easy · windowsill
How to grow coriander
Fast, fragrant leaf for curries and salsa. The trick is to sow little and often and keep it cool, because it bolts the moment it gets stressed.
Coriandrum sativum · Apiaceae
Why bother
Cut coriander wilts within a day of buying it. Grown at home you pick it minutes before it hits the plate, and a windowsill row of successional pots keeps you in leaf for months.
What it needs
- Light
- Bright light but not scorching midday sun, which triggers bolting. An east-facing sill is perfect.
- Water
- Keep evenly moist. Drying out is the fastest way to send it to seed.
- Soil
- Free-draining peat-free compost. It dislikes root disturbance, so sow where it will grow.
- Temperature
- Cool to mild, roughly 10-24C. Above that it bolts quickly.
- Container
- Sow direct in a 20cm pot; do not transplant — it resents it.
- Time to harvest
- 3-4 weeks for leaf.
- Best season to start
- Sow spring and autumn to dodge the heat; year-round on a cool windowsill.
Step by step
Day 0
Sow direct
Scatter seed thinly over damp compost and cover with 1cm. Water gently.
Week 2
Thin lightly
Thin to about 3cm apart once seedlings are up. Crowding brings on bolting.
Week 3-4
Pick outer leaves
Harvest the outer leaves first and keep the growing centre. Sow another pot now.
What usually goes wrong
Shoots straight up to flower with few leaves
Cause: Heat or root disturbance — classic bolting.
Fix: Sow a fresh pot every 3 weeks, keep it cool, and never transplant.
Pale, floppy seedlings
Cause: Too little light.
Fix: Move to the brightest cool spot you have.
Grows well beside
Chilli pepper, Spring onions
Before you eat anything you grow: be certain of the identification. This guide describes coriander specifically — it is not a way to confirm that an unknown plant is safe. Never eat a plant on the strength of an app alone.