Crops › Coriander
How to grow Coriander
in the UK
Sow March to September, plant out October, harvest May to October. About 45 days from seed to plate. You can sow it this month.
Coriander, or cilantro as some call it, is a cracking herb to have on your plot. It's proper easy to grow, even for beginners, and you can get a good crop of those lovely leaves for your curries or salads. It grows pretty quick, which is always a bonus when you're waiting for your tea.
Sowing
Right, for sowing coriander, you're looking at March and April for a spring crop, then again in August and September for an autumn one. Here in the North East, I usually wait till late March, early April, you know, when the soil starts to warm up a bit. You can sow direct outside, about 1-2 cm deep, spacing the seeds about 20 cm apart, or closer if you plan to thin them. Some folks start them off undercover in trays, especially the slow-bolt types, then plant them out later. Just remember, your local climate makes a difference, so adjust those dates a bit for where you are in the UK.
Growing on
If you've started your coriander indoors, wait until all danger of frost has passed – usually mid to late May up here, earlier further south – before planting them out. Give them a bit of hardening off first, mind, don't just chuck 'em straight out. They like about 20 cm between plants. You can grow them in pots or containers too, if you're a bit short on space, just make sure they've got good drainage. Plug plants are often available if you want a bit of a head start, dead handy.
Looking after it
Coriander likes a good drink, especially in dry spells, so keep the soil moist but not waterlogged. I don't tend to feed mine much, it doesn't really need it, especially if the soil's half decent. Main thing is to keep an eye on them bolting, that's when they go to seed too quick, usually in hot weather. Just keep picking the leaves, that helps to delay it a bit.
What goes wrong
Slugs and aphids are the main culprits for coriander, to be honest. Slugs will munch on the young seedlings, so keep an eye out and maybe use a bit of slug deterrent. Aphids can sometimes cling to the undersides of the leaves; a strong jet of water can often dislodge them, or a bit of soapy water if it's really bad. Marigolds and nasturtiums planted nearby can help keep some pests away too, they're good companion plants.
Harvest
You'll be harvesting your coriander leaves about 45 days after sowing, usually from May to June for spring sowings, and again in October for the autumn ones. Just snip off the outer leaves as you need them, that way the plant keeps producing. Don't take too much at once, mind. If you end up with a glut, you can store the fresh leaves in the fridge, or dry them, though fresh is always best, you know what I mean.
I always try to sow a small batch every couple of weeks in spring and late summer; that way, I get a continuous supply of fresh leaves and don't end up with everything bolting at once.
Dates for your plot
Type the first half of your postcode and the plant-out advice shifts to your area's typical frost dates.
Varieties, and whether the club would grow them again
| Variety | Club verdict |
|---|---|
| Santo Santo is a reliable maincrop coriander, great for getting a good yield of leaves. It's a proper sturdy variety that does well when sown directly outside. | No club votes yet |
| Caribe Caribe is another solid performer, good for those who like a steady supply of leaves. This one's best started in a cold greenhouse, giving it a bit of a protected start. | No club votes yet |
| Calypso Calypso is a cracking choice for a maincrop, known for its consistent growth. It's one that thrives when sown straight into the plot. | No club votes yet |
| Leisure Leisure is a fine maincrop coriander, offering good leaf production. Starting this one in a cold greenhouse is often the best way to get it going strong. | No club votes yet |
| Long Standing This Long Standing variety is a good bet for a prolonged harvest, as the name suggests. It's pretty robust and does well sown outdoors. | No club votes yet |
| Slow Bolt Slow Bolt coriander is brilliant if you struggle with your plants going to seed too quickly. Give this one a head start by sowing it in a cold greenhouse. | No club votes yet |
| Cruiser Cruiser is a reliable maincrop, giving you plenty of fresh leaves. This variety is best sown directly into your outdoor beds. | No club votes yet |
| Confetti Confetti offers a good crop of maincrop coriander, known for its fine leaves. It's one that benefits from being started in a cold greenhouse. | No club votes yet |
| Delfino Delfino is a decent maincrop type, reliable for a good harvest. You'll get the best from this one by sowing it straight into the soil outside. | No club votes yet |
| Jantar Jantar is a good solid maincrop coriander, yielding well. This variety does best when you start it off in a sheltered spot, like a cold greenhouse or cold frame. | No club votes yet |
| Marino Marino is a cracking maincrop variety, giving you a good amount of leaves. This one's happy being sown directly outside on the plot. | No club votes yet |
| VN Select VN Select is another reliable maincrop coriander, known for its steady growth. It's best to get this variety started in a cold greenhouse for a strong beginning. | No club votes yet |
| Erect Leaf Erect Leaf coriander is a good maincrop choice, with leaves that stand up well. It's best suited for sowing directly outside. | No club votes yet |
| Santo Domingo Santo Domingo is a solid maincrop type, giving you a good amount of leaves for cooking. Starting this one off in a cold greenhouse really helps it get established. | No club votes yet |
| Cilantro del Sol Cilantro del Sol is a reliable maincrop coriander, bringing good flavour to your kitchen. It's a variety that does well when sown directly outside. | No club votes yet |
Votes are members rating varieties in their Seed Tin, one vote per gardener. Tap a variety for the full page and where to buy.
Buy Coriander seeds
Partner retailers. If you buy through these links we may earn a small commission. It never costs you more.
Cook the harvest
A light but deeply aromatic broth built on a coriander-heavy paste of stems and roots, lemongrass, and galangal, with rice noodles and sweet prawns finished in the bowl with a generous tangle of fresh coriander leaves. This is the dish that makes you realise coriander can carry a whole soup rather than just sit on top of one. It comes together fast and tastes like it took far longer.
30 min · easyThis vivid, punchy chutney is built almost entirely from fresh coriander — stems, leaves and all — blended with green chillies, garlic, ginger and a squeeze of lime. It is the kind of thing you make once and then find yourself putting on absolutely everything: spooned over dal, spread inside sandwiches, served alongside grilled fish or stirred through yoghurt as a dip. Ten minutes from garden to jar.
10 min · easyFresh coriander is pounded into a punchy, herby black bean filling that carries the whole dish — this is not the sprig-on-top approach, it is coriander cooked in from the start and piled on at the end. Quick enough for a weeknight, satisfying enough that no one will miss the meat. Serve with pickled red onions and a squeeze of lime.
25 min · easyA thick, fragrant crust of blitzed coriander, toasted desiccated coconut, lime and ginger is pressed onto salmon fillets before roasting — the result is somewhere between a Southeast Asian chermoula and a proper herb crust, and it is outstanding. The coriander is used in real quantity here, not scattered on top as an afterthought, so you get deep herbal flavour in every bite. Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a simple cucumber salad.
38 min · mediumWatch for, and grow alongside
Companions: marigolds, nasturtium
Questions people ask
When do you sow Coriander in the UK?
Sow Coriander from March to September. Plant out October, after the last frost.
How long does Coriander take from sowing to harvest?
Roughly 45 days, with the harvest May to October.
Which Coriander varieties do gardeners grow again?
Club members rate every variety they grow. This page shows the grow-again votes for Santo, Caribe, Calypso, Leisure and more.
Track your Coriander from packet to plate
Sowing reminders and harvest forecasts for your own frost dates, the Seed Tin, Scan Centre for any label or packet, and the Potty Mouth Garden Club. Free to start.
Allotment keeper in the North East of England, the voice behind the Tony C Smith YouTube channel, and the gardener who built GrowMore CookMore. Club numbers on this page update as members log their plots. Last updated 3 September 2026.