Coriander (cilantro) microgreens: everything you need to know to grow them

Coriander (cilantro) microgreens give you the unmistakable citrus-and-herb flavour of the mature plant weeks earlier, cut when the seedlings are just a few centimetres tall. If you love coriander in salsa, curry or pho, growing it as a microgreen is one of the most useful things you can do on a windowsill. It is also, honestly, one of the slower and more testing crops to grow at home — so this guide sets realistic expectations and shows you the tricks that actually make a difference, chief among them using split seed.

Why grow coriander (cilantro) microgreens

The flavour is the whole point. Coriander microgreens taste like the fresh herb — bright, green and citrusy — but with a cleaner, more delicate note than the mature leaves. They carry that same distinctive character that people either adore or find soapy, so if coriander is not for you, this is not the crop to convert you.

They are also genuinely practical. Home-grown fresh coriander is expensive and wilts fast in the fridge, whereas a tray on your counter gives you a steady supply exactly when you cook. And unlike buying a supermarket bunch, you control the seed and the growing conditions from start to finish. If you are new to indoor growing, our Grow at Home hub is the best place to get the basics in order before you start.

Just be clear-eyed about the trade-off: this is a patience crop. Where a radish is ready in under a week, coriander asks for two to three weeks. It rewards you, but it does not rush.

Coriander (cilantro) microgreens at a glance

Seed soaking	Optional — split seed is best sown dry; an 8–12 hour soak can help whole seed
Germination	3–7 days
Blackout (dark) period	4–6 days
Ready to harvest	16–25 days (whole seed can take up to about 30)
Difficulty	Moderate — slow-growing and needs patience
Flavour	Bright, fresh, citrusy coriander

How to grow coriander (cilantro) microgreens step by step

1. Use split (cracked) seed if you can. What looks like a single round coriander seed is actually two seeds fused inside one husk. Splitting or cracking that husk separates them, which gives faster and more even germination — often a couple of days quicker to harvest than whole seed. Always buy untreated, food-grade seed rather than garden seed that may be coated with fungicide; our guide on choosing microgreens seeds explains what to look for.
2. Sow fairly densely, in a single layer. Aim for roughly 20–30 g of seed in a standard 10×20 tray (about 3–4 g in a small home tray). You want good coverage without seeds piling on top of each other, which traps moisture.
3. Skip the soak for split seed. Split seed germinates well sown dry, and soaking can actually encourage mould. If you only have whole seed, an 8–12 hour soak can nudge it along, but it is not essential.
4. Keep it cool. Coriander prefers cooler germination than most crops — around 18–21°C. There is no need for a heat mat; if anything, too much warmth works against you. See our temperature guide for the full picture.
5. Cover for the blackout period. Put a light opaque cover over the tray for the first 4–6 days. A heavy weight is not needed for coriander. Expect uneven germination — some seeds emerge days after others, and that is normal.
6. Uncover once most stems are standing. When the majority of seedlings are up and pushing at the cover, move the tray into bright, indirect light or under a grow light. Pale, leggy stems mean they need more light.
7. Water from below, keep the tops dry. Bottom-watering into the base tray keeps the canopy dry and greatly reduces mould and damping-off. Our watering guide walks through the method.
8. Grow on to the first true leaf. The flavour deepens as the first frilly true leaf appears, so it is worth waiting for it rather than cutting at the cotyledon stage.

Harvesting and storing

Harvest when the greens are roughly 4–7 cm tall, once the cotyledons are fully open and the first true leaves are showing — usually somewhere between day 16 and day 25, though a slow batch of whole seed can run closer to 30 days. Cut cleanly with sharp scissors just above soil level, staying above any leftover seed husks. Coriander yields modestly compared with fast crops like sunflower, so a tray gives you a garnish supply rather than a mountain of greens.

They are best eaten fresh. If you need to store them, keep them dry, unwashed and loosely covered in the fridge, where they hold for around five to ten days. Washing before storage shortens that considerably, so rinse only just before you use them.

How to use them in the kitchen

Treat coriander microgreens exactly as you would the fresh herb, but add them at the end so the heat does not flatten their aroma. They are superb scattered over tacos, guacamole and salsa, stirred into a bowl of pho or ramen just before serving, or finishing a curry, dal or Thai salad. They also lift simpler food beautifully — on scrambled eggs, avocado toast, grilled fish or a squeeze-of-lime rice bowl. Because the flavour is a touch gentler than mature coriander, you can use them generously.

Common problems

• Slow, patchy germination. This is the number one frustration and it is largely normal. Split seed, cool temperatures and even moisture all help; resist the urge to give up on a tray early.
• Mould and damping-off. Dense sowing plus a wet canopy is the classic recipe for trouble. Bottom-water, give the tray good airflow, avoid over-soaking the seed, and do not sow too thickly. Our guide on preventing mould covers this in detail — and remember that fuzzy white mould is not the same as the harmless fine root hairs that appear near the stem base.
• Pale, leggy seedlings. Almost always a light problem. Uncover on time and give them bright, indirect light or a grow light once the blackout ends.
• Seed husks clinging to the greens. Sow as evenly as you can, and gently rub or briefly rinse the harvested greens to release stubborn husks.
• Treated seed. Never grow food from garden seed sold with a coloured fungicide coating. Buy seed intended for sprouting or microgreens so you know it is untreated and food-grade.

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Coriander is a crop that teaches patience, but the flavour is worth the wait — and once you have grown one tray, the rhythm becomes second nature. Related: basil microgreens (another slower herb worth mastering), radish microgreens (a fast, forgiving crop for quick wins), and our full library of crop guides.

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The science on coriander

Studies from our Science Library that concern coriander microgreens, in plain language with links to the original research. This list updates automatically as new studies are added.

Coriander in the kitchen

Recipes and kitchen ideas from our cookbook team that use coriander microgreens.

Growing a different crop next? Every variety has a guide like this one in the Varieties database.