🌿 Coriander

Coriander is a fragrant herb that is notorious for bolting, but with the right timing and cool, moist conditions it is easy. The leaves and the seeds are both used in the kitchen, and the flowers attract hoverflies and bees.

To avoid bolting, sow often, choose a bolt-resistant ‘leaf’ variety, and grow it in partial shade in summer. For seed, let plants flower and set seed, and enjoy both.

Varieties to try

Cruiser (slow to bolt)Calypso (leafy and bolt-resistant)Leisure (reliable)Confetti (feathery leaves, good for cutting)Santo (very slow to bolt)

Sow thinly directly where it is to grow, 1 cm deep, from March to September, in rows 20 cm apart or scattered in a pot. Coriander dislikes root disturbance, so avoid transplanting. Seedlings appear in 1–3 weeks.

Sow a short row every 3 weeks for continuous leaves. Summer sowings do best in partial shade with moist soil, as heat and drought cause bolting. A late-summer sowing under cover provides winter leaves.

Top tips

• Sow where it will grow.
• Sow every 3 weeks.
• Choose a slow-bolt variety.
• Give summer sowings some shade.

Keep the soil moist, never letting it dry out, and shade from hot afternoon sun. Thin to 15–20 cm apart, or grow densely for cut-and-come-again leaves. Mulching helps keep the roots cool.

Plants will bolt at some point, which is natural. Let some plants flower for the pollinators, and collect the seeds when they turn brown. Aphids and slugs are the main pests, and leaf spot may occur in wet conditions.

Top tips

• Keep soil moist.
• Provide afternoon shade.
• Let some plants flower and seed.
• Mulch to cool the roots.

Watch out for

AphidsSlugsBolting in heat or droughtLeaf spot

Cut leaves when the plant is 15 cm tall, from 4–6 weeks. Cut outer stems first, or cut the whole plant 5 cm above ground for regrowth. Pick regularly to delay bolting. Lower, rounded leaves have the strongest flavour, while upper feathery leaves are milder.

To collect seeds, leave a few plants to flower and wait until the seed heads turn brown, then cut and dry them in a paper bag. The seed is called coriander and has a warm, citrusy flavour quite different from the leaf.

Top tips

• Cut leaves regularly.
• Pick lower leaves for flavour.
• Dry seed heads in a paper bag.
• Use flowers as a garnish.

Use fresh coriander in curries, salsas, guacamole, salads, soups, chutneys and stir-fries, adding at the end for freshness. Stems and roots are packed with flavour and can be chopped into curry paste. Dried seeds, toasted and ground, form the base of many spice blends.

Fresh leaves keep a few days in the fridge with stems in water. Chop and freeze in ice-cube trays with water or oil for later use. Dried leaves have little flavour, but dried seeds keep for years in a jar.

Top tips

• Use the stems and roots.
• Toast seeds before grinding.
• Freeze chopped in oil.
• Add leaves at the end of cooking.