Perilla frutescens var. crispa. Red Perilla shiso seeds grow into substantial plants with wide, deep purple leaves. The dark ruby leaves of this sharply flavoured Asian herb have nicely frilled edges. They look a little bit like stinging nettle leaves, but rounder, and without any prickles. Grow as a bright-red micro-green, or let the plants mature and enjoy the leaves in pho, salad rolls, or other dishes. Shiso makes a wonderful pairing with unctuous dishes like sushi, and it combines beautifully with cilantro, mint, Thai basil and fresh lettuce leaves. Shiso has a very similar growing season to basil, and performs just as well in containers as in the garden bed. Provide full sun and well drained soil.
West Coast Seeds Red Perilla Shiso Seeds, Per Package
Starting
If starting indoors, use equal parts sterilized seed starting mix to perlite. Mix well and add to seed trays with domes. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 20°C (70°F). Seeds should germinate in 7 to 14 days. Be careful not to over-water, particularly once seeds have germinated, as the seedlings are prone to damping off. Remove the dome at germination, but maintain bottom heat until seedlings are large enough to pot on into larger containers.
Alternatively, direct sow outdoors into well-drained garden soil. Seeds should germinate in 14 to 20 days.
Timing
Start indoors in early spring, a couple of weeks after the last frost date, or direct sow outdoors in late spring, once night time temperatures are steadily above 8°C (45°F).
Harvest
Pick leaves as needed throughout the summer, and harvest the flowering tops in late summer. As autumn approaches, harvest the seeds for planting next spring.
