Garden Plant Guides

Tower Garden Grow Guide: How to Grow Coriander

An easy-to-grow herb-spice combo.
GROWING INFORMATION
Coriander
DIFFICULTY
2 out of 5 leaves
TIME TO HARVEST
5-6 weeks
INDOOR VS OUTDOOR
Both
BEST TOWER POSITION
Top

Why We Love Coriander

Coupling easy growing with bountiful harvests, Coriander is the perfect crop for beginners and experienced gardeners alike. Not only that, but growing Coriander actually comes with a little surprise, a spice! Coriander is used often in cooking Asian, Indian, and Middle Eastern dishes. Coriander also comes with health benefits, such as reducing anxiety and supplying the body with anti-inflammatory properties.

Download the Coriander Grow Guide PDF.

Varieties

  • Leisure Coriander – Also known as Chinese parsley. Boasts green, feathery, flat leaves. Features an aromatic and zesty flavour profile. Heat tolerant and slow to bolt.
  • Marino Coriander – Feathered leaf variety. High yielding variety that is quick to grow and slow to bolt. Boasts a citrus-like taste. 
  • Santo Coriander – Common variety among market farmers and home growers. Slow bolting with a relatively dark colour and strong flavour.

Planting Your Seedlings

What You’ll Need

View more information on starting your seeds.

  1. Germinate your seeds. This step will take roughly 1-2 weeks. Coriander seeds should be ready for transplant (about 2–3 weeks) when they have a good root system growing from the rockwool cubes.
  2. Place one seedling cube into each net pot on your Tower Garden Growing System. We’ve found that Coriander grows well when planted in the top sections of Tower Garden.
  3. Gently press the seedling cube until it touches the base of the net pot.

Growing Conditions

Temperature: 5 - 27° C

Light exposure and watering cycle can be controlled by our digital timer, but for manual reference:

Light

For outdoor – minimum 6-8 hours of full sunlight daily

For indoor – set grow light timer for 14-16 hours on, 8-10 hours off

Watering Cycle

Please set the Tower timer to “O” for outdoor growing or “I” for indoor growing.

Maintenance & Pest Prevention

  • Check water and pH levels at least weekly.
  • Keep roots away from pump.
  • If growing outdoors, rotate garden regularly for even growing.
  • Clean pump monthly.
  • Check regularly for pests.
  • Remove dead plant debris.
  • Destroy diseased plant material.

More information on Tower Garden maintenance is here, as well as extra help for pests and troubleshooting.

Harvesting

  • Snip the bottommost leaves at the base of their stems.
  • Remember to never take more than a third of a plant at once. 
  • To save coriander seeds, cut them from the plant and place them in a paper bag until they are fully dry and fall off the stems.
  • Coriander leaves lose most of their flavour when dried. So for the tastiest results, use them fresh or freeze for later. 
  • And if you’re cooking with Coriander, add it last to preserve the herb’s bright flavour.

Ways to Enjoy

  • Salsa – All traditional Mexican salsas feature freshly picked, and finely diced, Coriander. Skip the shop-bought stuff and make salsa with Coriander picked straight from your Tower Garden. Here are recipes from Tower Gardeners for a yummy Rustic Tomato Mango Salsa or a zesty Red Pepper Salsa.
  • Marinade – Combine freshly picked Coriander with salt, pepper, lime juice, garlic, and olive oil for a delicious marinade perfect for chicken, shrimp, and other dishes. 
  • Smoothies – Coriander has been known to support digestive health. Add a bunch of fresh Coriander into your next smoothie for a health-filled cup of goodness.  

Looking for more recipes and kitchen inspiration? Check out Let’s Cook.