Spicy grass complements different dishes with a spicy touch, revealing a new taste of the usual products. Therefore, green coriander is always welcome to the table. Cultivation from seeds will not be difficult, agricultural technology is unpretentious and simple. Plant and grow a plant can not only in the country, but also on the windowsill, balcony.
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Are coriander and cilantro the same?
Much known by ear and coriander, and under the pseudonym cilantro, but not everyone knows that both names belong to the same plant.
There are many interpretations; a plant can be called differently, which is explained by a purely geographical factor. Each nationality with the appearance of a new spice had its own variations, for example:
- in Belarus - kalandra;
- in India, dhanya;
- in Greece - a corion.
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- Cilantro green
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- Coriander Seeds
In fact, the specific feature of the plant contributes to the dual name, namely the smell of its various parts. Seeds (coriander) have a spicy aroma with a hint of orange peel. It is warm and pleasant, therefore, in addition to cooking, it is used in the perfume industry.
Greens (cilantro) are filled with more saturated and even mixed smells, which causes a controversial attitude towards seasoning among cooks and ordinary housewives. Some feel the notes of freshness, citrus. Others believe that the scent is unpleasant, similar to rubber or soap.
What is coriander?
The plant belongs to the family of umbrella cultures, the Mediterranean is considered the birthplace.Perennial grass with feathery leaves and white or light pink buds that look like umbrellas. Seeds have a rounded shape, they have a special aroma, which was the separation of the names of the upper part of the plant and fruits.
Coriander unpretentious care, in agrotechnology there are no special requirements for the soil. However, to get a good harvest you need to ease the heavy ground, make it looser.
The origin of cilantro
Coriander has been grown since ancient times more than 3,000 years agoas evidenced by the remains of a plant found in Egyptian tombs.
In the old manuscripts about the fragrant grass mentioned the ancient Greeks, who used it as a remedy, the French, who used cilantro for the manufacture of fragrant liquid and the infusion of heart disease.
Centuries later, the spice trail was celebrated in Asia, the Middle East, and England. And after a while the coriander was already appreciated overseas. Grass seeds have come to Russia from Spain. External similarity with parsley contributed to the rapid adoption of the overseas product, the Slavs liked the taste.
In the early 30s of the 19th century, Count P.I. Apraskin introduced cilantro into culture, distributing seeds brought from Spain to peasants who lived in the village of Krasnoye, Voronezh Province.
At this period, coriander is growing in almost all countries, but the spice has become most popular in such parts of the world:
- India;
- Asia (southeast);
- North Africa;
- Eastern Europe;
- The Netherlands.
Growing plants from seed in the country or garden
The rules of grass care are quite simple, and the culture itself is not capricious. It attracts many gardeners.
Seed sowing time
You need to plant coriander seminal method. You do not need to soak them when buying seeds in a package, but you can check germination.
Resistance to frost eliminates the use of the seedling method, therefore in the beginning of April seed can be planted directly on the beds of open ground or greenhouses. In the southern regions even begin to land in March.
Place for sowing choose sun or partial shade. You should not plan a garden under a dense tree crown or along fences and buildings, there will be a lack of lighting. Seeds are scattered around or into the prepared groove. The immersion depth is 1.5-2 cm.
Care of seedlings
After seed germination and the formation of several leaves on the seedlings do thinning, so as not to create thickening. The distance between the sockets should be not less than 8-10 cm. When growing crops on greens, the crop is removed, as soon as the inflorescences begin to be laid.
When cutting greens should be taken into account the fact that when removed from the bush more than a third of it at a time, plant growth stops. To ensure the development of escape with a 2-3 one-time assembly cycle of green twigs, it is recommended to remove only the top.
Planting in open ground
Sow a plant for greens can begin from April and do every 2 weeks until August. It is recommended to plan small beds in different places of the site in order not to attract coriander seed-seed to the garden.The pest control is difficult, it can adapt to any conditions and environment.
Coriander is not afraid of frost, so the landing work can be started at an established daytime temperature. 10-14 degrees. Seeds and young shoots easily tolerate cold snap to -10 degrees (if it is short term). This fact excludes the arrangement of shelter after sowing.
For culture is more suitable loose soilenriched with nutrients. If the soil is dense, it is diluted with coarse river sand. It is desirable to fertilize a bed in the fall when digging the ground. As food is used the usual humus (bucket floor per 1 m2). In the spring, when preparing the soil, it is necessary to introduce wood ash into it, then the plant will be able to successfully climb.
Sow coriander seeds randomly or in rows in a moist soil. A small layer of dry soil is sprinkled over the grains. When forming beds with rows, an inter-row width of 25–30 cm is left for convenient plant maintenance. Sowing depth is 2 cm. If you overdo it with backfilling, seedlings will appear on the soil surface for 1-2 weeks later.
Proper care
Sprouts appear after sowing later 28-40 days. Greens grow quickly, subject to timely watering. It is especially important to moisten the bed in the phase of active growing season, then the leaves are succulent with a delicate aroma.
Irrigation frequency - 1 time in 2-3 days. In dry soil, the plant redirects its strength to the development of a flower stem to the detriment of greenery. However, do not pour the area with coriander, with high humidity increases the risk of powdery mildew.
Active growth of greens also contributes loosening soil that is rational combine with weeding.
To keep the soil wet longer, and the weeds do not bother with their intensive germination, the garden bed needs mulch. Chopped tree bark or straw, sawdust are used as mulch. You can fill the surface of the earth with peat. The mulch layer should not be less than 4-6 cm.
Most often, the need for dressing disappears, coriander is enough fertilizer, introduced in the process of preparing the soil. However, some gardeners feed the culture with potassium and superphosphate.
If the irrigation regime is disturbed, the leaves of cilantro are dense and the smell is unpleasant.
How to collect greens and storage of the crop
Culture is grown by gardeners for different purposes:
- getting fresh greens;
- seed harvesting.
In this regard, experts recommend sowing coriander. in separate beds.
Cut cilantro can be stored for a long time, if properly prepared. First, the branches are washed under running water and laid out to dry completely, after which crushed and loaded into a glass or ceramic container with lid for savings.
Put the container in a dry but dark place. Under the action of sunlight during drying or storage, the useful properties of the plant are lost.
By the way, this way of breeding is used by many gardeners. The seeds germinated in spring give a stable harvest.
You need to collect the seeds when their color becomes brown. Cut the stems into small bunches and hang them in a well-ventilated room to dry. Under the suspended blanks should spread out a canvas or film to collect seeds.
The resulting crop spices pass through a sieve with large cells to get rid of the remnants of the grass. Glass or paper packaging placed in a dry dark place is suitable for storage.
Simple agricultural techniques and excellent taste of spicy grass are the main arguments in favor of coriander in the preparation of the range of crops for cultivation in the new season.