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Coriander

Leaves in four weeks and seed by late summer, two crops from one small sowing.

1. Sow direct where it will grow, coriander bolts if its roots are disturbed.
2. Crush the round seed cases gently between your fingers, each holds two seeds.
3. Sow 1.5 cm deep, thinly, in rows 25 cm apart.
4. Thin to 15 cm for leafy plants, or leave denser for a quick baby-leaf cut.
5. Keep the soil damp and shaded in warm weather.
6. Cut outer leaves from 15 cm tall, or cut the whole stand at 10 cm.
7. When it bolts, let it go: the flowers feed hoverflies and the seed is the spice.
8. Cut the seed heads when brown and dry them in a paper bag.

Soil

Free-draining soil, moderate fertility, pH 6.2 to 6.8. No fresh manure.

Sun

Full sun in cool months, afternoon shade once it warms up.

Water

15 to 20 mm a week. Dry soil triggers bolting within days.

Spacing

15 cm apart for leaf, 20 cm for seed

Depth

1.5 cm deep

Care

['Sow every 3 weeks, every plant bolts eventually and no variety truly stops it.', 'In Portugal and other Mediterranean gardens sow February to March and again September to November, and skip June to August entirely.', 'Do not overfeed, soft growth bolts faster.', 'Pick leaves in the morning, the aroma fades in the afternoon heat.']

Harvesting

Take outer leaves when the plant is 15 cm tall, or cut the whole thing. Once a flower stalk appears the leaf flavour changes and goes soapy, so switch to harvesting seed at that point.

Storing

Leaves keep 5 days in the fridge wrapped damp, and freeze well chopped in oil. Dried seed keeps 3 years whole in a jar, and grinds fresh as needed.

Grow it next to

Spinach, brassicas and anise. The flowers pull in hoverflies which eat aphids. Keep away from fennel.

Problems

[{'cause': 'Heat, long days or root disturbance', 'fix': 'Sow direct in spring and autumn, shade it, and keep it damp. Accept it as a short-lived crop.', 'symptom': 'Flowers within a month of sowing'}, {'cause': 'The plant has switched to flowering mode', 'fix': 'Harvest the remaining broad leaves now and let it run to seed for the spice.', 'symptom': 'Leaves feathery and thin instead of broad'}, {'cause': 'Whole seed cases sown intact or sown too deep', 'fix': 'Crush the cases gently and sow 1.5 cm deep into damp soil.', 'symptom': 'Patchy germination'}, {'cause': 'Dense sowing and poor airflow', 'fix': 'Thin to 15 cm and water at the base.', 'symptom': 'Powdery mildew on crowded plants'}]

Saving your own seed

The easiest seed to save. Let the heads dry brown on the plant, cut into a paper bag, and shake. Same seed is both spice and next year's sowing. It crosses with other coriander only.

Containers

Fine in a 20 cm deep pot but it still bolts on schedule, so sow a fresh pot every 3 weeks rather than expecting one to last.