How to grow Coriander (Cilantro) (धनिया)? A Fragrant Herb for Home Gardens and Kitchens..

Step 0: Prepare the seed and soil (Important)

• Always use high-quality, fresh seeds. Older seeds tend to have a lower germination rate, which can affect the success of your crop.
• Some people gently crush the coriander seeds to split them before sowing, but this strictly depends on the seed. For this guide, I did not crush the seeds.
• Some people also soak the seeds in water for 24 hours to speed up germination but that doesn't affect much, so no need.
• To cultivate healthy coriander, the soil mix should be soft and well-draining. A recommended mixture is: 1 part garden soil, ½ part compost, ½ part sand, ¼ part cocopeat, Neem khali (powder) (optional, for additional pest control)
• Coriander is a delicate plant and does not respond well to transplanting. Therefore, avoid seedling trays and sow directly into the final container or garden bed.
• Use a shallow pot, about 6 inches deep, as coriander does not require significant depth.
• Ensure the pot has drainage holes to prevent water logging, which can damage the roots.
• Water the soil deeply, ensuring moisture reaches the bottom of the container. Don’t worry about overwatering, as the drainage holes will prevent water buildup. Pre-watering the soil before sowing seeds helps avoid disturbing the seeds later.

Day 0: Seeding

• Again, as mentioned above, Coriander is a delicate plant and does not respond well to transplanting. Therefore, avoid seedling trays and sow directly into the final container or garden bed.
• Simply spread the seeds evenly across the surface of the soil. There's no need to worry about leaving gaps between seeds.
• Cover the seeds with a thin layer of cocopeat (about 1 cm thick). Cocopeat retains moisture and provides a soft cover for the seeds.
• Water lightly using a spray bottle. Avoid using a direct stream of water as this may displace the seeds. Since the soil is already pre-watered, you only need to ensure the cocopeat is moist.
• Place the pot in a location that receives 2-3 hours of indirect sunlight. Seeds themselves don’t require sunlight for germination, but they’ll need light once they sprout.

Day 7 - Germination Begins

• By day 6 or 7, you should start seeing signs of germination. Small sprouts will begin to appear.
• Watering: Only water them if the top soil is dry, Avoid excess water at this stage, see the watering guide for more information

Day 12 - Full Germination

• By day 12, the majority of your seeds should have fully germinated, resulting in a healthy spread of seedlings.
• Watering: Only water them if the top soil is dry, Avoid excess water at this stage, see the watering guide for more information

Day 17 - Dense Growth

• Around day 17, you should notice dense coriander growth, but the plants are not yet ready for harvest.
• Watering: Only water them if the top soil is dry, Avoid excess water at this stage, see the watering guide for more information

Day 20 - Optional Light Fertilizer

• If your initial soil mix contained compost, additional fertilizer is not required at this stage.
  However, if you did not use compost, apply a light dose of organic fertilizer such as Mustard cake fertilizer, Cow dung cake fertilizer, or homemade options like onion peel or banana peel fertilizer.
• Watering: Only water them if the top soil is dry, Avoid excess water at this stage, see the watering guide for more information

Day 25 - Ready for Harvest

• When your coriander plants reach about 5-6 inches in height, they are ready to harvest.
• For continued growth, make sure to cut the leaves 3 inches above the soil. This allows the plant to regenerate, enabling multiple harvests (up to 3-4 times).
• Watering: Avoid watering a day before harvesting and water after the harvesting.

Day 27 - Fertilizer After First Harvest

• After the first harvest, apply mustard cake fertilizer to replenish the soil nutrients. This is generally the only fertilizer application needed, as mustard cake fertilizer is potent enough to sustain the plants for their remaining growth cycles.
• Coriander does not require much fertilizer, so adding fertilizer only once in its lifetime is recommended, which means, that if you have added fertilizer before, do not add it now.
• Watering: Only water them if the top soil is dry, Avoid excess water at this stage, see the watering guide for more information

End of Harvest Cycle

• After three harvests, the plants may take longer to regenerate and the quality of the leaves may decrease. By the fourth harvest, it’s time to pull the plants out by the roots and restart the cycle with new seeds.

A Word of Wisdom

Coriander does not require much care after the seeding, just water occasionally and enjoy.

We believe in harmony, plants grow better with other plants and insects, try not to restrict your garden to birds, insects, bugs, and other organisms.
Birds, and insects not only help in pollination (which you don't need if you don't intend to get seeds from Coriander) but also improve the positivity of the environment, and help in nutrition circulation.
Birds can eat small bugs and protect plants from diseases for free.