Growing cilantro indoors is totally doable, but it only stays leafy if you nail three things: cool temps, steady light, and consistent moisture. Most “failures” are just cilantro bolting (flowering early) because it’s too warm, too dry, or not bright enough.

Quick answer: how to grow cilantro indoors

• Start from seed (cilantro hates being transplanted)

• Keep it cool and bright (warm rooms trigger bolting)

• Use a wide pot with drainage and don’t let it sit in water

• Harvest little and often to keep it producing leaves

• Sow a new pot every 2–3 weeks for a constant supply

Do this first: Pick the brightest spot you have and commit to succession sowing (small new sowings regularly). That’s the real secret to “always having cilantro”. Cilantro tends to do best as a short-term leafy crop, so sowing small batches regularly is the easiest way to keep fresh leaves coming — something the RHS coriander growing guidance also recommends.

Why cilantro is tricky indoors (and why it bolts)

Cilantro (also called coriander) is a short-life herb. Indoors, it often bolts because of heat + drying out + weak light.

Here’s what usually triggers flowering:

• Warm windowsills (especially above radiators)

• Inconsistent watering (dry → flood → dry)

• Low light (it stretches, weakens, then gives up)

• Root disturbance (transplanting slows it and stresses it)

If your cilantro keeps bolting, don’t fight the plant. Sow smaller batches more often and harvest young.

Best pot and compost setup for indoor cilantro

Cilantro does best in a pot that’s wider than it is deep, with drainage holes.

Use:

• 20–25cm wide pot (or a small trough-style planter)

• Peat-free multi-purpose compost (light, not dense)

• Optional: a small handful of perlite to improve airflow

Avoid:

• Tiny supermarket herb pots (they’re usually overcrowded)

• Heavy, waterlogged compost (leads to poor growth and smell)

If you want the easiest indoor setup (less guesswork with watering), a self-watering planter can help once seedlings are established.

How to sow cilantro indoors (without transplanting)

Cilantro dislikes transplanting, so sow it directly into the final pot.

1. Fill pot with compost and water it so it’s evenly moist (not soaked)
2. Sprinkle seeds thinly (you can lightly crush the “seed husk” to split it, but it’s optional)
3. Cover with 5–10mm of compost
4. Keep slightly moist until germination (usually 7–14 days)
5. Once up, give maximum light and water when the top feels just drier

Spacing tip: If it comes up too thick, thin gently by snipping extras at soil level (don’t pull and disturb roots).

Light: the difference between leafy cilantro and leggy cilantro

Cilantro indoors needs bright light to stay compact and productive.

Aim for:

• The brightest window you have

• Rotate the pot every few days

• If growth is pale/tall, add a simple grow light

If your plant looks stretched and weak, light is the first thing to fix, not fertiliser.
A simple indoor option is a LED grow light bar

If you want to understand what “bright enough” actually means (without overthinking it), see Best Lights for Indoor Gardening.

Watering cilantro indoors (the simple routine)

Cilantro likes consistent moisture, but it hates sitting in water.

Watering routine that works:

• Water until a little drains out

• Empty any saucer after 10–15 minutes

• Water again when the top 1–2cm feels just drier (not bone dry)

If you want a simple weekly checklist so watering stays consistent, Indoor Plant Maintenance Routine is a handy next read.

e.Feeding: do you need fertiliser for cilantro indoors?

Cilantro doesn’t need heavy feeding, but it does respond to light, gentle nutrition once it has true leaves.

Use:

• A diluted liquid feed every 2–3 weeks (during active growth)

• Or skip feeding entirely if you’re re-sowing often (fresh compost carries it)

If you want the simple basics of indoor feeding (when to feed, what to avoid), see Liquid Fertilizer.

Harvesting so it keeps growing (and doesn’t stall)

Harvesting correctly keeps cilantro producing leaves.

Do:

• Start harvesting once stems are 10–15cm tall

• Snip outer stems first (leave the centre growing point)

• Harvest little and often

Don’t:

• Cut everything at once (it struggles to regrow)

• Let it get tall and crowded for too long (bolting risk rises)

Quick win: Sow a second pot when your first pot is 2–3 weeks old. That way you harvest one while the other is coming on.

Long-tail fixes (quick answers)

Cilantro seedlings keep falling over

This is usually too wet + low airflow (damping off), or weak light.

Fix:

• Let the surface dry slightly between waterings

• Improve airflow near the pot

• Give stronger light (a bright window or grow light)

Cilantro tastes bitter indoors

Bitterness usually comes from bolting or stress (heat/dry swings).

Fix:

• Keep it cooler if possible

• Water more consistently

• Harvest earlier (younger leaves taste best)

Cilantro bolts fast even when it’s small

Indoors, bolting is often triggered by warmth and inconsistent moisture.

Fix:

• Move it away from heat sources

• Use a wider pot (roots stay cooler)

• Sow small batches regularly so you always have young plants

Can you grow cilantro indoors from supermarket “living herbs”?

You can, but they’re usually packed with too many seedlings and don’t last long.

If you try it:

• Divide the clump carefully into smaller groups

• Repot into a wider container

• Expect it to be short-term compared to seed-grown pots

Final Thoughts on Growing Cilantro Indoors

If you remember one thing: indoor cilantro is a succession-sowing herb, not a “one pot forever” herb. Keep it bright, cool-ish, and evenly moist, and you’ll get steady harvests. If it bolts, don’t take it as failure—just sow the next pot and harvest young.

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