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Growing coriander

Coriandrum sativum. A quick herb grown for its leaves, and later its seeds, sown where it is to grow. It likes mild weather and steady moisture and takes light frost, but heat and dry soil make it run to flower within weeks. These steps work anywhere: they go by soil and weather, not by month. Also called cilantro (US, Canada, for the leaves), Chinese parsley (some cookbooks).

How coriander grows

1. 
   SowSeeds in a shallow row, where it will growDay 0
2. 
   SeedlingsTwo long, narrow seed leavesUp in 1–3 weeks
3. 
   ThinThinned to 5 cm (2 in) apart2–3 weeks
4. 
   GrowA clump of broad, lobed leaves4–5 weeks
5. 
   PickA few outer stems cut from each plantFrom about 6 weeks
6. 
   BoltingA flower stem with feathery leavesIn heat, or about 8–10 weeks
7. 
   FlowersFlat clusters of tiny white flowersSoon after bolting
8. 
   SeedRound seeds, cut when they turn brown2–3 weeks after flowering

Times run from sowing and vary with the weather. In warm weather coriander grows fast and flowers sooner; in cool weather it gives leaves for longer. Kinds sold as slow to bolt stand longest.

Growing it, step by step

1. Is it right for you?

   • Coriander likes mild weather: days around 10–29°C (50–85°F), and it does best at the cooler end. It is quick: leaves can be picked from about six weeks after sowing.
   • It takes light frost but not a hard freeze. Heat is the problem. Hot, dry weather and long summer days make it bolt, sending up a flower stem, and the leaves turn fine, feathery and poor in flavour.
   • It grows a long taproot and dislikes being moved, so it is best sown where it is to grow. It needs little room and grows well in a deep pot.

2. When to plant

   Sow once the soil is at least 10°C (50°F) and the hardest frosts are over. Seedlings come up in one to three weeks, slower in cool soil. The aim is to pick it before the heat of summer, or to sow again as summer ends, so it grows while the weather cools. Sow a little every two to three weeks rather than all at once.

   Cold winters: sow from spring, about when you sow lettuce, and again in late summer for an autumn crop. Under fleece or a cloche it crops into early winter. Mild climates: sow in spring and again from late summer into autumn, and through winter where frosts are light. Summer sowings bolt fast unless shaded. Hot or subtropical places: sow from autumn to early spring; summer is usually too hot. Tropics: the coolest, driest months or the highlands, in afternoon shade.

3. Prepare the bed

   • A sunny or lightly shaded spot, with shade from the afternoon sun in warm weather. Moist, well-drained soil: dig in compost before sowing.
   • Slightly acid to neutral soil suits it, around pH 6.5. See soil pH.
   • Coriander does poorly in soggy soil. On heavy clay soil, use a raised bed or a pot.
   • Rake the surface fine and pull out weeds. Avoid a bed that grew coriander, carrots, parsley, celery or dill last year: they share the same diseases.

4. Sow and plant

   • Sow thinly where it is to grow, 5 mm–1 cm (¼–½ in) deep and about 5 cm (2 in) apart, in rows 30 cm (12 in) apart. Firm the soil over the seed and water gently.
   • If you must start it in trays, sow in small pots or cells and plant out young, without disturbing the roots, at the same depth and 10 cm (4 in) apart. Harden bought or tray-raised plants off first.
   • In hot weather, sow in the cool of the evening and shade the row until the seedlings are up.
   • For a steady supply of leaves, sow a short row every two to three weeks instead of one big sowing.

5. Get it started

   • Keep the surface damp, not wet, until the seedlings are up, which can take up to three weeks. Water new transplants daily for their first week.
   • Thin when seedlings are about two to three weeks old: to 5 cm (2 in) apart for leaves, or 20 cm (8 in) apart for plants grown for seed. Eat the thinnings.
   • Guard young plants against slugs and snails.

6. Keep it growing

   • Water: keep the soil evenly moist, not soggy: any dry spell brings on bolting. In dry weather, a good soak about twice a week, more in pots. Water at the base, in the morning.
   • Shade: in warm months, grow it where it gets afternoon shade, or put shade cloth on the sunny side. Kinds sold as slow to bolt help too.
   • Mulch: after thinning, a light layer of compost about 3 cm (1 in) deep keeps the roots cool and the soil moist. Keep it off the stems.
   • Feed: good soil needs none, and extra feed does not stop it bolting. In pots, a light liquid feed every two to three weeks until it flowers.
   • Flower stems: a stem with fine, feathery leaves means it is starting to flower. Snip it off to keep picking leaves a little longer, or leave it to flower and set seed.
   • Sow more: a short new row every two to three weeks keeps fresh leaves coming while the weather stays mild.

7. Watch for problems

   The common ones, with a Garden help page each where there is one:

   BoltingAphidsSlugs and snailsCutwormsCaterpillarsDamping offPowdery mildewBacterial leaf spot

8. Harvest

   • Start picking leaves once plants are 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall. Cut a few outer stems from each plant, leave the young centre to grow, and let each plant rest about two weeks before picking it again.
   • Pick the leaves before it flowers. Once the feathery leaves show, the flavour fades. The small white flowers are edible too.
   • For a big bunch, cut the whole plant about 2.5 cm (1 in) above the soil. It often grows back for a second cut.
   • For seed, leave some plants to flower. About two to three weeks after flowering, once the seeds turn light brown, cut the stems into a paper bag before the seeds drop. Dry them in a warm, airy place for about a week.
   • The roots are edible too and strongly flavoured. Dig them when you pull a plant, and wash them well.

9. After harvest

   • Fresh leaves keep up to a week in the fridge, loosely wrapped. To keep them longer, freeze them. Dried leaves keep, but lose much of their flavour.
   • Rub the dried seed heads between your hands to free the seeds, then store them in an airtight jar in a cool, dark place. They keep for months, and some can be sown next time.
   • Coriander lives for one season and dies once it has set seed. Plants left to seed often sow themselves, and new seedlings come up when the weather cools.
   • Next in that bed: a crop from another family, such as lettuce, beans or the cabbage family. Avoid carrots, parsley, celery or dill there next.

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Sources

• RHS: How to grow coriander
• University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension: Cilantro / coriander
• Texas A&M AgriLife Extension: Easy Gardening, Cilantro
• Penn State Extension: Cilantro, a unique culinary herb
• Sustainable Gardening Australia: Coriander

Facts checked Friday 23 October 2026. General guidance only: local advice comes first.