a partir de semillas o incluso de esquejes que tengas en tu nevera y prosperará tanto en interior como en exterior.
Lo que necesitas para cultivar cilantro
Debido a que el cilantro crece rápidamente, no requiere mucho para comenzar. Puede comenzar sus semillas de cilantro en recipientes pequeños con un iniciador de semillas o puede optar por plantar las semillas directamente en la cama de su jardín. Si no tiene semillas, puede cultivar cilantro a partir de esquejes:simplemente ponga los tallos de cilantro en agua y eventualmente desarrollarán raíces, que luego se pueden plantar en el suelo.
Para crecer a partir de semillas, necesitará:
- macetas de turba, o cualquier otra maceta de fibras naturales
- tierra iniciadora de semillas
- semillas de cilantro o esquejes enraizados
- tierra de jardín
- una maceta grande o una cama de jardín para trasplantar
La principal desventaja de ir directamente a una cama de jardín es que no tendrá tantas semillas exitosas, pero debe tener suficientes plantas creciendo de un paquete de semillas para tener una cosecha abundante de cilantro.
Cómo Cultivar Cilantro
Planta tus semillas
Lo primero que debe hacer es plantar sus semillas (o tallos enraizados si está cultivando a partir de esquejes). Si está utilizando una maceta de semillas y tierra de arranque, coloque tierra en cada maceta. Planta una o dos semillas en cada maceta y cubre las semillas con una fina capa de tierra. No cubras las semillas con demasiada tierra o no tendrán suficiente luz para germinar. Coloca las macetas en un lugar soleado.
Agua según sea necesario
Las semillas de cilantro tardan entre siete y diez días en germinar, en promedio. Hasta que germinen, riégalas según sea necesario. No es necesario que ahogues la tierra, pero siempre debe permanecer húmeda. If the soil dries out too quickly, you can move the plant to an area with a little more shade. Allow the plant to grow at least two inches tall.
Plant the Container
Once your cilantro is tall enough, you can move it to its home. Cilantro does well in garden beds with organic or non-organic soil but also thrives in containers. Whichever option you choose, you should be sure that your cilantro’s new home will be in a sunny or lightly shaded area. If the area is too shaded, your seedlings will suffer. Cilantro will grow inside but needs sun.
Plant your cilantro six to eight inches apart in your garden bed. A large pot should only have one or two plants, at most.
When moving your cilantro, you don’t need to take the seedling out of the starter pot. Instead, plant the pot directly in the soil. Attempting to transplant the seedling might kill it.
Water Your Seedlings
As soon as you plant your peat pots, give your seedlings some water. Once again, you don’t need to shower them with water. A little water will be enough to give them a chance to thrive.
Continue to water the seedlings as needed. While the seedlings are young, they may need to be watered twice a day. Once they are more established, you can water them once a day or as needed.
Harvest Your Cilantro
From the time you plant your peat pots, it takes three to four weeks for your cilantro seedlings to mature enough to harvest. Generally, it takes 45 days from the time you plant seeds to the time you can harvest the herb.
There’s no wrong way to harvest your cilantro, but there are some ways that are better for the plant than others. You can cut whole, large leaves anywhere from the plant. But small leaves should only be cut two inches over the crown.
Pro Tip:These harvest times are only a guideline. In warm weather, cilantro grows quickly. But the growth could be slower in cooler climates and in shady areas.
Maintain Your Plants
Although cilantro is easy to grow, it does require some maintenance. For best results, you should occasionally fertilize your plants with a water-soluble fertilizer. Just be sure not to fertilize anything until the seedlings are at least two inches tall.
If you want your cilantro to fill out, you need to frequently pinch back the leaves. Doing so will encourage new growth and make the plant lusher. You should also cut off stems that have flower buds or seedpods. Instead of wasting energy on growing flowers, the plant will spend that energy on growing herbs.
Let Your Cilantro Spread
If you use cilantro frequently, you may want to let your plants spread. The herb may die after seeding, so it’s always good to have a few extra plants on hand. Let one or two of your cilantro plants seed. Then, those seeds will self-sow. In only a short time, new seedlings will grow near the older plants.
Conclusion
You don’t need a green thumb to grow cilantro. Anyone is capable of growing the plant from seed (or cuttings) to the herb. All it takes is a little preparation and some attention.
Use cilantro for seasoning your food or as an herbal remedy for a long list of ailments. As it self-seeds and spreads, once your garden is established, you’ll have fresh cilantro whenever you need it, and you will never again need to find herb substitutes for your favorite recipes.
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