Coriander
The coriander herb (or cilantro) is one of the most popular herbs in the world – used in many different recipes.
But if you grow coriander indoors you will need to decide how you want to use it. Because all parts are edible but your growing technique will be different.
The 3 Top Coriander Varieties
- Root Coriander – Ideal for recipes like Thai soups, curries, etc.
- Seed coriander – Ideal for recipes like Indian curries, German Sausages, etc.
- Leaf Coriander – Ideal for recipes like Chinese stir-fry, Mexican Salsa, etc
Follow the links below for details, or read on for growing and cooking advice:
Coriander Root
Seed coriander
Leaf Coriander
Ideal for recipes like Chinese stir-fry, Mexican Salsa, etc
3 Ways to grow coriander indoors
With coriander there are 3 types:
- Leaf coriander– used for cooking Chinese stir-fry, Mexican Salsa, etc.
- Seed coriander – for Indian curries, German Sausages, etc.
- Root coriander – for Thai soups, etc.
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In this article we will cover:
- 3 Ways to grow the herb indoors
- Which growing method to use and why
- How to prepare it
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How to grow coriander indoors
This herb is quite easy to grow and you can use
- Soil
- Hydroponics
- Aquaponics
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But there is a difference in the way you grow them, depending on which of the above method you use and the type of results you want.
Method 1 – Growing coriander for it’s leaves.
Method 1a – Using soil..
If you want to grow it indoors from seed using soil (i.e. in a pot) then all you do is.
- Sow the seeds thinly in a pot
- Cover the seeds with 6mm sieved compost
- The seed will germinates in 7 to 14 days
- The thin the seedlings 23 to 30cm apart
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Make sure you place the pot on a window sill, terrace or balcony in a sunny position, ideally with some shade during the hottest part of day.
Method 1b – using hydroponics or aquaponics
Alternatively this is an ideal herb to use in your hydroponic or aquaponic system.
All you do is:
- Sow your seeds in rockwool planting cubes
- Make sure you keep them moist
- When they start to germinate put the cubes in your hydroponic or aquaponic system
- And then grow as above, making sure you provide light 12 hours per day.
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Either way if you want to use it for it’s leaves then you will be able to use the leaves in about 3 to 4 weeks.
Method 2 – Growing coriander for it’s seed
If you want to grow it for it’s seed then you will need to get the plant to bolt i.e. flower so you generate seeds.
If you are growing your plant in soil then the easy way to get them to bolt is to transplant the young plants, as the stress will cause them to bolt.
Or if you are using hydroponics or aquaponics is to
- Use the same method as above
- But simply replant the young plants when moving them to your hydroponic or aquaponic system
- As the shock will cause them to bolt (flower)
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Method 3 – Growing coriander for it’s Roots
The roots taste great – but only the newer younger roots – large roots from older plants are not very nice (tough and bitter). Which is why hydroponic or aquaponic will be great when growing coriander for it’s roots.
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Three Ways to Grow coriander at home
How to select your growing method / typical recipes & usage
As mentioned above how you grow the herb will depend on how you want to use it.
Growing coriander for it’s leaves
This is probably the most popular method when growing it indoors.
The leaves have a very distinctive lemon & lime taste which (when added to recipes or salads) provide a real flavour.
If you want to grow it for it’s leaves then there are 3 varieties you can use:
- Leaf Coriander – If you live in the UK, Europe or USA most of the seeds sold will be the leaf option. With the leaves looking a bit like parsley with flat, delicately toothed leaves. Simply grow as per above.
- Vietnamese Coriander –If you are purely growing it for it’s leaves then Vietnamese option might be a better choice as it is less likely to bolt and will be easier to grow for it’s leaves. However, do note that the leaves look slighly differently but have the same flavour.
- Spiny Coriander – The seeds might be more difficult to find but the usage is the same as above – with the advantage of that it will grow in more shady locations. (Needs less sun)
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Typical recipes
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Growing coriander for it’s seed
The seeds are great for many recipes -and just follow the advice above on how to get your coriander to bolts.
If you want to grow it for seed then avoid the Vietnames option as well as varieties like Jantar or ‘Slow-Bolt’ seeds. But instead try varieties like Santos.
Typical recipes:
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Growing coriander for its roots
If you like the taste of coriander than you will love it’s roots – which have a much more intense flavour than the leaves.
Typical recipes:
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How to Prepare Coriander
If you are growing coriander for it’s leaves then the first stage will be to harvest the coriander. The video below shows how.
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Next you will be using the coriander in your recipes. The video shows how to cut coriander.
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As the video’s show harvesting and chopping coriander leaves is pretty straightforward and obvious.
How to harvest coriander for it’s seeds
If you want to harvest the coriander seeds then use the methods described earlier to get your coriander to bolt. Then simply
- Wait for until the plant turns brown,
- Then hang it upside down by its stem
- And tie a paper bag to the stem to catch seeds.
After a few days, all of the seeds will have fallen to the bottom. The video provides more details
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The next stage will be to get them ready for use in the kitchen:
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More Information
Hopefully our guide showing how to grow coriander indoors has helped.