Coriander scores with convincing talents as a spice plant, medicinal herb, bee and butterfly pasture. Thanks to its frugal undemanding nature, the Mediterranean plant is ideal for cultivation in beds and pots. Here all questions about professional planting are answered in a practical way.

Which location preferences have to be considered?

In order to be able to grow coriander successfully, a sunny to partially shaded location is important. Since the plant can grow to a height of up to 90 centimetres, the location should also be sheltered from the wind. In a nutritious, humus-rich soil, the dizzy weed happily stretches out its roots. Ideally, the soil is loose, well-drained and freshly moist.

How is the sowing going as desired?

Since coriander seeds are tolerant of cool spring temperatures, there is nothing wrong with growing them by direct seed. In mild locations, the time window opens as early as April, otherwise sow directly into the bed in May. Proper planting occurs in these steps:

  • Thoroughly weed, rake and smooth the soil at the chosen location
  • Work in a 5-8 cm layer of leaf soil or compost
  • sow the seed widely or plant the individual seeds 15-20 cm apart
  • Sieve and moisten the light germs with a maximum of 0.5-0.6 cm of substrate
  • a garden fleece serves as protection against delayed ground frosts

Depending on the prevailing temperature conditions, the seeds will germinate within 14-21 days. Alternatively, grow the young plants on the windowsill in herb or pricking soil. In a partially shaded place, germination proceeds quickly at 20-25 degrees Celsius.

When and how is coriander harvested?

Leaf coriander is harvested shortly before the flowering period, which usually begins in June/July. If you pick the leaves from top to bottom, the flowering and thus the end of growth will be delayed. If you grow coriander by seed yourself, the harvest time for the seeds begins after an average of 24 weeks. If the seed pods turn light brown, cut off the entire umbels. Suspended in a dry place, the grains mature in peace.

How is spice coriander propagated?

As an annual plant, only sowing can be considered for propagation. For this reason, forward-thinking hobby gardeners already provide the next generation of seeds during the harvest. For this purpose, part of the fully ripened seeds are kept in a dark, dry container. The Vietnamese coriander, which is not related to real coriander, can be propagated as a knotweed plant by cuttings.

tips and tricks

On the balcony you can easily grow coriander yourself in a box or bucket. Since the spice plant reacts harshly to transplanting, put the seeds directly into the planter. Kept constantly moist in herbal soil, the seedlings are not long in coming. You select the weakest specimens later, so that there is a planting distance of 15 centimeters.

GTH

Category:

Vegetable garden