Dill & Cilantro flowering

[jhook1997]

This is my first year doing a lot of herbs and I don't quite know what to do to take care of them. My dill and cilantro are already blooming. Do I pinch off the flowers or leave them be?

 

[digitS']

If your cilantro is already flowering - it is on its way to being coriander. The usefulness of the leaves has pretty well past. Staggering the plantings of seed will probably work for you but you may need to wait until late in the season when the weather cools off. My best cilantro plants are the ones that survive the winter and show up growing nicely in the spring.

Dill has a tendency to not flower all at once. I suppose that you could remove the flowers and force it to produce more flowers at a later time. I'm not sure if that would be best, however.

If you were thinking of using the leaves, once again and like cilantro, that moment is probably past.

For use of the flowers as a flavoring for dill pickles - you may want to cut the dill and dry it. If you do not have cucumbers ready for pickling, the dry dill will be useful for that later in the season. I'm quite sure that it would freeze well, also. For drying, make sure it is out of direct sunlight, tie stems into small bunches and hang them upside down where there's some air movement. Easy.

Steve

 

[catjac1975]

I eat the flowers. Replant seed for you next crop. I replant at least 3X on the cilantro.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you cut the dill flowers off, it will continue to flower for a while. I can keep my dill going for several extra weeks. If I don't cut the flowers off, mine will die. Mine does flower all at once, but my climate is quite a bit warmer than Steve's. Those flower heads are great for making dill pickles.

I just let my cilantro go to seed. I know many people really like it, but it's not my favorite herb. I don't take special care of it like I do dill.

 

[hoodat]

I like to use the dill flower heads in a jar of pickles. It adds the dill flavor and is quite decorative in the jar. If your dill flowers at a different time than your cukes are ready to pickle you can use a large jar and pour boiling vinegar over them to preserve them; then when you need them just take them out and put them in the jar. The dill flavor in the vinegar makes an interesting salad dressing with a little olive oil.

 

[retiredwith4acres]

Hoodat, I am going to try that! I have blooms now and just a few cucumbers. I will try the dressing as well. Thanks.

 

[ducks4you]

Just wanted to say, "GLAD YOU'RE BACK", Hoodat!!! Think I'll try some dill, again, this year. Any tips?

 

[vfem]

Cilatro is not really liked well here... I get more coriander then I know what to do with most years because of it.

The dill however, the flowers look so pretty when I put them right into the jars with my pickles, and they flavor the jars as well. YUM!

 

[hoodat]

Just wanted to say, "GLAD YOU'RE BACK", Hoodat!!! Think I'll try some dill, again, this year. Any tips?

Thank you and everyone else who has taken time to wish me well. As far as dill goes I planted it once and never had to plant it again. It just comes up all over the garden on its own. I just pull out the ones that are in the "wrong" place.

 

[Dave2000]

I keep eating the leaves on my cilantro after it has bolted, but they get a touch of bitterness which goes away a bit if they're cooked rather than raw. They're in window boxes so once the seeds start to look mature I don't water them anymore as inevitably when I go to collect the coriander enough will have escaped me to become self seeding. I keep the pots with dried out dirt and seeds on top in the garage then come fall I sprinkle some topsoil over them, water them, and start the fall batch.