Cilantro will soon bolt, which, as mentioned in many recent threads here, is not useful for a seasoning once its flat leaves are gone. Harvest it now, and you can cut the leaves ans tender stems right now. Basil can either remain in a pot or grown in a garden. Some types can grow to 4-5 foot tall. If in a pot, transplant it to a larger one if its height is now at 12 inches, or when it reachs that height. Cilantro dos better in cooler shade, while basil loves the heat of the bright sun. Water lightly when the leaves start to look a little wilted, or when soil is dry to the touch. Cilantro does NOT transplant well, so leave it in a pot.

Yes, for both these plants, you eat the leaves. You can eat them fresh, or you can harvest them and let them dry (for these plants they'll lose their flavour a bit), or you can chop them and freeze them or freeze them whole for future use. Fresh is best for flavour - so yes, it's just a matter of 'cut, rinse, chop (optional), cook (optional) eat!'

You can eat the flowers of both these plants, too, but if you're such a beginner, you probably won't want to!

If you're planning to grow other herbs, it's important to know which part(s) of the plant are edible. Depending on the herb, the edible part(s) could be leaves, buds, flowers, seeds, bark, roots. If you're not sure, ask first!

Basil likes as much sun as you can give it. It also likes heat. It's an annual, which means it usually dies after one growing season.

Coriander (cilantro) will probably bolt to seed in full sun, so give it partial shade. When you see the leaves beginning to change shape, and flowers coming along, that's when it's bolting. Let it happen, and seeds will eventually fall and you could end up with lots more plants. Most gardeners recommend you start again with coriander about every 2-3 weeks - it's a very short-lived plant, especially in warmer climates.

The most important thing you can provide for your plants is good drainage. Make sure there are plenty of drainage holes in the bottom of your pots (one in the centre isn't good enough). Water thoroughly, and allow the excess to run out. Never allow potting mix to dry out completely, or it becomes water-repellent. Do the Finger Test to find out if your plant needs watering. Poke your finger into the soil as far down as it will go. If the tip of your finger feels cool and moist, no need to water. If dry - give the plant a drink. Plants in pots need much more frequent watering than plants in the ground. Don't let your pots sit in a puddle of water - this means no saucer under the pot. Most plants don't like wet feet (roots sitting in water).

Didn't we cover all of this just a few days ago..?

Yes, and about a thousand times previously, too! But people like to have answers to their individual questions, dontcha know? Especially newbies.

Where in N. Cal do you live? If you live up by Redding, it will need afternoon shade to keep it from frying and bolting. People who don't live in California don't understand. :o) The more it gets over 100º the more afternoon shade it needs. If you live near the coast, ignore that.

ksrogers: have you ever had a successful "search" on this website? I'd google it first. Grrrrrrrr.

Actually yes, if you keep it simple, or use a few different key words! Its just overwhelming when you see 200 posts in a single thread about the same things. Wish we had FAQ's here, where a REAL search would help some by bringing up a similar topic basd on the thread subject. So many times I see the same question about 'herbs', as if everything that had a green leaf on it was an herb. We know different. It may be nice to post a few book links, unless the interested person hates to get a good book on the subject.

Does anyone know for sure how we go about creating a faq for this forum? In browsing through other forums' posts, it appeared as though you needed to suggest the faq on the suggestion forum and if it was agreed with by enough folks the blank faq document would be set up for someone to edit. Is that true? I couldn't locate any instructions on creating a faq. I got some 404/File not found for some of the gardenweb help and instruction documents I tried to access.

The reason I ask is that I'd love so much for there to be a faq on cilantro at the very least. Maybe basil too. Any other "hot" topics people have seen too many times?

FataMorgana

Here is a link that might be useful: Suggestion forum

Been hoping for the same thing in the HARVEST forum. Not sure how to reach the admin here, but if there are broken links, they need to know about that. Maybe they just don't want us to have a FAQ.., hence the broken links..