Cilantro is a cool-season herb that bolts quickly once heat arrives, and Caribe is a slow-bolt selection that gives a few more weeks of leaf than the standard type before it flowers. The leaves are the herb; the seeds that follow are coriander, so a plant that does bolt is not wasted.
The whole game is staying ahead of the heat with succession sowings. Direct sow every two weeks from about four weeks before last frost until days pass 80°F, then stop, and start again in late summer as the heat breaks for a fall crop that lasts until hard frost. Sow a quarter inch deep, 4 to 6 inches apart, in average soil, and give it afternoon shade in warm spells. It resents transplanting.
Harvest the outer leaves or cut the whole plant an inch above the soil for one regrowth. Let a few plants flower at the end: the lacy white umbels bring in hoverflies, lacewings and parasitic wasps that work the rest of the vegetable garden, and the plants self-sow for next spring.
Powdery mildew
White or grey powdery coating on leaves - usually starting on older growth in humid conditions or when nights cool.
Improve air circulation by thinning plants. Apply neem oil or potassium bicarbonate spray at first sign. Avoid overhead watering.
Damping Off
Seedlings collapse at the soil line with thin, water-soaked stems; seeds may fail to emerge or rot before sprouting.
Sow in well-draining mix, avoid overwatering, and ensure good airflow. Remove affected seedlings and let the surface dry between waterings.
Angular Leaf Spot
Small water-soaked spots on leaves that turn brown and angular, bounded by leaf veins. Spots may dry and drop out, leaving holes. Fruit can develop small sunken lesions.
Avoid overhead watering and working among wet plants. Remove infected leaves, rotate crops on a 2–3 year cycle, and use copper-based sprays if the disease spreads.