What To Do When Cilantro Gets Too Tall

Cilantro gets too tall when it starts bolting, meaning the plant shifts its energy from leaf production into flowering and seed formation.
 
Once cilantro gets too tall, the stems stretch upward quickly, leaves turn feathery, and the flavor begins to change.
 
If you’ve been wondering what to do when cilantro gets too tall, you have a few good options, and none of them mean your cilantro is ruined.
 
In this post, we’ll look at why cilantro gets too tall, what you can do about it, and how to keep enjoying your crop even after it bolts.
 
Let’s dig in.
 

Why Cilantro Gets Too Tall

Cilantro gets too tall mainly because of heat, and once it starts, it moves fast.
 

1. Bolting Is Triggered by Warm Weather

Cilantro is a cool-season herb, so when temperatures climb above 75°F, the plant panics and bolts.
 
This means cilantro gets too tall as a survival instinct, pushing up a flower stalk to produce seeds before the heat kills it.
 

2. Long Daylight Hours Speed It Up

When cilantro gets too tall, longer daylight hours in late spring and summer are often part of the reason.
 
More than 14 hours of light tells the plant it’s time to reproduce, not keep making leaves.
 

3. Stress Makes Cilantro Get Too Tall Faster

Dry soil, crowding, and transplant shock can all make cilantro get too tall before you’re ready.
 
When the plant feels threatened, bolting becomes its emergency plan.
 

4. It’s Natural, Not a Mistake

If your cilantro gets too tall, it’s not because you did something wrong.
 
It’s just cilantro doing what cilantro does when the season shifts.
 

What to Do When Cilantro Gets Too Tall

So what do you do when cilantro gets too tall?
 
You’ve got several practical choices depending on what you want from the plant.
 

1. Pinch Off the Flower Stalks

If cilantro gets too tall, you can pinch or snip off the flower buds as soon as you see them.
 
This buys you a little more time, though it won’t stop bolting forever.
 
Cut the stalk down to where the leaves are still tender and green.
 

2. Harvest the Leaves Right Away

When cilantro gets too tall, the leaves you have left are still usable, so harvest them now.
 
Older leaves on a tall cilantro plant taste a bit stronger, but they work great in cooked dishes.
 
Toss them into soups, curries, or sauces where the flavor can mellow out.
 

3. Let It Flower for the Pollinators

If cilantro gets too tall and starts blooming, the small white flowers feed bees and beneficial insects.
 
Letting cilantro get too tall on purpose is actually a smart garden move for biodiversity.
 

4. Harvest the Seeds as Coriander

Once cilantro gets too tall and the flowers fade, green seeds form and turn brown.
 
Those seeds are coriander, and you can harvest them for cooking.
 
This is one of the best answers to what to do when cilantro gets too tall, because nothing goes to waste.
 

5. Pull the Plant and Replant

If cilantro gets too tall and stops producing usable leaves, pull it and sow fresh seeds.
 
Cilantro grows fast from seed, so a new round is ready in about three to four weeks.
 

How to Keep Cilantro From Getting Too Tall

You can’t fully prevent bolting, but you can slow it down so cilantro doesn’t get too tall too soon.
 

1. Plant at the Right Time

Sow cilantro in early spring or late summer so it never has to deal with peak heat.
 

2. Give It Afternoon Shade

A spot with morning sun and afternoon shade keeps cilantro from getting too tall as quickly.
 

3. Water Consistently

Even moisture reduces stress, and less stress means cilantro is slower to get too tall.
 

4. Sow Successively

Plant new seeds every two to three weeks so you always have a fresh patch before the old one gets too tall.
 

So, What to Do When Cilantro Gets Too Tall?

When cilantro gets too tall, you can pinch the flowers, harvest the remaining leaves, collect coriander seeds, or simply replant.
 
Cilantro gets too tall because of heat and long days, not because you failed as a gardener.
 
Use what you have, let some of it flower, and start a new batch for a steady supply.
 
That way, cilantro getting too tall never costs you your harvest.