Guv's Gardens
Photo: Thamizhpparithi Maari, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Sun
- Full sun in the cooler months; part shade in warmer months and summer to delay bolting.
- Soil
- Fertile, well-drained but moist; dislikes soggy soil.
- Soil pH
- About 6.0-7.0 (around 6.5).
- Water
- Water regularly and keep moderately moist - drought stress triggers bolting.
- Hardiness
- All Australian climate zones as a cool-season annual (sowing time varies by zone).
- Height and spread
- 30-60 cm tall, about 20 cm spread.
Guv's tipCoriander bolts in heat and drought stress, so keep it moderately moist and give it part shade in warmer months. Trust me on this one.
Through the year
Timings are for temperate Australia. Tropical and arid gardens follow different seasons.
When to plant
Sow direct. Cool and temperate areas: Mar-May and Aug-Nov, or successive sowings from September to the end of autumn. Subtropical: Mar-May and Aug-Sep. Tropical: Mar-Aug. Avoid the hottest months (it bolts).
Harvest or flowering
Leaves from about 6-10 weeks after sowing; several pickings before flowering.
Pruning
None needed. Pick leaves and stems regularly and remove flower stems early to prolong the leaf harvest.
Making more plants
Seed, sown direct (6 mm deep).
Watch out for
Snails and slugs
Look for: Chewed seedlings and leaves; slime trails.
What to do: Hand-pick, use beer traps, or use a registered snail and slug bait according to the label.
Always read and follow the label on any treatment, and check it is approved for use where you live.
Safety and spread
Pets and people: Non-toxic to dogs, cats and horses (ASPCA, listed as cilantro).
Weed risk: Not a declared weed in Victoria or Queensland.
Growing somewhere else? See this plant for the USA.
The Plant Doctor and the Guv's book
Printable pest and disease charts with real photographs, and all 50 Australia plants in one book.
