PlantSowGrow
How to grow Coriander
Coriandrum sativum
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)
