Seed coriander
Key Facts
- Ideal for recipes like Indian curries, German Sausages, etc.
- Easy to grow
- Takes about 3 months to grow
- Available from Amazon
Background
- Originally from the southern Europe, North Africa and Soutwest Asia.
- Warmer, spicier flavour than leaf corriander.
- Ideal for savoury recipes – such as Indian curries, German Sausages, etc
- Days from seed to harvest – about 100 (3 months)
- About 30 to 60 cm high
Example seed coriander recipes
There are 3 types root, leaf and seed coriander.
This variety (when you grow it for its seeds) is most often used when cooking Indian curries, German Sausages, etc. , etc.
- dhania chicken (used both leaf & seed coriander) – see video
- Coriander seed, ginger, coconut and lentil curry
How to grow seed coriander at home
Coriander plants are very easy to grow.
But if you want to grow coriander for it seed then you will need to use the same method as described for growing a leaf coriander but you 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)
Sow April in situ. The seed is slow to germinate and so on a garden scale it can also be sown in March in a cold frame. Sow a few seeds in each pot and then plant them out when they are growing away strongly in May. The seed can also be sown in situ in the autumn.
Autumn sown plants will grow bigger and produce more seed. Prefers a warm dry light soil. Plants grown mainly for their seeds do well in partial shade, but when growing for the seed or essential oil a sunny position is preferred. The plants dislike constant moisture or too much nitrogen. Another report says that coriander grows best when a cool damp spring is followed by a hot dry summer. Coriander tends to run quickly to seed if the plants are too dry at the seedling stage.
Bit more difficult to grow than leaf coriander – but the flavour is well worth it