Growing Coriander from the Supermarket
Instructions for growing coriander from the supermarket. Involves re-potting the plants on and what to do to keep it healthy and productive for up to a month. Repeat this process every 3-4 weeks for continuous harvests of fresh leafy herbs.
Servings 1 plant
Cost $5
Equipment
- watering can
Ingredients
- 1 pot Supermarket coriander (cilantro)
- 1 Plant pot 2-3" larger in diameter than herb pot
- 4 cups Organic potting mix Peat-free and suitable for vegetables
- water
Instructions
- Remove the plastic sleeve from the potted herb plant. The coriander stems will flop out in every which way now that the support is gone.
- Using scissors, cut a third of the growth from the top. Use this fresh coriander leaf right away, or store it for later. You can refrigerate them, but the best way to keep coriander leaves fresh is to place the stems in a small glass filled shallowly with water. Storing them like a flower bouquet can keep the leaves fresh for a week.
- You’ll see a lot clearer now that many young plants are growing in the pot. Carefully slide the roots out, and you’ll see another issue. There will likely be a mass of roots around the sides and the bottom. Coriander from the supermarket is often pot-bound.
- Many supermarket herbs can be divided at this point into smaller clumps, and it makes sense if the plant has a long lifespan. Coriander does not, and dividing can stress the plant out even more, particularly if it’s very root-bound. The best way to re-pot supermarket coriander is to place it into a larger pot with fresh compost all around the sides and the bottom.
- Transplant the supermarket coriander using a plant pot with drainage holes, two to three inches wider than the original. Don’t plant it any deeper than it’s currently growing, and make sure that there are 1-2 inches of fresh compost underneath the plant. Firm the potting mix in with your fingers and water it in. Re-potting the plant with new potting mix will give it a little extra space to grow and provide additional nutrients and water retention.
- Place the coriander plant in a bright place with direct sunlight, but ensure it doesn’t get too hot. The ideal climate for growing coriander/cilantro is 50-80F (10-27C). Keep the potting mix moist, and feed the plant with diluted organic plant feed suitable for vegetables once a week.
- Harvest a third of the coriander’s top growth once a week. You’ll get several harvests before the plant begins to die or bolt, at which point you can buy a new supermarket plant and start again. Coriander/cilantro is a fast growing and short-lived plant that naturally grows, seeds, and dies in six to eight weeks.
- Spent coriander plants can be composted or buried under the soil.