Can you grow coriander outside

Coriandrum sativum 'Topf' This is a well established variety that was specially bred growing in containers. Use coriander leaves in stews, salads, soups, sauces, poultry and vegetable dishes, stir fries, with pulses and as a garnish. Buy coriander. Take action Why take action? Support us Donate Careers Commercial opportunities Leave a legacy.

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RHS Christmas gifts. Help us achieve our goals Make a donation. The truth is that most useful culinary herbs can be grown in pots or tubs while plenty will stay compact enough to grow very happily in a window-box.

Thyme for example, will grow in a small pot or even amongst narrow paving cracks as long as you give it a warm, sunny spot and keep it well watered. Just make sure to add a few handfuls of horticultural grit to a good quality soil-based compost to ensure sharp drainage. For culinary purposes, plain old common thyme Thymus vulgaris is one of the most useful, with a rich, almost medieval flavour that adds punch to stews, stuffings, roasts, soups and even when its soft, fresh leaves and tiny flowers are used in tiny amounts- to a salad.

Rosemary Rosmarinus officnalis , hyssop Hyssopus officinalis and pot marjoram Origanum onites are examples of other sun-loving shrubby or perennial herbs that enjoy full sun and a free-draining growing medium. Likewise, culinary mint is perfect for container-growing, which usefully restricts its rambling root system; grown in the open ground, this naturally invasive herb will quietly but ruthlessly colonise almost any garden. A hardy, herbaceous perennial, it relishes a cool, damp, rich soil in either light shade or full sun.

While there are many different kinds, both the common or garden mint Mentha spicata and peppermint Mentha x piperita are great all-rounders perfect for using in a mint sauce, salad or mojito, or to sprinkle on new potatoes yum. Parsley is another compact herb easily be grown in a window-box, garden trough or pot as long as you give it a rich, cool soil in light shade or full sun and keep it well-watered.

Just bear in mind that this relatively short-lived biennial herb will need to be replaced at the end of its second growing season. Chives Allium schoenoprasum are also eminently suitable for the smallest of growing spaces. The grassy leaves of this hardy, bulbous perennial are packed full of spicy flavour and are delicious added to a salad, soup, sandwich or over a breakfast of scrambled eggs, as are its edible and similarly flavoursome purple flowers, which appear in early summer.

To keep it happy, give it a position in full sun or light shade, a good quality soil-based compost, and keep it well watered. Shearing the faded leaves and flowers down to nearly ground level in mid-summer will encourage fresh new growth and a second, smaller flush of its pretty blooms. For something different, look out for garlic chives Allium tuberosum , whose grassy leaves and pollinator-friendly pretty pale flowers have a rich garlicky flavour.

Short-lived annual herbs such as coriander, chervil and basil also pack a powerful punch in the kitchen and can be grown in containers from seed sown in the coming weeks. By comparison, coriander is far more accommodating as regards its preferred growing conditions and will grow in light shade or full sun outdoors. Just make sure to keep this hardy annual herb well-watered as otherwise it will quickly bolt.

Even then, the flavoursome, spherical seeds that come after its dainty white flowers make a delicious addition to a salad, stuffing or soup. Chervil Anthriscus cerifolium is yet another useful, hardy annual herb with a subtle, grassy flavour not dissimilar to parsley that can be direct- sown successionally from now until August either indoors or outdoors into pots.

It prefers a cool, moist soil and a lightly shaded spot away from direct sun. This is a great time to plant them for oodles of fresh, organic, flavour-filled homegrown herbs throughout the summer and early autumn months. Just make sure to follow the essential rules of successful container-growing. Last but not least, when growing a number of different herbs together in the one container, choose likeminded bedfellows that enjoy similar growing conditions and share compatible growing habits in terms of size and speed of growth.

Or as a knowledgeable gardener once said to me, think of it as akin to throwing a great dinner party where the guests naturally get along. Grow coriander in moist but well-drained soil or compost from spring to autumn. For a successional harvest throughout summer, sow seeds every two weeks. Water coriander plants regularly and harvest when you need to.

Coriander does best in well-drained soil and full sun, but will tolerate some shade in the height of summer. Seeds can be slow to germinate — crushing them very gently before sowing can speed up the process. Sow seeds in multi-cell trays, directly into the soil outdoors where they are to grow, or into pots.

In the vegetable plot, sow seeds thinly 1cm deep in rows, 30cm apart. Seeds should germinate within days. Thin out the seedlings to 25cm apart. Sow regularly through the summer for a constant supply. Seeds can be sown until late in the season for winter use.

Keep your coriander plants well watered. Weed regularly around the plants to stop weeds competing with them.

Coriander is relatively trouble-free to grow. Young seedlings may be eaten by slugs and snails, so make sure you protect them. Pick fresh coriander leaves as needed through the growing season.