Coriander— love it or hate it— grows easily
Coriander is a love it or hate it type of plant.
In fact, I can’t really think of any other herb or vegetable that divides people as much. And it can also be quite a tricky herb to grow as it loves to bolt (head to seed), which probably doesn’t help its reputation with its detractors.
But as someone who falls into the love coriander camp, I think it’s a plant every kitchen or vegetable garden should have. So here are my top tips for successful coriander growing.
Firstly, plant it now. While you can grow coriander for most of the year, now during autumn and winter when the weather is cooler, is the perfect time to plant— especially if you find it difficult to grow. The steady, cool weather will prevent it from bolting.
We have a fantastic crop of coriander seedlings available at the moment which you can order online from www.awapuni.co.nz and get delivered straight to your door.
Each bundle has nine seedlings. But if that’s too much for you, consider growing one of our mixed herb bundles that include a couple of coriander seedlings and other herbs like rocket, chives and parsley.
When you’ve got your seedlings, you need to find the right spot to plant.
Coriander will grow well in a pot or in the garden. But if you do plant in a pot make sure it’s a deep one and pour in some good quality potting mix.
If you’re growing in the garden, at this time of the year I recommend looking for somewhere with full sun. Coriander doesn’t like damp or humid conditions. Next ensure the soil is aerated and freedraining by digging over the soil and even dig in some pottingmix or compost if required.
Next, mound up the soil and plant a seedling on top— this will help ensure the soil is free-draining. Give it a water and then regularly water it in the morning. This will allow the water to dry off during the day and prevent disease.
Be careful not to over water but try not to let the soil dry out either as this may cause it to go to seed.
And lastly, eat it quickly— this will also prevent it going to seed. www.awapuni.co.nz