Where To Plant Cilantro – Planting and Care Guide

Cilantro is a relatively low-maintenance herb to grow. You can grow it anywhere and begin planting it a few times of the year. But where should you plant cilantro? This article will answer that question and more. First, we’ll explain why you should grow cilantro in the first place and its many benefits. Then, we’ll go more in detail about where to plant cilantro and whether you should plant it in a pot or a garden. After we’ll dive deeper into growing cilantro in the garden and its growing needs, such as the soil, sun, and water condition cilantro prefers. Finally, we’ll touch upon when you should plant cilantro. 

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Why Grow Cilantro?

Cilantro is an annual herb that adds unique flavors to many dishes. For example, this herb is often used in Mexican and Asian recipes.

It has a taste that can be a hit or miss for some. For instance, cilantro’s flavor is often “soapy” since it tastes like lemon and pepper.

Luckily, if you enjoy the flavor, you can add fresh cilantro leaves to your recipe for the taste to shine through. On the other hand, if you’re not a huge fan of its flavor but want to add a little spice, you can use dried cilantro leaves.

Learn more about drying cilantro leaves here.

In addition, cilantro is a great herb to grow because it’s relatively low-maintenance. It’s quick to grow and can easily care for itself. However, you still need to check on it at least once a week to ensure it’s thriving.

One of the ways to help this herb plant grow well is to know where to plant it.

Where Does Cilantro Grow?

Where is cilantro grown? Today, cilantro is grown all over the world. However, it’s native to the Mediterranean. 

Cilantro is most notably grown in China, India, Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.

While cilantro prefers colder temperatures, it thrives on full, direct sunlight. So as long as it doesn’t get too hot and potentially burn, cilantro can be found in cooler climates.

Grow Cilantro in Pots Or Garden?

There’s more than one question about where to grow cilantro.

Cilantro can grow well in a pot or a garden. There are a few ways you can plant this herb:

• Outside in the garden
• Outside in a pot
• Inside in a pot

One of the great things about growing cilantro in a pot is moving it around. For instance, if you leave it outside in the garden, it will benefit the other plants. It’ll also get direct sunlight and fresh air.

However, if the weather turns sour, such as too much rain or too cold, then you can pick up the pot and bring it inside your house. The plant will still grow well.

Alternatively, you can grow it in a pot inside your house and leave it there all year round. As long as it gets the sunlight it needs and proper watering, then your cilantro plant can thrive indoors.

Of course, you can always place your cilantro outside in the garden. While it’ll grow well in a pot, being outside in the garden will allow your cilantro to grow and spread out as much as it can (or as much as you’ll let it to).

Where To Plant Cilantro In Garden

If you want your cilantro plant to grow big and tall, then growing it in the garden is an ideal way to allow it to do just that.

One of the best ways to grow cilantro is to use companion planting with other cilantro plants, other herbs, or other compatible plants.

Regardless of where you grow your cilantro in the garden, it has certain growing conditions. 

However, there are some things you’ll need to know about the cilantro plant if you’re going to plant it with others.

Does Cilantro Like Full Sun?

First, cilantro does like full sun. It thrives on direct sunlight. However, you need to ensure that it won’t get too hot.

For example, cilantro prefers cooler climates. So, direct sunlight in the fall or early spring is ideal. It’ll get the sunlight without getting too hot.

During the summer, on the other hand, your cilantro could potentially burn, or it’ll bolt too early.

So, you’ll want to place it in the garden where it’ll get direct sunlight for about six hours a day, as long as it’s not too hot.

This is where companion planting comes in handy. Companion planting is when you place two compatible plants near one another, so they help each other grow.

Cilantro can grow to be up to two feet tall. So, you can place it in front of another plant that grows shorter and doesn’t like as much sunlight.

That way, the cilantro can get the sun it needs while shading the other plants.

How Much Spacing Does Cilantro Need?

Believe it or not, cilantro can grow to be about 1-1.5 feet wide. So, it needs some elbow room in the garden.

You’ll want to space them about eight to ten inches apart from other plants. However, spacing them about 12 inches apart will be ideal. 

You don’t want your cilantro to run into other plants or vice versa, or else it’ll be difficult for them to grow to their best potential.

What Soil Conditions Does Cilantro Need?

The best type of soil to give your cilantro plant is something that drains well. Cilantro doesn’t need a lot of water to survive. They like the soil to be moist but not soaked.

Overall, the soil should be sandy or loamy in texture.

The soil should also have plenty of nutrients in it to help your cilantro thrive.

Should I Fertilize My Cilantro Plant Regularly?

Cilantro does not need fertilizer, but it won’t harm the plant if you decide to use it.

First, you can test the soil, and if it doesn’t contain the right pH levels (it should be about 6.5) or have enough nutrients, you can add fertilizer.

However, the fertilizer should only be added in small amounts about once a month to give your cilantro plant that little boost.

How Often Should I Water My Cilantro?

Now that cilantro only likes its soil to be moist, we can easily guess that this herb doesn’t want to have a lot of water.

Cilantro needs a little water to grow well, of course, but it doesn’t require daily watering like some other plants.

When growing cilantro from seeds, you’ll want to add about an inch of water to the soil at least once a day. Since the plant is so young, this will help it grow well.

Then, once the seeds germinate and sprout, you won’t need to water the plant nearly as often.

For example, you’ll only need to add about an inch of water to the soil about once per week.

With that said, overwatering or underwatering your cilantro plant is easy to do.

Learn more about overwatering or underwatering your cilantro plant here.

To avoid overwatering, be sure to measure out the water when giving your plant a drink. Also, you can keep a calendar, so you know when it was last given a drink.

If the soil is bone dry, you can give it some water when you poke your finger into it.

On the other hand, it’s easy to forget to water the plant when it only needs watering about once a week. Again, this is where keeping a calendar comes in handy.

You should check on your cilantro plant every day, but pick at least one or two days a week to give it some TLC. 

When To Plant Cilantro

Cilantro prefers to grow in cooler climates. So while it can grow all year long, there’s an ideal time to plant this herb.

For example, early spring (after the final frost) or late fall (before the first frost) are ideal times to grow this herb.

On the other hand, you can grow cilantro inside your house in a pot during any time of the year.

If you want to move it to the garden, you can begin growing it inside the house in the summertime. Then, when the weather turns cool, you can transfer it to the garden.

By that time, the plant will have grown enough that you’ll get to harvest it earlier.

Final Words on Where to Pant Cilantro

Cilantro is a cold-hardy plant that can grow in a garden or a pot. As long as you give it the sunlight it needs, small amounts of water, and plenty of space to grow, then your cilantro herb will thrive.

Want to learn more? Click here to find out when to plant cilantro and here to find out how to grow cilantro from a cutting. You can also find all my guides to growing cilantro here.

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