How To Grow Culantro: Easy Steps On Growing Culantro
Did you get very excited about learning how to grow culantro after you heard of the plant? The intrigue is very obvious as the herb is a very popular one in the world for its sharp flavor when compared to the more known Cilantro. There are a lot of names of the culantro in different cuisine cultures like Shado beni, Bandhaniya, Ngo Gai, etc.
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This biennial is mostly cultivated as an annual and the process is very easy. Let’s see the knick and knacks of growing culantro.
Facts about the Culantro Cultivation
Before we move on to learn how to grow culantro, here are some facts about the plant for you to know that will help you carry out the cultivation process better.
Needs of the Culantros
There are certain essential requirements of culantro which you must meet to let it grow nicely. Let’s see the what, where, and when before knowing how to grow culantro:
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Growing Culantros
Let’s now see the two different methods you can choose between to grow a culantro plant.
Using the seeds
The first thing that you need in this method is patience since culantro grows slowly from the seeds. It is preferable to start the culantro seeds indoors because they are very small in size and sowing them outside will make it difficult to locate the seedlings.
Select good quality seeds for the planting and the right variety that you want to grow. You need to now get any seed tray or container and fill it with a good soil starter mix which is sterilized. Moisten the soil well enough.
Sprinkle the seeds over the soil and leave them as it is. Keep the pot at a location bereft of direct sunlight. The most important thing for the germination of these seeds is bottom heat and you will have to provide that by keeping the pot over any hot surface or a heating mat.
Keep the soil adequately moist throughout the process. It usually takes around 2 – 4 weeks for the sprouts to emerge. You can do some pruning at this stage to make a space of about 8-12 cm between the seedlings.
Wait for the frost to end or at least 6-8 weeks till moving ahead with transplantation. Harden off the young plants first by gradually exposing them to the outdoor conditions. You can plant the seedlings in a bigger pot now or take them to the outdoor space.
Pick an area with light shade and plant the young culantro plants at a space of about 8-12 inches from each other. Keep the soil around the plant moist always.
Using culantro stem cuttings
This is the fast forward method as you start almost halfway the process. You can save both time and money if you decide on growing culantro with the stem cuttings and if you manage to get it easily. A cutting which measures around 6 inches and having plenty of them will be good to start with.
Remove all the lower leaves and any flower from the stem. Fill water into a small pit and put the cuttings into it so that only bare stem touches the water. Put this pot in a shady location and keep changing the water every alternate day.
You will see roots emerging within a week mostly. Once they are around 2 inches long, the cuttings are ready to be transplanted. Plant the cuttings into your garden bed or any pot.
Caring for the Culantros
There is not much that you need to do for taking care of the culantro plant once it starts growing. These are some basic needs to be met for expecting a great harvest.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned all about how to grow culantro, start with arranging the necessary equipment, and wait till the time is right. The results are going to very rewarding and that sauce made from the leaves will boost the flavor of any dish that you make.
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