When to plant Coriander in Arid Australia

Arid zone — applies to Alice Springs, Mildura, Broken Hill, Kalgoorlie, Port Augusta and similar areas. Growing elsewhere? Temperate · Cool · Subtropical · Tropical.

Coriander is sown direct from August to December in the arid zone, and the earlier in that window the better — this cool-weather herb bolts the moment desert spring turns hot. Being hardy, it shrugs off cold nights, so an August sowing in Broken Hill or Kalgoorlie is safe even with frost still about. Seed goes in at 6 mm and is slow, taking 14–21 days to emerge; leaves are ready in 45–70 days. Sow a short row every few weeks rather than one big bed, because no single sowing lasts long once real heat arrives.

Sowing calendar — arid zone

Green months are your sowing window: August to December.

Growing notes

In dry country, coriander is a race against the thermometer. The plant reads lengthening days and rising heat as a signal to flower, and an arid spring supplies both early — a September sowing in Port Augusta might give six good weeks of leaf, while a December one can bolt at seedling stage. Front-load your sowings into August and September, then treat anything later as a shorter, shadier proposition: afternoon shade cloth and a thick mulch buy time but never stop the clock entirely.

Germination is where most arid sowings fail. Seed sits 6 mm down for two to three weeks, and in that time low humidity and wind will crust and dry an unprotected seedbed, killing the sprouting seed invisibly. Water lightly every day, keep a fine mulch or a length of hessian over the row until green shows, and do not let the surface cake. Sow where the plants will stay — coriander's taproot resents disturbance, which is why direct sowing is the method here.

The cold end of the calendar is the easy part: coriander is fully hardy and grows sweetly through frosty inland nights. And when a plant does bolt, let one go all the way — the seed is a spice in its own right and self-sown seedlings appear when conditions suit, often better timed than anything you planned.

Coriander at a glance

Common questions

When is the best time to sow coriander in the arid zone?

The window is August to December, but August and September sowings perform best. Later sowings bolt quickly as the heat builds.

Why does my coriander bolt so fast?

Rising heat and lengthening days trigger flowering, and arid springs deliver both early. Sow as early as the window allows, use afternoon shade, keep the soil moist, and succession sow every few weeks.

How long does coriander take to germinate?

Allow 14–21 days. Keep the seedbed constantly moist the whole time, because a wind-dried surface crust is the main reason arid sowings fail.

Does frost kill coriander?

No. Coriander is hardy and handles frosty desert nights well — cold weather actually suits it far better than heat.

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