Culantro-Mexican coriander

[Cricket]

Culantro-Mexican coriander-"shaded, moist, tropical". I ordered culantro seed this year--a more substantial plant than cilantro. I planted it in a flat on April 29 with a black plastic sheet in it to stiffle drips over my books in our cabin in 1/2 garden soil, 1/2 compost that I sieve and store in 55 gal barrels in my unheated greenhouse to start seeds in. The directions said just to sprinkle the seeds on top and I put on a clear plastic lid and put it sideways on a bottom shelf as far away from the window as I could. The shelf is designed for flats longways side-by-side. I didn't get anything but the usual chickweed and other stuff that came up. I had an ant colony in it that got discouraged with all my watering and left. I gave up on it and didn't look at it for a long time. Yesterday, June 29, it was the only flat left inside the cabin and I scooped it up to throw it away when to my surprise, it had about 75 tiny little shiny dark green serrated-leaved culantros in it. I took the lid off, put it outside and watered it. The cat visited it today sometime and left a deep footprint, but it's O.K., mostly. I'm wondering if anyone has ever grown it and could tell me their experiences with it. I guess I'll let it grow a bit more outside, but not in the greenhouse in the daytime, and then transplant to 4" pots. It surprises me that it took 2 months to germinate. Was that because of the difference between a tropical climate and a north temperate one? Now I have to create a little microclimate of "shaded, moist, tropical." In the greenhouse with shade cloth? (Surely it doesn't have to be that big of a production!) It was a 60ºF type day today. I wore a turtleneck, corduroy pants and a sweater in the early morning and late afternoon. Any ideas?

[tabletophomestead]

I started some in the greenhouse over the winter. It came up easily enough and was hardy in transplanting, but I'm having a heck of a time getting any size on them. I'm still experimenting with just the right environment to make the darned things happy. I have had some go to seed, so I'll have more seed to start later.

[Cricket]

Thanks, for the reply, Tabletop. I am now forewarned about the slow growth of culantro and I think I'll put some in the greenhouse and some outside to be sure. My understanding is that a northern climate mitigates the shade requirement. We'll see. I may have to buy some cilantro seeds.

I looked briefly at your website. Is your grant information just for Oklahoma? I didn't open that part because I thought it might be limited to OK. Your greenhouse looks nifty! I make my bread too. I make a biga the night before with gluten flour and do two loaves at a time the next day using organic unbleached white and hard red whole wheat. I do use 1-2 eggs so it won't fall apart when we slice it. I use either molasses & honey or honey, and cardamon. I put raw, unsalted sunflour seeds in it. I've cut down a lot on salt in what I make to be more healthy, but still put some in.