How to Grow Cilantro in a Container in Zone 9

The herb cilantro has a strong and unique flavor. People use cilantro in many dishes from Latin America, the US Southwest, Southeast Asia, India and the Middle East. Cilantro grows from coriander seeds. People also cook with dried coriander seeds. The leaves of the herb are called cilantro, while coriander refers to the dried seeds. People grow cilantro in a container outside or inside on a windowsill in USDA Zone 9, which covers central Florida, southern Texas and Louisiana, southwest Arizona and parts of western California.

Coriander seeds
Pot
Potting soil
Garden trowel
Pencil or dibble stick
Water
Scissors

Instructions

- 1
  
  Plant the seeds in potting soil.
  
  Scoop potting soil into the pot using the trowel. Poke a half-inch deep hole in the soil with a pencil or dibble stick. Drop the seeds in the hole, and cover them with potting soil.
- 2
  
  Water when the soil is dry.
  
  Place the pot indoors or outdoors in a location which receives at least six hours of sun each day. Water the plant when the soil feels dry. Wait up to 14 days for plants to sprout.
- 3
  
  Harvest cilantro by cutting the stems rather than the leaves.
  
  Thin the seedlings (pull out some plants) when the plants reach 2 inches tall, to leave only one to two plants in the container. Harvest after six weeks or when the plant grows to 8 inches tall. Use scissors to harvest by cutting one-third of the way down the plant. You may harvest once a week.

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