Culantro blog post

Culantro (Puerto Rican Cilantro): How to Grow and When to Plant this Hot Weather Cilantro Alternative in Your Backyard or Patio Garden!

Culantro is a herb typically grown in tropical areas as a replacement for cilantro. Cilantro is one of our favorite herbs to use in cooking, but our growing season here in Oklahoma makes it difficult to grow because of how hot it gets. Culantro is a great alternative to cilantro that flourishes in heat and can handle as much sun as you give it. It has a bit more of a kick than traditional cilantro, but we are usually using it in Mexican dishes so we enjoy this extra kick! Culantro does not typically transplant well so it is best to do them from seed.
Culantro is a herb typically grown in tropical areas as a replacement for cilantro. Cilantro is one of our favorite herbs to use in cooking, but our growing season here in Oklahoma makes it difficult to grow because of how hot it gets. Culantro is a great alternative to cilantro that flourishes in heat and can handle as much sun as you give it. It has a bit more of a kick than traditional cilantro, but we are usually using it in Mexican dishes so we enjoy this extra kick! Culantro does not typically transplant well so it is best to do them from seed.

How to Grow:

Culantro is a warm season crop that can be planted after your last spring frost throughout the summer. You can see specific dates for your location using our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App.

Culantro is planted 1 per square, in part shade. Take care to notice what plants are around the area as well, see the companion plant section below. Keep your culantro well watered.

Companion Plants:

Companion planting is a vital part of organic gardening. Companion plants assist in the growth of others by attracting beneficial insects, repelling pests, or providing nutrients, shade, or support. There are also plants that do not like being next to each other. Some plants get too tall and can provide too much shade for your plant. Sometimes certain plants attract the same pests, so it is important to try and separate these. Culantro is a great companion plant and can help a lot of other plants out by detering certain pests, including aphids.

         GoodBad
Banana PeppersMarjoramDill
Beans (Bush & Pole)Mint 
Bell PeppersOregano 
Cilantro/CorianderSweet Peppers 
Hot PeppersTarragon 
MarigoldsTomatoes (Bush & Vine) 

 See companion plants for 100+ foods in our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web app!

Pests:

Pests can be one of the most difficult challenges you face in the garden. We strive to grow food without the use of pesticide and luckily there are natural solutions for most of these nasty pests! The pests listed below are common ones for culantro:

Learn more about how to manage pests and attract beneficial insects in our FREE iOS, Android, and Universal Web App!

Harvesting:

You can begin to harvest culantro around 10 weeks. You can begin to harvest leaves once the plant is established. Cut outer leaves first.

Cooking & Eating!

Cilantro is one of our go-to herbs in the kitchen and we use culantro in a similar way! We use this commonly in salads, scrambled eggs, beans, stir-fries, and basically any Mexican or Asian dish! Preserve by simply putting chopped up culantro into an ice cube tray with olive oil into the freezer.

Learn more about growing over 100 different foods, including how to manage various pests in our FREE iOS, Android, or new Universal Web App!

Share:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest
LinkedIn

2 thoughts on “Culantro (Puerto Rican Cilantro): How to Grow and When to Plant this Hot Weather Cilantro Alternative in Your Backyard or Patio Garden!

Leave a Reply

On Key

Related Posts

November Blog

November Gardening Guide: What to Grow and Do Indoors & Outdoors This Month

November may bring colder weather, but there’s still plenty to do both indoors and outdoors to keep your garden thriving. From planting garlic and mulching to growing fresh herbs and microgreens inside, this guide covers all the essential November gardening tasks. Learn what to grow, how to protect your plants, and tips for planning ahead for a productive season!

october gardening

October Gardening: 11 Plants & Tips for a Thriving Fall Garden

October is the perfect time to refresh your garden with cool-season crops and essential tasks. In our latest video, we cover 11 must-grow plants and tips to keep your garden thriving this fall. From planting leafy greens and root crops to starting indoor microgreens and building DIY PVC hoophouses, you’ll find everything you need to know to make the most of your October garden. Don’t miss out on these expert tips to grow indoors and out!

How to Grow & Care for Yarrow: Tips for a Thriving Pollinator Garden

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a hardy perennial that brings beauty and benefits to any garden. Known for attracting pollinators and thriving in drought conditions, yarrow is easy to grow and care for. In this guide, learn how to plant, maintain, and harvest yarrow, while using the Seed to Spoon app to simplify your gardening journey. Start growing yarrow with high-quality seeds from Park Seed today!

How to Easily Plant Carrots in Your Garden Using Seed Tape!

Discover the easiest way to grow carrots in your garden using seed tape! This method takes the guesswork out of spacing and makes planting a breeze. Learn step-by-step tips for using seed tape and find out how Park Seed’s Sow Effortless Collection can simplify your gardening even more. Let’s make growing carrots fun and hassle-free!