Help! I have tried to grow coriander - the plant always dies! I have bought fresh coriander and whether putting it in a vase of water or in the fridge - it doesn't last 5 minutes.

What am I doing wrong????

Please advise.

Regards,
Beth

there has been many a thread on this question. it does have a bit of a mind of its own, and it goes to seed very quick, so you have to keep picking the flowers off or the plant dies...so all i do now is buy fresh as and when i need. but im sure there is a way to grow it successfully.. kimi.

Well let us know when we have some informative information on how to grow the stuff some of us cannot even easily get hold of it.

I think that coriander does not last long, it bolts, produces seeds, then the seeds start of a new crop, maybe a little like perpetual motion!!

[link]

may be helpful

yeh you have to re seed to get good fresh coriander and basil is the same. depends as well on where you keep the plant. it comes from hot climates and dont over water. it doesnt like extreme temperatures, so on a windowsill that you can open regularly helps me. dont buy the plants in the supermarket theyre forced grown and dont have the staminar required. so think lettuce really its very similar. once established you can grow outside after the lasts frosts end of this month. or grow under glass frame.

im gonna give that a go then relishmama. thankyou...

well I hope it works for you but it dont work here and guess what Basil does...

thats wierd isnt it, we cant grow basil up here well because it get too cold, im waiting for the global warming to improve the situation!! joke!

Hi Beth,

There are 2 way to store coriander.

1. If you're going to keep it in the fridge then either wrap the bunch in newspaper or in a paper bag and then place in the fridge. This reduces condensation which causes the coriander to rot.

2. You can also freeze coriander, chop the unwashed bunch finely and place in a colander, wash under free running water several times. Leave to drain for a few minutes and them spread the coriander out on newspaper covered with kitchen paper. Spread it out evenly so that the excess water is absorbed, dry like this for 1 day, turn the leaves every once in a while. Then place in a freezer bag and freeze, it will last for about 3-4 months.

My mum used to grow coriander at our home in Wales when I was younger. She'd used the same seeds that she cooked with to grow fresh coriander. Strange how it seems easy for some people and hard for others to grow this simple herb. I think I’ll have a go this year, it's so easy and cheap here in London to buy coriander that I never think about growing it. Although I think I'll grow it in the garden rather than a pot, let's see how it goes.

Reshma :-)

A general comment about Coriander…… it tastes just like stink bugs in Africa……… I do NOT appreciate the taste of it!

If you were wondering how I know this, there was one in a spinach leaf, and I took a nice big bite of it! :{

so i guess that means you dont use it then Dorz??? lol! kimi.

Wow thanks Dorz we get a lot of stink bugs here will try as substitute

Never use it …… Always substitute with parsley or something!

By the way Martino the crunch of the stink bugs might put you off!

Strange I think parsley is such a poor substitute for cori. Here in lots of Italy they use parsley that is whi cori aint so popular. It can be found though.

I can grow basil parsley etc but not coriander. I must try again.

As for the crunch if you are genuine that stink bugs have the same flavour then surely I can deal with them ala prawn and blender them.

To me the taste is exactly the same, but dont quote me on it because I REALLY do not like the taste of coriander and my mind may have tricked me into thinking that because of what stink bugs are, they should taste like coriander!
Know what I mean??
If you ever have a bite of a stink bug, let me know if you think they taste like coriander!

What is a stink bug?

yeh and how do you know what it tastes like anyway?

Stink bugs in Italy look like a green that is a common comment about coriander that it is yuk.

You dont eat a stink bug by design any more than you let a bee sting you. Sometimes it just happens...

They are ok it is the double bodied large mossies that get me!

I dont think Martinos mail came through properly.
They are green bugs about 5mm long in a kind of diamond shape. They are very common in Africa and when you stand on them they really really STINK! Hence the name.
Actually here is a website that shows the type I had a bite of

[link]

If you read my first mail in this thread you will know, how I know, what they taste like.

Sorry Dorz it went pear shaped as I was sending it! Sweet little things are they not!!

Well I never! I know one swallow does not make a summer but...

A few weeks ago someone kindly gave me a tescos pot of coriander. They flew with me to Italy and by the time they got there the were drooping.

A few days later I potted them in a parsley pot waiting for my gardners to plant them out.

Guess what! The gardners has not planted out yet bu the corinader has grown new leaf and looks great!

Well I never!!!

Hi,
I bought a Coriander plant from my local nursery about a month ago.
Planted it a big terracota pot, left it on the patio with my other herbs and its doing fine.
I water it every 3 days.
Hopefully this may continue?

Hi stevie ray, I think that the way to go, was just thinking today should go to the local nursery and pick up loads of herbs and plant them up, much healthier and hardier that way. Hope yours pulls through. we dont pot out up here in the north east till this next bank holiday and nearly always get a frost beforehand and all plants die!!

Hi relishmama,
Im from north east aswell.
Where abouts you from.