Growing Cilantro Indoors: Why It Bolts and How to Delay It

Cilantro (coriander) is one of the most frustrating herbs to grow indoors.

It grows fast, tastes amazing, and then suddenly shoots up a tall stem with flowers and says goodbye. This is called bolting, and it is inevitable. But you can delay it.

If you grew up eating pho, banh mi, or any dish where cilantro is essential, you know the grocery store stuff is never enough. Growing your own is the move.

Why Cilantro Bolts So Fast

Cilantro is a cool-season annual. It wants to grow, produce seeds, and die. That is its life plan.

What triggers bolting:

  • Heat (anything above 75 F speeds it up)
  • Long days (more than 12 hours of light)
  • Stress (inconsistent watering, root-bound pot)

Once it bolts, the leaves turn bitter and the plant is done. You cannot reverse it.

How to Delay Bolting

You cannot stop it forever, but you can buy yourself extra time.

Best strategies:

  1. Keep it cool - Cilantro loves temperatures between 50 and 70 F. Indoors, this means a cool room or near a window in fall and winter.
  2. Give it bright light but not all day - 6 to 8 hours of light is enough. Too much light triggers bolting.
  3. Harvest often - Pinching leaves regularly tricks the plant into staying in growth mode longer.
  4. Water consistently - Stress speeds up bolting.

Starting Cilantro Indoors

From Seed (Easiest)

Cilantro grows fast from seed. You will have leaves in 3 to 4 weeks.

Steps:

  1. Soak seeds overnight (speeds germination)
  2. Plant seeds half an inch deep in moist potting soil
  3. Keep soil moist until seeds sprout (7 to 10 days)
  4. Thin seedlings to 2 to 3 inches apart
  5. Place in bright, indirect light

Pro tip: Plant new seeds every 2 to 3 weeks for continuous harvests. Cilantro is a succession crop.

Light and Temperature

  • Light: 6 to 8 hours of bright, indirect light
  • Temperature: 50 to 70 F (cooler is better)
  • Avoid: Hot windowsills, direct afternoon sun

If your home is warm year-round, cilantro will bolt faster. Grow it in the coolest room you have.

Watering

Cilantro likes evenly moist soil, but not soggy.

  • Water when the top inch feels dry
  • Avoid letting it dry out completely (stress = bolting)

Harvesting

Start harvesting when the plant is 4 to 6 inches tall.

How to harvest:

  • Snip outer leaves first
  • Leave the center growing point intact
  • Harvest often (every few days if possible)

The more you harvest, the longer the plant stays productive.

What To Do When It Bolts

Once cilantro bolts, you have two options:

Option 1: Pull it and plant new seeds

This is the practical choice. Bolted cilantro tastes bitter.

Option 2: Let it go to seed

If you let it flower and set seed, you get coriander seeds (the spice). The seeds are also edible and useful in cooking.

Bonus: The flowers attract beneficial insects if you have other plants nearby.

Common Mistakes

  • Planting once and expecting months of cilantro (it does not work that way)
  • Growing it in a hot, sunny window
  • Waiting too long to harvest (harvest early and often)
  • Giving up after the first plant bolts

Best Cilantro Varieties for Indoors

  • Slow Bolt - Bred to resist bolting longer
  • Calypso - Compact and slower to bolt
  • Santo - Popular for indoor growing

Standard cilantro works too, but these varieties buy you a few extra weeks.

What To Do Next

  • Plant cilantro every 3 weeks for a continuous supply
  • If you love fresh herbs, try growing Thai basil or green onions next
  • If cilantro keeps bolting too fast, grow it in the coolest spot you have or wait until fall
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