How to Grow Coriander

Coriander, also sometimes known as cilantro, is an annual herb that produces tangy leaves and aromatic seeds, widely used in many dishes, especially in Mexican and Asian cuisines.

Coriander is easy to grow from seed sown outdoors, in the ground or in containers, from spring onwards. Plants are compact, so make ideal gap-fillers on the veg plot. If you grow it purely for leaves, then treat it like a short-term salad crop and sow small batches every month or so, to provide continual leafy harvests from mid-summer to early autumn.

Each sowing should give you several harvests before the plants start to flower. This will happen sooner in hot, dry weather and plants will then stop producing leaves to concentrate on setting seed. If you don’t want to harvest the edible flowersor seeds, remove the flower stems as soon as they appear, to prolong the leafy harvests. It’s worth leaving a few plants to go to seed though, to provide you with some to sow next year. As coriander is an annual, plants will die after setting seed.

If you mainly want to harvest the seeds, make your sowings in spring or early summer, to allow plenty of time for the seeds to ripen. Unripe, green coriander seeds can be used in cookery too though, and have a milder flavour.

Coriander (Coriandrum sativum) is widely available as seed. There are also several varieties that have been bred for longer leafy harvests (as they are slower to flower), although you can still harvest edible seeds from these too. When choosing varieties, look for those with an RHS Award of Garden Merit (AGM), which shows they performed well in our trials and make reliable choices –see our list of AGM fruit,veg and herbs (135kB pdf) and our Recommended Varieties below. You’ll also find a wide range of culinary and medicinal herbs, including coriander, in the RHS gardens, so do visit to compare varieties and pick up growing tips.

What and where to buy

Coriander seeds are widely available in garden centres and from online retailers. Potted plants may also be available from garden centres in late spring and summer.

Many supermarkets also sell pots of coriander plants but these are designed for short-term harvesting – the pots usually contain lots of thin, overcrowded seedlings

A seedling is a young plant grown from seed. that tend to succumb to fungal diseases or soon start flowering, although they may survive if divided up and repotted promptly.

Recommended Varieties

'Cruiser' AGM

Compact variety with large tasty leaves, quick to regrow after harvesting and slow to bolt.

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'Confetti' AGM

Unusual feathery, carrot-like foliage – milder flavoured, with a slight sweetness, so ideal for salads.

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'Calypso' AGM

Very slow to bolt, so can be cropped for longer than most varieties, and good for summer harvesting.

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'Filtro' AGM

A vigorous variety producing plentiful harvests of aromatic leaves. Slow to bolt.

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Coriander dislikes being transplanted

Moving a plant from one growing position to another, often from a pot to its final spot in the garden. and can become leggy if kept indoors for a prolonged period, so sowing your crop directly outdoors is the best option. However, you can grow coriander indoors as pots of windowsill herbs or as microgreens for short-term harvests if you don't have space outside.

Sowing indoors

For easy harvesting, sow coriander seeds into pots or small trays of peat-free seed compost

Seed compost is a free-draining compost formulated for germinating seed. It often contains a mix of fine materials including sterilised loam, coir, coarse sand or grit. It contains low levels of nutrients, as high levels could damage seedlings. from February onwards and keep on a warm, sunny windowsill. Germination

Germination is the process by which a seed develops into a new plant. It starts with the seed coat absorbing water, expanding and splitting, which allows oxygen and water into the seed so its food reserves can be broken down and used by the embryo for growth. The first root (called the radicle) pushes into the soil to anchor the new plant in place and start absorbing water and nutrients. The first shoot (called the plumule) then grows upwards, out of the soil, towards the light. takes two to three weeks. Keep seedlings

A seedling is a young plant grown from seed. evenly moist and thin to 5cm (2in) once large enough to handle.

Coriander doesn't last too long as a windowsill herb, becoming pale in low light and bolting

When a vegetable plant starts flowering and forming seeds, often prematurely, making the crop unusable – salad leaves may turn bitter and root crops fail to swell. Adverse weather or changes in day length can cause bolting in a wide range of vegetables, including lettuces, onions , carrots and otheer root crops. if it gets too hot or dry. To ensure a continuous crop, sow in succession throughout spring and summer and grow plants on in a bright but reasonably cool spot. Bear in mind that coriander can produce an unpleasant odour in enclosed spaces.

Sowing microgreens

Another quick and easy option is to grow coriander as microgreens on a sunny windowsill, harvesting whole seedlings after only a few weeks. See our video guide below for details:

Sowing outdoors

Sow coriander seeds from spring to autumn in a sunny or lightly shaded spot with free-draining soil, or in pots of peat-free multi-purpose compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. . Coriander grows particularly well in containers, as it likes the free-draining conditions. In summer, sow in a cooler spot, shaded from midday sun, if you’re growing it for the leaves.

Coriander’s large seeds are easy to sow individually, so aim to space them about 5cm (2in) apart, in a shallow drill

A miniature furrow typically 1–5cm deep, made with a stick, hoe or rake. It is used for planting seeds or bulbs, and ensures they are positioned at the correct depth and spacing. or on the surface of firmed compost in containers or growing bags. Cover with a little soil or compost, then water gently. Germination

Germination is the process by which a seed develops into a new plant. It starts with the seed coat absorbing water, expanding and splitting, which allows oxygen and water into the seed so its food reserves can be broken down and used by the embryo for growth. The first root (called the radicle) pushes into the soil to anchor the new plant in place and start absorbing water and nutrients. The first shoot (called the plumule) then grows upwards, out of the soil, towards the light. takes up to three weeks.

• When growing for leaves – sow small batches every few weeks (known as successional sowing) for continual harvests from mid-summer onwards. To extend your leafy harvests into early winter, sow in autumn under cloches or in a greenhouse
• When growing for seeds – sow in full sun in spring or early summer to ensure the seeds have time to ripen. Thin out the seedlings
  A seedling is a young plant grown from seed. to 20cm (8in) apart to give plants space to mature

Plant out young, shop-bought coriander plants from spring onwards, into the ground or in containers. Harden them off first, to gradually acclimatise them to outdoor conditions – this is especially important if the plants were kept in a greenhouse or polytunnel at the garden centre. Provide protection from slugs and snails, particularly in damp weather, and cover with cloches or biodegradable fleece if the weather is still cold.

Coriander is a short-term crop that grows quickly and needs little maintenance.

Watering

Coriander growing in the ground shouldn't need routine watering apart from in long, dry spells, when some additional water can help to prevent bolting

When a vegetable plant starts flowering and forming seeds, often prematurely, making the crop unusable – salad leaves may turn bitter and root crops fail to swell. Adverse weather or changes in day length can cause bolting in a wide range of vegetables, including lettuces, onions , carrots and otheer root crops. and prolong leafy harvests.

Plants growing in containers dry out more rapidly than those in the ground, so check plants daily and water as needed, aiming to keep the compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. just moist. Take care not to overwater, as coriander dislikes soggy conditions.

Try to water early in the morning or in the evening to minimise moisture loss from the soil/compost, ideally using stored rainwater.

Removing flowers

If you are growing coriander for its leaves, remove any flower stems as soon as they start to develop. This is key for ensuring continued harvests, as plants will otherwise put all of their energy into flowering and setting seed, rather than producing new leaves.

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Coriander leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible and can be harvested from mid-summer onwards:

• Leaves – these are best harvested as a cut-and-come-again crop– take only a few from each plant along the row, then allow them to recover for a few weeks, before making another harvest. Start when plants are 10–15cm (4–6in) tall, and you should be able to take several pickings before they start to flower. Regular harvesting encourages more leaves to sprout. Coriander leaves can also be harvested as microgreens after just a few weeks
• Flowers – when coriander plants flower, which they inevitably will, either pick the blooms to add to salads or leave them to form seeds
• Seeds – coriander seeds can be used in cookery when still green and unripe, for a milder flavour, or, more usually, when they’re ripe and brown. When harvesting ripe seeds
  Ripe seeds are hard, usually yellow, brown or black, and contained in a seedpod that can be buff coloured, white or brown and dry. Ripe seeds usually eject the seedpod easily and naturally. , it’s easiest to cut entire stems and put them inside a paper bag, so you don’t lose any. Use the seeds straight away or dry them fully for storage – simply lay them out on a sheet of paper in a warm room for a week or so. Store in an airtight container for use in the kitchen, or put them in a labelled envelope ready for sowing next year

Coriander is generally easy to grow and trouble free. Just be sure to protect the seedlings

A seedling is a young plant grown from seed. from slugs and snails. Plants tend to bolt

When a vegetable plant starts flowering and forming seeds, often prematurely, making the crop unusable – salad leaves may turn bitter and root crops fail to swell. Adverse weather or changes in day length can cause bolting in a wide range of vegetables, including lettuces, onions , carrots and otheer root crops. in hot, dry weather, so if you’re growing coriander for its leaves in summer, sow in a cooler location out of midday sun and water in dry spells to delay flowering. This applies particularly when growing in containers, as the compost

Can refer to either home-made garden compost or seed/potting compost: • Garden compost is a soil improver made from decomposed plant waste, usually in a compost bin or heap. It is added to soil to improve its fertility, structure and water-holding capacity. Seed or potting composts are used for growing seedlings or plants in containers - a wide range of commercially produced peat-free composts are available, made from a mix of various ingredients, such as loam, composted bark, coir and sand, although you can mix your own. dries out rapidly in warm weather. See Common problems, below, for more on these issues.

Common Problems

Bolting in vegetables

Bolting is the term applied to vegetable crops when they prematurely run to seed, usually making them unusable. A cold spell or changes in day length...

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Aphids

Aphids are sap-sucking insects, they have many predators and are the basis for many food chains. The sap sucking can cause a lack of plant vigour, dis...

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Slugs and snails

Slugs and snails are common garden animals, and they are well suited to the damp, mild climate of the UK. A few species feed on garden plants, but mos...

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