The trouble with cilantro

My mother said to me yesterday, "Where did you learn to garden? I can't keep anything alive." I answered my mother that I didn't. I just keep trying, and every year I've gotten better.  Part of my success is due to my hideous self watering, well draining container.  It babys my herbs when I don't have time to do so myself.

This year I added cilantro to my miracle container. Then came the wind, and somehow the roots came to the surface. I reburied them.  It happened again.  I reburied them again.  Then I noticed the stems were tangled. So after some fruitless internet research, I untangled them. Now they are limply strewn about, leaning on my dill and slowly bringing it down.  (I still have no clue why the roots keep coming to the surface, but I'm just going to let that slide.)


 So, things to know before you grow cilantro:

• Cilantro is a cool weather plant, believe it or not. It bolts (flowers) really quickly when the weather warms up to 75, and you can no longer enjoy it's deliciousness. 
• Cut off the flower heads to extend the plant's life. This is not guaranteed to work, but I hear the flowers are edible and rather yummy.
• Alternatively, let the flower heads drop and pray for a second crop of the season.
• It prefers morning and late afternoon sun, even though it is technically a "full sun plant" because it is so sensitive to heat.
•  Cilantro does not transplant well.  (Oops.)  You are better off seeding directly in the container.
• It grows in clumps because its stems are weak. (Ah, whoops.)