Red Shiso

I have had a hard time getting this seed to germinate in the past. This year I used a heat mat and I now have too many seedlings. Every seed I planted germinated, or so it seems. Shiso has an interesting flavor and I like adding it to salads. The plant's very handsome too --somewhat reminiscent of a coleus.

The seeds were very viable and many of them sprouted. We had a bit of bad luck with a slug, but the plants we have are productive and happy. Shiso is really something special.

Very good germination rate, faster than I expected,using heat mat and light, and after planting out, it is growing well so far. I’m going to try using the mature leaves to dye silk.. Also I have a recipe for a summer drink made from the leaves. I’ve made it before—delicious, but it takes a lot of leaves to make one batch of the drink.

The problem was I ordered 1 pack and received and was charged for 3 packs. I gave away the 2 unwanted packs. The germination % was good, and the starts are growing nicely. I prefer green shiso, but have not had such good luck germinating them.

Shiso takes some time to germinate, but once it got going it's grown beautifully. It's nice enough looking to be grown just for looks, but it tastes amazing. I add it to salads for flavor and color.