Coriander – Seed, Germination and Harvest
Growing a good crop of Coriander, Coriandrum sativum.
We have been trying to grow Coriander – Coriandrum sativum for about 10 years on and off, since way back in our small backyard and in pots days. We never had great success which always annoyed us as we love this herb so much and use it often in cooking. Finally we have worked out how to grow it well.
Let some Coriander go to seed so that you have a good stock of seed – the packets from shops never provide you with enough seed! 2 plants provide hundreds of seeds. Sow only in spring and autumn it really doesn’t like being planted in summer. When you sow don’t be shy lay it in there, hundreds of seeds. Water well and keep damp for first few weeks. We start trimming off with scissors after about 4 weeks, you can also pull out whole plants too. Use up quickly as it goes to seed again, usually around 8 weeks. Of course let some go to seed again so that you can keep up the seed numbers.
We also keep some of the seeds for cooking. It provides a good flavour for indian and asian cuisine. You can throw whole seeds into your meal or grind the whole seed down to a fine powder then add. We roast the seeds first in a hot frying pan for a stronger flavour.
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I’m going to try and grow this one myself this year, only because I found out its used in thai and indonesian cooking! Good advice on letting some go to seed.
Should grow well for you in a rainforest area as it likes the warm and moist weather…enjoy the asian cooking!