How to Save Cilantro Seeds for Next Season’s Garden

Saving your own seeds is one of the most rewarding and budget-friendly things you can do in the garden. And cilantro is one of the easiest cool-season herbs to save seeds from—if you know what to look for. So in this post, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know about how to save cilantro seeds step-by-step.

Cilantro is one of those herbs that bolts quickly as soon as the weather warms up. But instead of ripping it out, let it go to seed, and you’ll end up with thousands of tiny seed pods you can harvest for future planting.

I remember one season when all of my cilantro bolted, and I was just about ready to save the seeds… but before I could, the gardeners ripped it all out.

At first, I was so upset because it had taken weeks for those seeds to finally mature. But to be fair, the plants did look like huge dead weeds, so I can’t blame them too much.

The funny part? So many seeds had already dropped, and the next year, cilantro popped up everywhere in the garden. So in the end, it still worked out great!

With that being said, if you’ve ever felt discouraged when your cilantro bolts, don’t be. This is actually when the magic happens for seed saving.

What to Know Before Saving Cilantro Seeds

Before you collect any seeds, it’s important to understand a couple key things to ensure your saved seeds grow true to type and produce healthy plants next season.

Plant Heirloom or Open-Pollinated Varieties

If you plan to save cilantro seeds, be sure you’re growing an heirloom or open-pollinated variety. These are stable types that will grow into the same variety next year.

If you’re growing a hybrid, the seeds may not produce the same plant, they can be unpredictable because they’re a cross between two different varieties. Hybrid cilantro is less common, but it’s always worth checking your seed packet before saving.

Avoid Cross-Pollination

Luckily, cilantro is less likely to cross-pollinate with other herbs in your garden. But if you’re growing multiple cilantro varieties close together, there’s still a chance they could cross and result in mixed genetics.

To avoid this, plant only one variety or give plants plenty of space between different types.

How to Save Cilantro Seeds: Step-by-Step

Here’s the simple process for harvesting and storing your own cilantro seeds.

1. Let the Plant Bolt and Go to Seed

Once temperatures rise, cilantro will naturally bolt, sending up tall flower stalks. Those flowers are exactly what you want. Eventually, they’ll turn into clusters of round green seed pods, also known as coriander.

Let the plant keep growing until the seed pods turn from green to light brown or tan and feel crisp to the touch. If you squeeze a pod and it cracks or crushes easily, it’s dry and ready to harvest.

2. Harvest the Seed Heads

Once most of the seed heads are dry, cut the entire seed stalk off the plant. A good tip is to place a paper bag over the seed head and clip it off directly into the bag to avoid losing any seeds.

3. Dry Seeds Fully

After harvesting, keep the seed heads in a warm, dry area for about a week to finish drying. You can hang them upside down in bunches or lay them flat on a tray or screen.

Proper drying helps prevent mold and ensures the seeds will store well.

4. Remove and Clean the Seeds

Once fully dry, gently rub or shake the seed heads over a bowl or bag to release the seeds. You’ll be left with lots of little tan balls, these are the coriander seeds, and they’re what you’ll plant next season.

You can separate out any chaff or debris, but don’t stress about making it perfect. The important part is that your seeds are dry and clean enough to store.

5. Store in a Cool, Dry Place

Place your cilantro seeds in a paper envelope, glass jar, or airtight container. Keep them in a cool, dark, and dry spot like a pantry or cupboard.

Cilantro seeds can stay viable for up to 3 years, but for the best germination, it’s ideal to use them within 1–2 seasons.

Once your seeds are stored, you’ll be all set for next season. And if you need help planting them, here’s my full guide on how to grow cilantro from seed to harvest.

Summary

Saving cilantro seeds is one of the easiest ways to stretch your garden even further. Just a single plant can give you thousands of seeds, more than enough for next year’s garden and to share.

Here’s a quick recap:

• Grow heirloom or open-pollinated cilantro
• Let the plant bolt and seed pods mature fully
• Harvest once the seeds are dry and tan
• Finish drying indoors if needed
• Store in a cool, dry, dark place

And if you want to save seeds from more cool-weather crops like lettuce, celery, kale, and radishes, be sure to grab my free seed-saving guide below. It includes a full chart of which crops to save seeds from and which ones to avoid due to cross-pollination or hybridization.

Get Your Free Seed Saving Guide

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