Coriander - Timing and Spacing for Continuous Harvest
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Have you resorted to buying coriander because every time you plant it, it bolts? You are not alone!
Coriander is light and heat sensitive - both intense light and high temperatures send it to seed - in summer this could be within 6-7 weeks. To keep our customers supplied with coriander through the hot season, we sowed it every two weeks!
BUT, in autumn, as daylight reduces and temperatures cool, a single planting will carry you through late autumn, winter and into early spring! Coriander is one of the easiest herbs to grow, especially starting it when the soil is warm in late summer.
Autumn sowings of coriander produce a HUGE leaf base which survives light frosts, reduced sunlight and cold, grey, damp conditions AND in Southern Victoria, IT DOES NOT BOLT instantly. In August, the plant has a resurgence of energy, sending out new leaves in a vibrant display, only pushing up a seed head in late September, just when your early August sowing would be steadily growing. So you can enjoy lush coriander from may - September from one planting!!
TIMING, SOWING, SPACING
The key to continuous coriander is timing your sowings.
In March, we direct sow a large planting that carries us through Winter. We allow these plants more space, thinning to 20cm, as in August, they will get HUGE!! And we ensure these are sown 60 days before daylight dips below 10 hours.
Late July - late September, transplant coriander every four weeks. We give each plant 20cm to grow thickly and we cut big bunches with a knife. We transplant as the ideal germination temperature is 18-21C - easier to achieve in a glasshouse in late winter in Southern Victoria!
In October or when the soil has warmed to above 18C, we direct sow every third week until late November. We reduce our spacing to 10mm apart in rows 8cm apart and pull the plants up by the roots for bunching.
From December - February, we direct sow every other week. We continue to pull the plants by the roots. If you want to leave plants to flower and produce seed, thin to 10cm.
Coriander prefers to be direct sown, covering it with 6-10mm of soil and keeping the area moist for 7-10 days. It grows well in amended pots and can tolerate a light frost. It dislikes root disturbance so it is a great herb to grow from seed or in soil blocks!
We LOVE coriander! From winter pumpkin curries, to Thai salads with citrus and chili, to bean burritos with salsa, to my favorite chicken Moraccan stew, the coriander featured culinary delights that add zing to our seasonal menu are global!
Our coriander seed - SLOWBOLT - is currently sixth generation - throughout the years, we have selected seed from those plants that are slower to bolt - even at the height of light and heat, January! We have steadily, through selective breeding, extended the time from transplant to summer bolting - noting a full 2 week difference from 6 seasons ago! We also have selected for bright, zesty flavour.
ALL parts of the coriander plant are edible! The leaves, roots and seed! Sow in March, enjoy all winter and leave your plant to flower and produce seed in October. The flowers are edible and very attractive to beneficial pests, really needed as the spring flush of aphids occurs! Eat some of the seed green - green coriander seed is an amazing addition to salads, fish and poultry - and allow the rest to brown and harden. Harvest these seeds to use roasted and ground in your cooking and for RESOWING throughout the summer! You too can regionalism your coriander seed!!
Summer tightly spaced planting
