Coriander – The queen of Indian herbs. This is an everyday essential that will be very useful if it can be grown at home. It hardly lasts 4-5 days after harvest, so having a fresh supply in our kitchen garden is a must do for everyone. It is quite simple to grow, though there are a few pointers to keep in mind.
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| Coriander in a recycled tetrapack juice box |
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| Coriander seeds broken into halves |
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| Overcrowded coriander seeds |
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| Coriander seeds germinated on Day 7 |
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Most people have difficulty in the 1st step – germination
– Coriander takes anywhere between 4-15 days for germination depending on the seed quality.
– It is generally advised to break up the coriander seeds by lightly running a rolling pin or rubbing it gently with a slipper , so that they break up into halves which helps in faster germination.
– However, it can be sowed with out doing the previous step – it will take slightly longer.
-The medium should be moist, but not soaking wet while starting seeds.
Note: Usually the seeds from our kitchen may not be mature enough and hence may not germinate properly. Its better to source coriander seeds specifically meant for growing from nurseries or garden stores.
I have tried the seeds from the kitchen with mixed results.
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| Coriander seedlings on Day 10 |
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1st true leaves of coriander on
Day 15 |
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| Coriander seedlings on Day 25 |
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The initial leaves coming up do not resemble the typical leaf shape of coriander. We need to wait for the true leaves to pop up to see the beautiful feathery shaped leaf that is typical of the coriander.
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| Coriander Harvest |
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Harvest soon after you spot
the flowers |
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| Beautiful coriander flowers |
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Although I have had success growing coriander, they mature really fast and start flowering after reaching about 5-6 inches. Its best to harvest before it starts flowering for the best flavor. So, I usually end up harvesting the entire tray after it reaches about 5″ in height.
I try to sow every consecutive week , to ensure a regular supply of coriander for garnishes for my cooking,
Tips:
* I reuse, ice cream boxes , or the tetra packs in which we get the 1 l fruit juices in, to plant batches of coriander. They occupy less space and are also the right size for getting a small bunch at a time.
* Try planting in the edges of a big container having a well established plant. For we can never get enough of this aromatic herb and since this is a short cycle crop it won’t interfere much with the bigger plant. Do add additional compost before sowing.
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| Coriander along with an established plant |
