Floppy windowsill coriander

Am about to sow some more coriander seeds for planting out in the Outdoors, because the word I heard is, this (tasty as it is) can be improved upon:

by planting seedlings outside in part shade.

Don't know why I always assume that most plants need full sun. I guess I read somewhere that if a plant grows long and skinny and falls over, it wants brighter light and is trying to reach for the sun.

Likewise: Don't know why I assume that seeds always need bright light to germinate, either. What seeds need is warmth, yes? and moisture. but not too much.

 

Mine have self seeded in the garden alreay,i love the smell

 

My next door neighbour used to grow this stuff.
After year one I think it kind of took over, but they were not really into gardening.

 

Always fails on the veg plot

 

I wouldn't even have thought to grow them outside, bit blummin' tropical aren't they?!

 

I thought the same, but some folk say that just about anything can be grown here... it just seems such a tender plant. But then everything depends on conditions where you plant it, no?

 

I think it's hardyish as they used to grow it in Tudor times - I think. Flippin' pathetic thing, though, always flops and runs to seed as soon as look at it. Trouble is, I absolutely love the flavour. Wish it would seed around in my garden. Maybe neglect is the key?

 

Ive been growing it as a micro veg, new pot every couple of weeks & harvest when its got its first set of proper leaves ; never had much luck getting it to grow more than that either.

 

Really puzzled by this because culinary use requires considerably more herb than my (tasty) micro-planting in a windowbox-type container in the kitchen is providing. And the way it sprouts --
Wondering how such a delicate sprout can develop enough cellulose to support a stem with many leaves. So I'm sowing more separately to prick out. Grocery-store herb looks just like mine. Surely a curry house's supply of fresh coriander does not resemble this. How to grow a substantial supply? Happy to give it outdoor space in sheltered part-shade.

 

If they're tall and skinny and weak, then its too warm for the amount of available light. Its all very clever biochemistry. Warmth stimulates the release of growth hormones, and light is needed for photosynthesis. If its too warm for the available light level, then all the growth hormones are released and off the plant goes, but without enough light, the plant does its best to find the light by focusing its very limited reserves of energy into reaching for the sky in the hope of finding light.

So, you need to either give them more light, or less heat.

Yep. Too warm = weak leggy seedlings.

North Sheffield is a long way from tropical, but when I lived there, I had them thriving. They grew about 4ft tall. One packet of seeds produced a lot more coriander than I could use, and given that I love the stuff, that means there was a lot of coriander. I haven't grown any since I moved back up here (100 miles further north from Sheffield) because I've had other priorities for the garden, but I'd have no qualms about growing it outdoors up here. Average summer time temps in Sheffield are about maybe 1'C warmer than where I am now. Spring is typically milder, presumably because being right near the sea here, as opposed to right next to the Pennines in Sheffield, means temperature variation is generally less, although it takes about 3 weeks longer for spring to turn into summer here than it did in Sheffield.

 

Marley, a CCA cultivar would be just the thing. for the recommendation!

Had a nice spearmint plant grow from a neighbour's generous cutting. It got crowded out by, of all things, forget-me-nots. Couldn't be without it; bought another mint plant.

Haven't grown dill yet, looking forward to trying it (thread Free Herb Seeds from M&G). Like it on new potatoes, in tuna salad, with smoked mackerel, on fritattas or omelettes.

 

That's good news! No matter what I do I've never been able to get more than a handful of leaves before it bolts.

At the South Leigh plant sale today I bought Persicaria odorata (Vietnamese Mint/Vietnamese Coriander) which tastes almost the same - maybe I'll have more luck with that.

 

Cluesome, I started six more coriander seeds in seed compost, in a very cozy room in a box to keep them dark, and the two seedlings that sprouted were yellow and longish. So if I understand correctly, that much warmth made them reach for more light than was available.

I'll have another go. This time, dark and not so warm. For the amount of coriander we consume in the UK, there must be a straightforward method and it shall be found.