Germination temperature
Cool weather: the crop does best at 20-25 °C (68-77 °F) and tolerates about 10-27 °C (50-80 °F).
Visit deodar-seeds.in Herb growing guide
Coriander gives fresh leaves within five to six weeks and spice seed later, but it runs to flower quickly in heat. Sow it directly, shallowly and often during the cool season for a steady supply.
Cool weather: the crop does best at 20-25 °C (68-77 °F) and tolerates about 10-27 °C (50-80 °F).
About 0.6 cm (1/4 in).
About 8-15 days.
Full sun in cool weather; light afternoon shade in warm spells.
Split the round fruits into halves and soak them for 12 hours.
Direct sow. The taproot makes coriander difficult to transplant.
The round coriander 'seed' is a fruit that breaks into two halves. TNAU splits the fruits into halves before sowing for better germination: press them gently with a rolling pin or rub them on a hard surface until they crack in two.
Not needed beyond splitting the fruits.
Not needed. Coriander germinates without a cold treatment.
Soak the split seed in water for 12 hours before sowing, then sow straight away. Field growers in India also treat seed with Trichoderma viride or Pseudomonas fluorescens to protect against wilt.
Sow in cool, frost-free weather. TNAU gives 20-25 °C (68-77 °F) as the best range for the crop; in temperate gardens sow directly after the last spring frost.
About 0.6 cm (1/4 in); cover lightly and firm the soil.
Well-drained silt or loam with a fine tilth and pH about 6-8, enriched with well-rotted manure before sowing.
Water immediately after sowing and again on the third day, then about every 7-10 days, more often in pots or sandy soil. Do not let the surface crust before seedlings emerge.
Seed is covered; no light is needed until emergence.
About 8-15 days; split, soaked seed comes up more evenly.
Do not transplant. Sow in rows 20-30 cm (8-12 in) apart with plants 15-20 cm (6-8 in) apart in the row; TNAU uses 20 × 15 cm. For leaf crops in pots or beds, sow more thickly and cut young.
About 30 days after sowing, thin to two plants per station for a seed crop. Weed early, as young coriander competes poorly.
Leaves are ready when plants reach about 15 cm (6 in), roughly 30-40 days after sowing.
Cause: rising temperatures. Fix: sow in the cool season, choose slow-bolting varieties such as 'Leisure', 'Marino' or 'Santo', and resow every 3-4 weeks.
Cause: whole fruits, dry seedbed or sowing too deep. Fix: split and soak the seed, sow 0.6 cm (1/4 in) deep and keep the surface moist.
Cause: powdery mildew. Fix: at first appearance TNAU sprays wettable sulphur or 5% neem seed kernel extract, repeated at 10-day intervals.
Cause: wilt disease. Fix: use wilt-tolerant varieties such as Co 3, CS 287 or Karan, treat seed with Pseudomonas fluorescens or Trichoderma viride, and rotate the bed.
Cause: aphids. Fix: check plants often and wash off small colonies; field crops in India are sprayed when infestations build up.
TNAU sows in June-July and October-November. The cool winter crop gives the best leaves and seed; in summer, expect quick bolting.
Sow a short row every 3-4 weeks for continuous fresh leaves.
Dual-purpose Indian varieties such as Co 1, Co 2 and Co 3 give leaves and seed in about 90-110 days; slow-bolting types are better for leaves.
Work in manure and a balanced fertilizer before sowing. TNAU adds one nitrogen top dressing 30 days after sowing on irrigated crops.
Field growers pull plants when the fruits are fully ripe but still greenish and starting to dry, which limits shattering; in gardens many wait until the heads turn brown. Dry, thresh and clean the seed before storing.
Split, soak and sow coriander in the cool season for fresh leaves in about five weeks.
Heat triggers bolting. Grow it in the cool season, pick slow-bolting varieties for leaves and resow every 3-4 weeks so there is always a young batch.
Splitting each round fruit into its two halves and soaking for 12 hours is the TNAU recommendation and gives more even germination. Crack them gently; do not grind them.
Yes. Use a free-draining mix, sow directly in the pot about 0.6 cm (1/4 in) deep, keep it in sun in cool weather and cut leaves when plants are about 15 cm (6 in) tall.
About 30-40 days after sowing, once plants are around 15 cm (6 in) tall and before they start to flower.