Coriander

I love coriander for the fresh, almost citrusy flavour it adds to cooking, but you either like it or you have the gene that makes it taste like soap! If you do want to grow it, this cool temperature loving annual thrives around this time of year.

How to plant

Seeds take 1–3 weeks to germinate, and grow best in a sunny spot in temperate climates, or a part sunny spot in warmer areas. I like to sow a few coriander seeds together to grow into a bushy clump.
Take care when transplanting larger plants, as they grow a taproot that is easily damaged, causing bolting soon after planting. Best to sow in punnets with individual cells or simply sow seeds direct.
Coriander’s eagerness to bolt can also be controlled by the following: keep plants well-watered to reduce stress-induced bolting; succession sow a new batch each month; and look for varieties which less easily run to seed like ‘Santo’ and ‘Slow Bolt’.
Harvest coriander as a ‘cut and come again’ herb by snipping leaves at the base of the plant. New stems will quickly regrow.
If in a warmer climate, look for sawtooth coriander (Eryngium foetidum), a perennial herb that is tolerant of heat and humidity and tastes similar to coriander.

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