Coriander leaves go into fish curries, dal and vegetables all through the cool season, and they can be grown in a pot at home instead of bought, with no seedlings needed: whole coriander seed from the kitchen is enough. Megha Mondal sets out the method in Kolkata's Ei Samay.
You need an 8-10 inch pot with good drainage at the bottom. Mix loam with compost or cocopeat so the soil stays loose, and put the pot where it gets at least four to five hours of sun a day.
Each coriander "seed" holds two seeds. Crush the husks lightly with a rolling pin or split them gently by hand before sowing, and they will sprout faster; you can also wrap them in a damp cloth or tissue overnight and sow the next morning. Scatter them about half an inch deep and water as needed. Seedlings usually appear in one to two weeks.
Keep the soil slightly moist at all times but never let water stand at the base; too much water rots the roots and yellows the leaves. Coriander needs little fertiliser: a little organic manure or compost after three or four weeks is enough.
If insects appear, spray water mixed with neem oil, or fence the pot with a net or mesh to keep them off.
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
Source: Ei Samay
Comments
(0)