Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
bobbyrice

celantro and dill dead

bobbyrice
14 years ago

The cilantro dried up and died, Noticed what I thought was some small tiny bugs but hard to tell.

Pulled the plant and trashed it.

Several days later the dill right next to it was drying up and dieing. Lots of tiny little things all over. Did notice lots of lady bugs and lady bug larva on the plan, assuming they where trying to eat the bugs, But Not sure why they both dry up so fast and died.

Both where doing very well over wintered and had been flowering al spring here in north florida. What happend, The rosemary and parsley on the other side are untouched.

Comments (7)

  • cabrita
    14 years ago

    Both cilantro and dill are cool weather plants, they do not like the heat. Same happens to me in southern California. You can extend the season a little by providing some shade, but they like both cold and sun ideally. So no worries, it is normal, just enjoy those herbs during the winter. Time to sow some basil now (and other warm weather herbs).

  • ksrogers
    14 years ago

    Both will always die after flowering and forming seeds. They do not last long after the seeds form. You may have fungus gnats. Tiny black flies and their maggots in the soil that feed on the roots. Both plants do not grow well in pots and do not transplant outside very well either. Dill is fine with heat, but cilantro is not. My dill self seeds every year now and I have mammoth, fernleaf, and Dukat dill all over every little crack in my cement patio.

  • bobbyrice
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    They dfeinately had some sort of tiny little things all over the stems and leaves.
    The lady bugs where eating them. Do affids eat celantro and dill? It is not really hot here yet. Night have been prety cool.
    Also I keep them trimmed and do not allow the flowers and seeds to form will they continue to grow.
    Same question about the basil I just planted ,,,Growing like crazy has seem heads trying to form 3 weeks after planting already, should I trim them off.
    Should I trim the flowers and seeds off the parsley also , the plant is fine now?

  • ksrogers
    14 years ago

    Not all 'Lady bugs' are beneficial. There are a few strains with no spots or spots of a different count that can damage foliage. Neem spray is about the best you can do to reduce leaf chewing damages. Keep them trimmed will not prevent their life to death cycle. Cilantro initally forms flat parsley shaped leaves and then later one when bolting the leaves get thinner, narrower, as well as tougher, almost like ferns. Cutting off the flowers on Basil will help it bush out, but once they start flowering they are hard to deal with removing the blossom heads as they form and grow much faster.

  • rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
    14 years ago

    bobbyrice, are these herbs planted in containers, or in your garden?

    To answer your question about aphids: yes, they can be a pest on cilantro and dill. So can spider mites. If you observed ladybugs munching on these pests, it is likely that they are aphids.

    Keep pinching off the flowers of the basil, as they appear.

  • bobbyrice
    Original Author
    14 years ago

    If I pinch the flowers off the dil will it remain..
    Should I bother planting another cilantro for the summmer?
    Any way to keep one plant living year round or will I have to plant a new one every year?
    They are planted in a bed on facing south on the side of the house.

  • ksrogers
    14 years ago

    No. Cilantro and dill are from the same life conditions. Removing all the flowers and seeds will not prolong its growing more leaves. The leaves on Cilantro will not be tender and flat anymore and the leaves on the dill will turn brown and die, just as I stated before. For many years, I have grown all types of dill, and there is no way to get a longer season out of it, but to plant new seeds every 3 weeks or so. They do not translant from pots to a garden very well either as I stared before. Cilantro also works better if you do sucessive plantings of seeds. The thiner leaves of the bolting cilantro will be bitter and tough. Basil will bush out when the flower heads are pinched off, but even for that, the basil will start to get leggy and the bottom fleaves die out while the stems get woody. Cilantro needs cool weather and not much sun, especially f you attempt to grow it in summer. Two things can happen, it will either suddely die or will bolt and then die quickly. Dill, does not form branches beyond single fern leaves, and wil nt bush out, and neither will cilantro.