Re: parsley. I planted some last year which is not doing anything but bolting. So if I plant a brand new batch this year, then I should be set because every other year, one of the plants would be producing, right?
Is this the same for coriander?
You need to plant parsley every year. It has a two year life cycle--it's not perennial. The second year, as you've seen, you don't get much growth before it bolts so it's best to just treat it as an annual. If I have any parsley that makes it thru our northern winter, I leave it for some harvest early while the new sowing is getting established.
What I'm trying this year is leaving last year's parsley to bolt & see what kind of luck I have with it reseeding itself. But I have new plants on deck, too.
Coriander is strictly an annual. And it's bad about bolting really fast so you need to think succession planting on it. I tried growing it a couple of years ago & didn't have much luck. It came up and bolted! Must have planted it late. Or something. I have a lot to learn about growing it. However, I was reading somewhere within the last couple of weeks to look for slow-bolt coriander/ cilantro seeds. Haven't done that yet.
Thinking back, I planted the coriander in one of my raised beds in full sun. Next attempt, I'll find somewhere else to plant--not in the raised bed and somewhere w/ a bit less sun. Cilantro is one my most favorite herbs so I want to get it figured out. One tip--if you do have luck growing it, don't mess with trying to dry it because it just doesn't have much flavor after it's dried. When I buy fresh cilantro, I stick it in the freezer in a ziploc bag & chop some off of the frozen bunch as I need it. Flavor is almost as good as fresh.