If you want to spice up your vegetable garden at home, cilantro and chives are two healthy, versatile and tasty options. While not all people like these ingredients, they have great health benefits that will motivate you to plant them.
Coriander, for example, is rich in potassium, which helps eliminate excess sodium from the body. In addition, the plant prevents premature aging, lowers cholesterol and triglyceride levels, facilitates digestion, detoxifies the liver, controls high blood pressure and prevents diabetes.
Chives, in turn, help to prevent infections, improve eye health, regulate the immune system and bowel function, and favor the functioning of the heart.
That is, the two plants can improve your quality of life. So, how to plant them the right way? Is there a trick to this? Read the next topics to grow cilantro and chives without difficulties.
What do I need to know to plant cilantro and chives?
Before planting coriander and chives, it is important that you know some information about these plants, such as: the ideal light for them, the right type of soil, when to water them and when to harvest them. Understand more below:
What do you need to grow cilantro and chives?
Before knowing more about the essential conditions for planting coriander and chives, write down the materials you need to complete your vegetable garden at home:
- Vase with holes in the base;
- PET bottle painted in a dark color;
- expanded clay;
- Drainage blanket;
- Fertilizer;
- substrate;
- Water;
- coriander seeds;
- Chive seeds.
When is the best time to plant cilantro and chives?
Before planting coriander and chives, you should pay attention to the best time to plant these plants. In the case of cilantro, it is recommended that you plant it in spring or autumn. Chives should preferably be planted in autumn.
Important information about planting coriander
- Brightness: For an intense flavor in cilantro, plant it in a warm place that receives direct sunlight. The sun is an important ally for this plant.
- Solo: aromatic leaves, such as coriander, do not need a soil with as much organic matter. Therefore, use fertilizer only once a month.
- Let go: right after planting, it is important that the coriander soil is wet, without soaking. Then, as the plant develops, water whenever the soil is dry.
- Harvest: between 50 and 70 days after planting coriander, you can harvest it, but never remove a large amount of the plant, as this can harm its development.
Where to plant coriander?
If you don't have a garden at home, you can still plant coriander. That's because you can do it in a vase or a pet bottle.
How to plant coriander in a pot
To plant cilantro in a pot, choose a pot that is 15 cm in diameter and 20 cm in depth, with holes in the bottom. In this place, you must add a layer of expanded clay, the draining blanket, the substrate, the seeds and another layer of earth.
How to plant coriander in a pet bottle
If you prefer to plant coriander in a pet bottle, paint the sides with a dark paint, so as not to harm the development of the plant's roots. Then lay the bottle down and cut a square on one side of it, without removing the cap. Then, fill half of the bottle with fertilizer and substrate, place the seeds and finish with another layer of soil.
Step by step to plant coriander
With all the information you need to plant cilantro, follow the step-by-step guide to accomplish this task:
- Hydrate the coriander seeds the day before you plant them;
- Prepare the vase or pet bottle according to the instructions in the topic above;
- Water the soil to keep it moist until the plant germinates;
- Water whenever the soil is dry;
- Wait between 50 and 70 days to harvest the leaves, cutting a small amount of them.
Important information about planting chives
- Brightness: chives need a lot of sun to develop. So, prefer to plant it in a place that receives direct light for at least six hours a day.
- Solo: an iron-rich, moist, well-draining soil is an ideal choice for chives. Therefore, you can use red earth and humus for planting.
- Let go: although chives need moist soil to thrive, it can never become soggy. If it's in a well-drained location, the chives can be watered for one to three days.
- Harvest: Chives should be harvested when the leaves are large enough to be cut, 80 to 100 days after planting. Just gather the leaves in a handful and cut them without getting too close to the bulb.
Where to plant chives?
If you are not in love with cilantro, chives are the option that will please you. Follow the information on how to plant it in two different ways:
How to plant chives in a pot
In a pot at least 15 cm in diameter and deep, with holes in the bottom, add a layer of expanded clay, the drainage blanket, a layer of substrate, the seeds and a final layer of soil.
How to plant chives in a pet bottle
Make a cut in the side of a pet bottle painted a dark color. Then, add a layer of expanded clay at the bottom, fill the remaining space with substrate, add the seeds and finish with another layer of soil.
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Step by step to plant chives
Following the instructions that we have already presented for planting in the vase or in the pet bottle, complete your vegetable garden at home with the step-by-step instructions for planting chives:
- Hydrate chive seeds a day before planting them;
- Prepare the vase or pet bottle according to the instructions in the topic above;
- Water the soil so that it is always moist, without soaking it;
- Wait between 80 and 100 days to harvest the leaves, avoiding cutting them near the bulb.
With the details we present about the planting of coriander and chives, it is easy to enrich your food and your garden. Remember to plant these two ingredients in the most suitable period for the plants, respecting the ideal conditions of light, soil type and watering.
