Cilantro is the fastest bolting vegetable. no surprise. Mine bolts earlier, and I am in a colder spot than you.

It bolted because it was time for it to bolt. You have to keep sowing cilantro throughout the season to keep having it. BTW, the seeds are coriander.

Okay so it's not me. Thanks!

Yep, picking it often, and picking the flowers right as they start to form will help extend the plant a bit. They still bolt very quickly though.

they bolt fast in the summer, in hot weather the seedlings won't even make a plant just go strait to bolting even if they've only produced a few leaves. Try growing in a shady cooler area of the garden or wait til fall and cooler weather.

I have this problem too. I am growing cilantro in containers, so I can move them around. The seeds grown outside in sunlight have bolted immediately without any intermediate steps between seedling and bolting. I planted some in complete shade. It sprouted a seedling . . . and then bolted. So I brought them inside out of the heat. That seems to be helping some. I have a few leaves at least. Time will tell if that solves the problem.

You might try asking in the herbs forum. The people there may have some helpful ideas.

Angie

No extra tips here from an experienced herb grower. I grow cilantro for the coriander seed alone, though. It's just a short lived plant.

Yeah. It bolts quick, even when it stays somewhat mild. The key was already mentioned. Let it flower and seed, harvest what you can, and keep sowing more and more. I actually grow it to use but I have no problem seeing it bolt because of it being a magnet for attracting beneficial insects. if I REALLY need some RIGHT away, I can always go get a bunch for 33 cents. Just always have an open spot somewhere to start a new batch ever few weeks.

Kevin

It should be grown in partial shade in the summer, but I grow it in the winter instead, and one plant will last from November through March or April. If it bolts before you are ready, replace it with another plant. Better to have several plants and put them in areas that get different amounts of light. I do save the coriander seeds for cooking, but I have way more than I can ever use. I have started freezing cilantro in Foodsaver bags (after wrapping them in paper towels), and they are fine for use in bead dip and also in anything that gets cooked. They are not so great in guacamole, however.

Lars

I happened to see this post on "Most Recent Posts" listed on the right. In San Antonio, TX cilantro comes up in the fall, grows very well all winter getting big and bushy, even with a few nights in the teens, and it bolts in late spring. I let it go to seed, and when I can no longer find lower leaves to use the plants are pulled and the seeds sprinkled around. None germinate until fall.

Years ago when I first started gardening I bought a pkg of cilantro seeds and sowed them in the spring. Nothing. Bought another pkg and sowed them. Nothing. Hmmm, must be bad seed. Bought another brand of seed and still none came up -- that is until fall and then I had cilantro EVERYWHERE ... LOL. How seeds know the time of year they are supposed to germinate is beyond me! There is probably a term for plants that do this.

I bought mine early in the season expecting to have a big bushy cilantro plant through the summer. To my surprise about 3 weeks later it flowered and turned into the most bitter nasty tasting stuff. Guess I'll be buying it from the market! I'm not latin or asian, so food wise we don't keep our fridge stocked with cilantro, I only use it for salsa and maybe to put in Pho when I feel like cooking something exotic. :)