PlantSowGrow
How to grow Coriander
Coriandrum sativum
Also called cilantro, Chinese parsley
Fresh, citrusy leaves for curries, salsas and salads, plus aromatic seeds. Quick to bolt in heat, so sow little and often.
At a glance: Sow early April to mid August, harvest from early May.
When to sow, plant and harvest
Timed for a typical UK garden (last frost mid-April). The app uses your own town's frost dates.
Growing Coriander: what it needs
- Light
- Part shade · 6+ hours a day
- Watering
- Keep evenly moist; water pots daily in hot weather
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained soil
- Spacing
- 20 cm
- Height
- 30 cm
- In pots
- Grows well in containers
- Feeding
- A liquid feed every two weeks for pot-grown plants
- Harvest
- About 40 days from sowing
- Hardiness
- USDA zones 4–10
- Difficulty
- Easy
Step by step
- Early April – mid August · 2 weeks before the last spring frost
Sow Seeds Outdoors
Sow thinly in shallow drills where they are to grow. Sow directly or in deep modules — it hates root disturbance.
- 7–14 days after “Sow Seeds Indoors” · Early April – mid April
Check Germination
Seedlings should appear in 7–14 days. Keep the compost moist. If sown outdoors, thin to 20 cm apart.
- 26–47 days after “Check Germination” · Early May – late May
Start Harvesting
Cut leaves when plants are 10–15 cm tall, leaving the growing point. Take a photo for the journal.
- 21–28 days after “Start Harvesting” · Late May – early June
Sow Another Batch (optional)
Sow a new pinch every three weeks for a steady supply; older plants will bolt and set seed (the seed is useful too).
- Mid October – early November · around the first autumn frost
End of Season
When plants run to seed or the frost gets them, pull them up for compost — leave a few to self-seed if you like.
More herbs to grow
Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
