Perilla plant

How to grow Perilla plant growing and care:

Slightly acid soil, prefer rich soil with organic material

How to care:
Fertilizer once a year after the plant arrive to 7-10 leaves, fertilizer should be for growth and not for blooming

What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Seedling / Seed / Cutting

Is it necessary to graft or use vegetative reproduction?
No, the plant reseed itself and it is possible to start by cutting but the plant annual and it need to be sowing indoor in the winter and start the cutting in the beginning of the spring and planting 2 weeks after outdoor after the last frost

Difficulties or problems when growing:
Sensitive to high temperature

Planting season:
Spring in hardiness zone 3-10a, mid of winter 10b-11

How to plant:
Better to start from seeds or young plants and not to start by plant, transplanting mature plant not always have success rate, important to add enough water the first days especially if in the spring season have a lot of heat wave also add mulch to cover the soil.

Pests and diseases:
Aphids, larva

Pruning season:
Autumn mostly but can be all the season

How to prune:
No need to prune, unless using the leaves or design

Size of the plant?
0.5-1.2 m, 20-48 inches

Growth speed in optimal condition:
Fast growing / Medium growing

Water requirement:
Average amount of water / Big amount of water in hotter location the plant will need more water

Light conditions in optimal condition for growing:
Full Sun / Half Shade to delay the bloom better to grow in half shade but in location with not too much hot summer need to be in full sun and in hardiness zone 10b-11 better in half shade

Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant?
No

Growing is also possible in a pot, planter, flowerpot or containers:
Yes, when grow in container, size 5-12 liter (1.5-3 gallon) amount of water that needed, it’s to keep the soil moist and the water go out of the pot, better not to use bottom of pot, when it’s grow as perianal every two years to switch soil in the pot don’t let, soil need to be well ventilated with good drainage, rich with organic matter, can us in potting mix or peat soil with perlite or vermiculite.

Blooming information

Bloom season:
Summer / Autumn

General information about the flower
Small flower that grow on stalk in inflorescence, the inflorescence can be green or purple

Thinning the bloom:
If not using the seeds recommend to thinning

Pollination is done by:
Bees, fly

Edible leaves

Leaves harvesting season:
Spring / Summer / Autumn (when the plant start bloom better to prune the flowers)

How to harvest the leaves?
Recommend to trim the with the branch

Information about leaves:
Serrated edges, the color can be green or purple, can be also in the upper side green and down purple, the leaves become bitter in hardiness zone 10b-11 in the summer especially when the temperature high

Uses of Perilla plant leaves:
Cooked, stir fry, quiche, salad

How to grow Perilla plant from seeds

Sowing requirement:
Short life seeds, need to soaked on water for 12-24 hours, temperature 15-20C (59-68F) possible colder temperature even 10C (50F), sunny location, moist soil and humidity

Saving seeds until sowing:
Cold, dry and dark place

Sowing season:
Spring after the frost and in hardiness zone 10b-11 in the mid-winter

How to plant:
Light soil, better to use vermiculite to keep the soil moist (when use vermiculite just small layer and under it soil with nutrient

Planting spacing:
30*30 cm (12*12 inches)

Depth of Sowing:
1-1.5 cm (0.5-0.7 inch)

Conditions for seeds germinate:
Moist, full sun in hardiness zone

Watering requires for Seeds:
Average amount of water

Germination time:
7-30 days

Condition of seedling:
Moist soil, full sun (in heat wave add mulch around the plant

Do the seeds require burying?
No, but better to save the seeds in cold place

Scientific name:

Perilla frutescens