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Kitchen

Coriander

Pet-safe

Coriandrum sativum

Category
Kitchen
Light
Partial sun
Watering
Every 2-3 days
Difficulty
Moderate
Mature size
20-30 cm
Pet safety
Non-toxic to cats and dogs.

Growing note

Grows from cracked kitchen-spice seed in days and is ready to harvest in three to four weeks, but bolts fast once temperatures cross around 30°C. Best sown October to February in most Indian cities.

Growing Coriander in Indian apartments

Coriander grown from kitchen-spice seed germinates unevenly far more often than it should, and the usual reason is the seed itself: each round coriander seed actually contains two seeds fused inside a papery shell, and sowing it whole leaves a lot of it never splitting open on its own. Gently crushing the seeds with a rolling pin, just enough to crack the outer shell without pulverizing them, roughly doubles germination compared to sowing them whole. Real bolting resistance is narrower than the general October to February guidance suggests in a fast-warming climate like Rajasthan's, where spring heat arrives early; sowing between November and January gives coriander the best real chance of a full harvest window before it bolts. Because it's a shallow-rooted crop, a wide, shallow tray sown a little crowded actually performs better than a single deep pot, more usable leaf per container footprint. Since a single sowing bolts within weeks regardless of care, succession sowing a fresh small batch every two to three weeks is what keeps a household in coriander continuously rather than a feast-then-nothing cycle from one planting.