Growing coriander - help!

[sparklesandsparkles]

So I'm a gardening newbie..

I tried to plant coriander seeds. Watered the compost. Rained the next day. The whole pot was flooded.

So I put more coriander seeds. Some more compost. Watered only slightly.

And it's flooded in the pot again.

Help!! What am I doing wrong?
I do water with a hose...

Start the seedlings off indoors, when they’re bigger thin them out and then plant individually. Then only water when the soil is dry. Use a mister when they’re small. Only need the hose when it’s established.

Yes, starting them off indoors is likely to be a double win - easier to water the seedlings gently and to keep the @&*#%@ snails away. I did really well at getting coriander to germinate but every plant I’ve put in the garden has been eaten by molluscs.

That's really helpful. Thanks!!

Coriander doesn’t grow that well in UK even in a better year than this. It’s nearer basil than parsley in its requirements.

the easiest way is to buy a pot from a supermarket and pot it on into a bigger pot, keep it inside and water it sparingly but without drying out. Spritzing with water helps as well. Feed it with liquid feed every two to three weeks

(having said that, mine has been rubbish this year, although the basil has given three tubs of pesto and counting)

What do you mean 'flooded'? Are there no holes in the pot you are growing it in?

I recommend putting a pot with holes in it, onto a saucer and putting water in the saucer and letting the soil inside pull up what it needs - rather than watering it with a hose and flooding it.

Another issue for new growers is putting the seeds far too deep or shallow. The amount of compost on top of the seeds should be twice the diameter of the seed and no more.

For coriander though, I recommend putting the seeds onto a piece of very damp kitchen roll, folding it in half and half again [or roll it into a cigar shape] and then putting that into a plastic bag. In a few days, a week at most, the seeds should have germinated and you can take it out, unfold/roll it and lay it onto the surface of your compost in your pot, putting half an inch of compost on top, watering it gently and from then on, water from the saucer rather than the top.

And keep it indoors until the seedlings are a few inches high.

I grow it in 6” pots indoors, then move it out onto the patio table when it’s properly established. Start a new pot off every 2 or 3 weeks as it tends to run to seed quickly. Any that does run to seed I let go properly so I can collect the seeds but I like to have a continual supply of leaves through the summer. I also grow basil, oregano and flatleaf parsley in 6” pots but usually only one sowing.