Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand November/December 2018 | Page 38

“ FOR THOSE WITH LIMITED SPACE,
epazote, papalo, and cilantro can be grown as
microgreens, harvested in the seedling stage
after the development of two to four leaves.”
For this reason, it is an excellent herb to grow in an indoor
garden to be harvested just before use when its flavour quality
is highest. Since cilantro has a habit of going to seed (bolting)
fairly rapidly, it’s important to select cultivars that will not
only grow large, quality foliage, but are also slow to bolt in the
warm protected environment of an indoor garden. Varieties
such as calypso, santo, and marino are well-suited to hydro-
ponic production being slow to bolt and allowing two to three
harvests or cuts before plants need to be replaced. Cilantro
seed is large, rounded, and easy to handle and is best sown
into individual cubes, cells, or pots of sterilised, free-drain-
ing substrate as seedlings are not suited to transplanting.
Germination occurs within five days at 20-25°C, with seedlings
requiring warmth (more than 20°C) and moderate light levels
to prevent elongation and tall, weak growth. Under hydro-
ponic production many growers sow several seeds into each
planting site or pot and grow these mini bunches for just a few
weeks before cutting. For small-scale indoor gardens, cilantro
can be harvested at any stage from young seedlings (micro-
greens) through to mature plants depending on the flavour
intensity required. Younger plants are more tender and the
flavour milder, while older plants, particularly those about to
flower, develop stronger, sometimes slightly bitter taste.
Papalo
Papalo (Porophyllum ruderale) is a lesser known, ancient
Mexican herb which predates the introduction of cilantro and
appears to be well-suited to hydroponic herb gardens and
NFT systems in particular. The flavour of papalo is similar to
a combination of cilantro, arugula, and lime with an aromatic,
38
Maximum Yield
Cilantro or leaf coriander is widely used in Mexican cuisine and is
already a popular hydroponic crop.
yet nutty, sharp flavour that is particularly well-suited to
incorporating into salsas and many other Mexican dishes as
a cilantro alternative. Papalo is a heat-loving plant and has
less tolerance to cooler conditions than cilantro, (and is thus
sometimes called summer cilantro), however, its bolder and
more complex flavour makes it a great addition to tomato,
bean, and chili dishes. Papalo, with its higher degree of heat
tolerance, is also a great plant to grow in conditions where
cilantro typically bolts and goes to seed rapidly. The aromatics
and flavour of the papalo foliage mostly originate from the
large oil glands which look like dark green spots on the
undersides of the leaves and are a distinctive characteristic
of this unique herb. Papalo comes in two different leaf forms:
narrow and broad leaf, with the broad leaf being more suited
to hydroponic production and having a more palatable flavour.
Papalo seeds are available from seed supplies, however,
germination can be somewhat slow, so buying in small plants
is another option for hydroponic systems.
For those with very limited space, epazote, papalo, and cilan-
tro can be grown as microgreens, harvested in the seedling
stage after the development of two to four leaves. Even at this
delicate stage, these herbs develop their characteristic flavour
in a milder form, well-suited to many culinary uses.
Setting aside some space for Mexican cuisine crops adds an
extra dimension of flavour to a hydroponic garden. While
we are all familiar with the traditional tomatoes and chilies,
growing a few tomatillos alongside these perennial favour-
ites will give months of great tasting fresh salsa ingredients.
Experimenting with a few of the more unusual Mexican herbs
such as epazote and papalo is also one way of obtaining that
truly authentic flavour, and there are also many more lesser
known Mexican herbs which are worth some investigation.