Vegetables
Coriander (Dhana) Cultivation Guide: Sowing to Harvest
How to grow coriander (dhana) for leaf and seed — sowing time and seed rate, the trick of splitting the seed, irrigation, fertilizer and harvest timing for tender greens or plump grain.
Updated Wed Jun 03
Coriander (dhana) is a quick, dependable rabi earner — grown for fragrant leaf, for seed, or both. A quality seed line such as Aditi Coriander gives uniform, aromatic growth. Here's how to grow it well.
Soil and season
Coriander is a cool-season crop. It needs warm, sunny, frost-free weather and does best on well-drained loam rich in organic matter. Too much heat makes it bolt — rush to flower — which is fine for a seed crop but ends leaf production early.
- Best sowing window: mid-October to mid-November (rabi)
- Avoid waterlogged or heavy, badly drained soils
Split the seed first
A simple step many growers miss: each coriander "seed" is really two joined seeds. Gently rub or split them apart before sowing. This improves germination and gives a fuller, more even stand. Soaking the split seed for a few hours before sowing speeds emergence further.
Sowing, seed rate and spacing
- Seed rate: ~10–15 kg/ha for leaf (denser), 8–12 kg/ha for seed
- Spacing: rows ~25–30 cm apart for a seed crop; broadcast or close rows for a leaf crop
- Depth: 2–3 cm into moist soil
Water and nutrition
Keep the soil consistently moist — coriander has shallow roots and dislikes both drought and waterlogging. Irrigate lightly and frequently. Incorporate well-rotted farmyard manure during land prep and give a modest balanced fertilizer dose to a soil test; coriander is not a heavy feeder.
Harvest
- For leaf: start cutting at about 30–40 days, while leaves are tender and deep green. You can take more than one cut if the crop stays vegetative.
- For seed: let the crop flower and mature; harvest when the seeds turn from green to light brown and the plant dries. Cut, dry and thresh, then store at safe moisture to keep aroma.
Watch for
- Powdery mildew in warm, dry spells — keep spacing open for airflow.
- Aphids on tender shoots — scout early and manage before they build up.
Next steps
- Compare the whole range in best vegetable seeds.
- Growing okra too? See the okra (bhindi) cultivation guide.
- For the bigger picture, read the vegetable farming guide.
Quality coriander seed — Aditi Coriander and research line Haritam (Dhana) — is available from Varsha Seeds in Modasa, Gujarat.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should coriander (dhana) be sown?+
Coriander is a cool-season rabi crop, best sown from mid-October to mid-November. It thrives in warm, sunny, frost-free weather on well-drained loam; high heat makes it bolt to seed too quickly for leaf production.
Why should coriander seed be split before sowing?+
Each coriander 'seed' is actually two joined seeds. Gently rubbing or splitting them apart before sowing improves and speeds up germination, giving a fuller, more even stand.
What is the seed rate for coriander?+
Use about 10–15 kg/ha when grown for leaf (a denser stand) and 8–12 kg/ha when grown for seed. Sow shallow, around 2–3 cm deep, into moist soil.
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