Growing Coriander, also Cilantro, Chinese parsley

Coriandrum sativum : Apiaceae / the umbelliferae family

Jan F M A M J J A S O N Dec
S S S S S     S S S S S
T T T T T     T T T T T
P P P P P     P P P P P

(Best months for growing Coriander in Australia - temperate regions)

  • S = Plant undercover in seed trays
  • T = Plant out (transplant) seedlings
  • P = Sow seed
  • Easy to grow. Sow in garden. Sow seed at a depth approximately three times the diameter of the seed. Best planted at soil temperatures between 10°C and 25°C. (Show °F/in)
  • Space plants: Thin to 45 cm
  • Harvest in 30-45 days.
  • Compatible with (can grow beside): Dill, Chervil, Anise, Cabbages, Carrots
  • Avoid growing close to: Fennel
  • Coriander/Cilantro
  • Coriander flowers

Broadcast sow and thin to 45 cm apart. Grows to about 60 cm.

Harvest 30 - 45 days

A half-hardy herb with feathery leaves.

Grows more reliably from seeds as coriander is liable to bolt to flower and seed when seedlings are transplanted.

Coriander is frost tender but it doesn't like extreme heat. So in temperate zones grow coriander during summer, in sub-tropical/tropical zones grow it during the cooler season.

Needs a sunny spot and mulch to prevent drying out. Keep very well watered. If they dry out, then they will bolt to seed. Plant in successions (planting new seed every few weeks) to get a continuous supply.

Culinary hints - cooking and eating Coriander

Use the leaves to flavour hot meals or add fresh to salads.
The seeds can be dried and ground up for curries.

Your comments and tips

29 May 24, Kishinchand (Australia - tropical climate)
Hi, i used to plant,coriander and parsely well. But now i tried to plant since one year but nothing is growing .so please help me what is the easy way to plant them? so may be how to lmprove the soil ,what to use
07 Apr 23, Phil (Australia - temperate climate)
This would interest any gardeners in PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. After repeated attempts of transplanting coriander in the spring and watching it slowly grow to a small growth then just bolt to seed. After hearing a quick excerpt from the Garden Gurus show last year recommending the autumn period (April-May)....the success was evident. I had a massive crop just with 3 plants....Hope this helps and....plant now!
06 May 23, Celeste Archer (Canada - Zone 5a Temperate Warm Summer climate)
Good advice for my area as well -- thanks
19 Apr 23, (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Coriander does not like being transplanted and handled much. Yes it bolts to seed quick so grow it in the autumn winter.
13 Jan 23, Kishinchand Chellaram (Australia - temperate climate)
Hi , which is the month to put the corinder seeds in the ground to grow, becauce i put the seeds last 3 months , nothing is seen planted
23 Jan 23, (Australia - temperate climate)
Try the autumn months. Hard to grow things in summer in Temperate and Tropical
26 Jan 20, Adam (Australia - temperate climate)
-- sounds a very good idea, but I don't' have huge garden so basically I know what I am growing. I just grow what I like to eat. ( I wish if I can grow some chicken and meat but yah doesn't work this way) . well, they are very big parsley seed. they look like parsley seeds but they are probably 3 times as big. I will sow them next week and see in a few months what are they if they ever grow. ---------------
27 Jan 20, Another gardener (Australia - sub-tropical climate)
Gardening throws up many different things at us. The thing is to think about it from a different angle. All you can do is what you say, try planting them. I just tried planting seeds from a hybrid corn variety, they say they might not throw true to type. I had bicolour corn and yes I grew yellow corn, whitish corn and the yellow and white mix and I don't think it tasted as good as the hybrid. So I won't do that again. All about trying and learning.
16 Jan 20, Roger Davidon (Australia - temperate climate)
Various attempts to grow coriander in pots in Adelaide to no avail, could you please advise on growing conditions, watering, soil type and prep, fertiliser etc. Thank you very much
07 Mar 22, Craig (Australia - temperate climate)
Goolwa SA....you can plant in pots as the temperature of summer cools down....as in right now...(march 2022)....they will grow for ages from now before going to seed..they seem to love the temperatures cooling down..but plant enough because you will only get a short growing period if planted in September because as the days begin to heat up again they will bolt to seed quickly...keep them moist and use some thrive soluble fertiliser when watering occasionally to keep them at their best....I use potting mix and compost and some neutrog rapid raiser as they love food....this year i tried to grow some in summer in pots in between rainwater tanks to keep them cool but they bolted to seed quickly even though it wasnt a hot summer here
Showing 1 - 10 of 136 comments

Coriender is excellent for flavour. My wife loves so I grow it in my garden to keep her smiling. This year in mid September it stated giving seed. I did not uproot them. let them grow and mature seed. On the other side i seed coriender from my previous seed stock, it was. excellent germination. plants were growing very well. I was aware that October will be harsh. My tomato plants were the first to shed leaves. Fruits were rottenning . I took old hose pipe and cut them in 5 feet pieces. To give strength to the soft pipe I inserted bamboos sticks in them and then made the hoops over the crop. I covered the rows of coriander with pipe hoops and plastic sheets of painter. I could able to save and survive my coriender tender plants. I measured temp of in and out on very sunny day. It was 29oc inside and it was 22oc out. I told my daughter my plants are burning inside i must ventilate. I opened the ends of hoop also lifted sides of plastic. My question is when to ventilate, how often, what should be the thickness of plastic sheet.Is thickness is important. yes, I forgot. when my plants matured in september 15, I seeded the seed in soil to if they germinate or not My all seed germinated. so I concluded the coriender seeds does not have any dormant or dormancy period before sowing.

- Tejinder

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This planting guide is a general reference intended for home gardeners. We recommend that you take into account your local conditions in making planting decisions. Gardenate is not a farming or commercial advisory service. For specific advice, please contact your local plant suppliers, gardening groups, or agricultural department. The information on this site is presented in good faith, but we take no responsibility as to the accuracy of the information provided.
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