A Complete Guide to Grow Coriander at Your Kitchen Garden

Nursery Today Desk

New Delhi: The fresh green leaves of coriander always enhances the look of your food and adds a fresh flavour to your dish. Coriander, also known as cilantro is very simple to grow in your kitchen garden. This help you pick fresh coriander leaves anytime you want.

Here’s the step-by-step guide to grow coriander in your garden.

Choose Coriander seeds

You can purchase coriander seeds or small seedlings at a nearby nursery or garden center. Most food stores carry coriander seeds, which are also easily accessible.

Select a container

Corianders can be planted in the garden bed or in wide pot, just make sure it has good drainage system.

Prepare the Soil

Choose soil that drains well and has pH range of slightly acidic to neutral. Mix it with organic matter such as compost or well-rotted manure to increase its fertility and drainage.

Plantation

Coriander seeds should be sown straight into the ground or planters, spaced about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart, and then covered with a thin layer of soil.

When transplanting seedlings, make sure the soil level corresponds to the height of the seedling’s root ball by digging holes in the ground or in containers.

Sunlight

Position the coriander plants where they will get at least 4-6 hours of direct sunlight each day, coriander can tolerate some shade.

Harvesting

When the plants, which are typically 3–4 inches (7–10 cm) tall and have established a sufficient number of leaves, it is time to harvest the coriander leaves. As needed, trim the plant’s leaves. Once the plant has produced blossoms and the seeds have become brown, the coriander seeds or cilantro seeds can be picked. Before harvesting, let the seeds dry on the plant.

Miscellaneous Tips

1. To get steady crop throughout the season, start new plantings in succession every few weeks.
2. Provide some shade or grow coriander in the cooler months to prevent bolting.
3. As soon as blossoms start to develop, pinch them off to extend the leaf harvest.
4. Aphids and caterpillars should be avoided because they can be coriander’s main pests. If necessary, use organic pest control techniques.
5. If outside space is limited, think about growing coriander indoors close to a sunny window.
6. Be patient, as coriander takes 25-30 days to get fully grown herb ready.