Coriander is an aromatic, easy-to grow annual herb with edible foliage, roots & seeds.
Coriander bolts quickly, so sow in dappled shade and in successive seedings, for a continuous crop throughout the summer.
Coriander can grow under cover in winter in milder areas.
- Choose light soil topped up with manure or compost.
- Position in light shade (not full sun).
- Coriander hates being transplanted, so seed where it will grow. Seeds can be direct grown in spring, once frosts have passed and the soil has started to warm.
Coriander can self-seed, if it is in a spot it likes. Place in a semi-shaded spot close to the annual salad bed. (The same can also be true of dill and borage – again, given they are in a happy, suitable spot).
Coriandrum sativum ‘Confetti’: this coriander was awarded an RHS Award of Garden Meric (June 2019), and has dainty fern-like strongly aromatic foliage. It is best raised as an annual; sow seed in place. Confetti is thought to be slower than other types of coriander to bolt. The seeds are also edible, after the plant flowers. This type can grow up to 24 inches high with a 12 inch spread. Coriander prefers well-drained but moist soil in full sun.
- We planted coriander ‘confetti’ into a ceramic trough on the allotment, early April 2020.
- It has grown thinly and seems to be going into flower in early June, so this is not a great coriander for a kitchen garden. A better kitchen garden variety would have bigger leaves (like a flat-leafed parsley).
Philosophising... 