herb

Coriander

Fast, fragrant and in a hurry to bolt. Coriander is ready to pick in three to four weeks, and the whole trick is taking it before it decides to flower.

Coriander seedling
Seedling
Mature Coriander
Ready to pick
Thrives
10–20°C
Water
Medium
Difficulty
Beginner
Ready in
21–30  days
Spacing
20cm apart
Containers
Yes

How to plant it

  • Plant 20cm apart in a deep pot or free-draining soil, in sun or semi-shade.
  • Pick early and pick often, from about three weeks. Leaving it to get bigger is how you lose it to seed.
  • Water in the morning so the leaves dry off during the day. Wet foliage overnight invites rot.
  • Keep it moist in hot weather. Heat and dry soil together will bolt it inside a week.
  • Once it flowers the leaf turns bitter, but let it run and you get coriander seed to grind. Not a failure, just a different crop.