Korean Perilla Seeds – Heirloom, Non-GMO – Easy-to-Grow Culinary Herb for Asian Dishes, Wraps & Garnishes – Ideal for Home Gardens & Containers – Annual Herb with Fragrant Leaves

My wife and I watch Korean cooking shows and saw chefs use Perilla in many dishes. So, we had to try it. The seeds grew with no problem in Western Washington and I enjoyed the unique mint type flavor. We're growing more this year.

I planted a pinch of seeds into a mini terracotta pot (you can find them at Walmart, Home Depot, even Joann's). I did not dig a hole, I just filled the pot with seeds and then lightly sprinkled a little dirt over them. Then I used a sprayer to spray them water 1-2 times a day. I used a soil mix of Organic Peat Moss, Organic Perlite, and Organic Coco Coir because that was what I had on hand. I set the pot next to a window facing west so that it got plenty of sun during the afternoon. I planted the seeds on July 26th and by July 31st I saw little shoots coming out of the seeds that had been uncovered while I sprayed them (I hadn't bothered recovering them with soil). By August 1st the leaves were starting to grow, as you can see in the first photo. They were starting to overcrowd the pot so I decided to move them to a wider pot. When I brought them out of the pot the roots had already grown so long they were practically as long as the pot. Today it's August 18th and you can start to see the jagged edges of the perilla (sesame leaves/ggetnip). However, I feel like the growth rate has slowed down, so I'm going to buy a deeper pot (apparently they need to be able to root deep), and try out the Organic vegetable soil by Espoma. I'm not sponsored by them, but I've had good results with their other soils so far (although I mixed them with organic coco coir by Burpee), and most of the bags I've bought from them have a zipping sort of seal at the top. Apparently they grow best if you move them to your garden after they grow a bit bigger in a pot, but I don't have an outdoor garden and bugs gross me out, so I'm trying to see if I can grow them indoors in a pot. It appears there are some Koreans that live in apartments that raise them on their balcony in pots, so I'm hoping it works out for me as well. Although the other Korean sesame leaf seed packs had better reviews, I wanted to try the ones by Kitazawa Seed Company because I noticed they sold other Asian vegetable seeds, and pledge on their website that they do not buy, sell, or trade genetically engineered seeds or plants. However, they do not state whether or not these seeds are organic. Seeing as the other seeds don't state whether they are organic or non-GMO either, I'd rather stick with the ones that haven't been genetically tampered with. The Kitazawa Seed Company hasn't sponsored me or contacted me in anyway. I just wanted to give them a chance since I like their company values and it seems like no one has given them a try after the other reviewer claimed they don't sprout.

The seeds grew well.

Prompt shipping, thanks

Planted on 3/12/25, this pic is from 3/24/25!! Excited and hopeful. I just broadcasted them in some little finger-tilled rows and sprinkled dirt on top, I’ll probably rearrange them and give some away as they grow larger. I’m using a pooey little garden soil mix from a local garden center and the Shiso loves it so far. We’ll see how it manages in the Texas heat!

I cold stratified some and just plopped some in some seedling soil. Cold stratification didn't seem to make a difference because I think only 1 or 2 seeds out of the entire batch didn't germinate out of around 50. Tip: don't bury them. Place them in a seedling tray and gently press them into whatever germinating substrate you use. These prefer light to germinate, so you should basically see them when you've finished seeding.

Purchased in April 2025. Planted in beginning of June, some directly in soil and some on wet paper towels with full sun. Both I had 0% germination. This must be an expired packet of seeds. Really disappointed.

Sprouted so fast. It took only two full days. I planted some in soil & some in wet paper towels to germinate. The paper towel seeds sprouted just in two days! I’m so excited. Should have bought from this seller in the first place!!