Growing parsley, dill, and cilantro

[Anonymous]

New to the area and trying to figure out when to plant parsley, dill, and cilantro. I know these herbs don't do so well once the intense summer heat hits. Is now an ok time to plant seeds outside or wait a little longer? or is there a good local nursery where I can get a few plants already started?

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

If you're close to a Merrifield, I've been very impressed with their plants (herbs, veg, fruit, plus ornamentals). I wouldn't start seed outside until frost dangers have passed. Parsley is hardy once it gets going, but both dill & cilantro are warm plants and don't tolerate freezing. Start inside, or if you have a good sunny window, tuck small plants into something cute and just have a window garden until it's warm enough outside. Then you can enjoy the herbs along the way.

[Anonymous]

I have had zero luck with cilantro here.

[Anonymous]

It's best to do a few planting during the year. First planting after last frost, second a month or so after that, etc. Cilantro, dill, parsley all do well here and are very heat tolerant, but will seed quickly.

[Anonymous]

We usually plant in early may and have good luck with all 3. We do parsley and cilantro from seed and dill with plants.

[Anonymous]

I work at a nursery. Dill does fine here, but it goes to seed in our climate pretty fast and so you'll need to replant as a PP says. Also, it won't taste like it would in a cooler climate -- but it will grow.

Flat and curly leaf parsley grow very well here, they taste fine, and you won't need to replant. DO cut these back, hard.

I respectfully disagree with 10:50 - cilantro hates the DC humidity and heat. It gets leggy, yellow, and loses its flavor immediately, within a couple weeks. We tell customers to expect that they'll be replanting it every two weeks. (and then, what's the point, really?)

If I HAD to have it planted, I guess I'd try it on the windowsill.

[Anonymous]

Thanks for all of the feedback. Today's weather has me really itching to get my hands in the dirt!

One more question, will fennel grow here, too? I assume it is similar to dill, right? I used to be able to grow both when we lived in Florida, but mostly in the cooler months.

[Anonymous]

I grew fennel last year. The fronds were very nice but I never got bulbs. You are supposed to start seeds inside (early) to get bulbs.

[Anonymous]

I work at a nursery. Dill does fine here, but it goes to seed in our climate pretty fast and so you'll need to replant as a PP says. Also, it won't taste like it would in a cooler climate -- but it will grow.

Flat and curly leaf parsley grow very well here, they taste fine, and you won't need to replant. DO cut these back, hard.

I respectfully disagree with 10:50 - cilantro hates the DC humidity and heat. It gets leggy, yellow, and loses its flavor immediately, within a couple weeks. We tell customers to expect that they'll be replanting it every two weeks. (and then, what's the point, really?)

If I HAD to have it planted, I guess I'd try it on the windowsill.

Cilantro does fine here. It is not a heat and humidity thing. Leggy, yellow is a lack of sun. I plant two three rows every year. It and basil are the best performers in spice terms for this area. It is alway in the farmers market. Maybe you are growing it is pots or something.

[Anonymous]

Not sure where you are, but there's a Grow it Eat it Open House in Derwood next week:

http://growit.umd.edu/ClassesAndEvents/MontCo.GIEIflyer2013.pdf

They'll have info on herbs.

You can google "master gardener" and your state and find a free plant clinic. They often run on the weekends at local libraries.

[Anonymous]

i had cilantro, basil and dill going in a window box. they all did relatively well (ended up overcrowding) but the cilantro flowered pretty fast and i was told that once that happened you can't really use it anymore or something... all i know is that it became more difficult to find usable pieces off of it after that.

[Anonymous]

i've done parsley and cilantro in pots and they've done okay, though cilantro definitely preferred the cooler weather of spring and fall. i'd start now! in the event it freezes after sprouting, you can always re-seed. or if you're stingy with your seeds, start them indoors for a few weeks.

basil does well everywhere as far as i can tell. and mint is basically an invasive weed; be careful where you plant it - it's hard to get rid of!

my rosemary plants keep dying. can't figure out why. i thought they were supposed to be hard to kill, but ms blackthumb here has no trouble.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's best to do a few planting during the year. First planting after last frost, second a month or so after that, etc. Cilantro, dill, parsley all do well here and are very heat tolerant, but will seed quickly.

Another novice here.... what does that mean?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
It's best to do a few planting during the year. First planting after last frost, second a month or so after that, etc. Cilantro, dill, parsley all do well here and are very heat tolerant, but will seed quickly.


Another novice here.... what does that mean?

The plant will put all it's engery in to producing seeds. Basically the rest of the plant sart to die, becoming stringy and lacking flavor.

[Anonymous]

When cilantro goes to seed, the seeds are Coriander.