I'm super excited to be growing perilla for the first time!! But for anyone who has experience growing it, is it okay that they are planted closely in rows like this? Will they be able to get bigger? Or should I thin the rows? I feel so bad plucking any of them out, they feel so precious to me ㅠㅠ I did pluck a few and moved them outside the rows as you can see in the picture but not sure if they will retake..
Ahh any advice is appreciated as I want them to thrive!! Thank you~~
by babybaepsae
6 Comments
Yes, you’ll want to thin them out, maybe 1 plant every 4-6 inches. They will get big. If you don’t thin them, they may not grow as much and may even die because they’re competing for nutrients.
That stuff spreads like wildfire. Do your best to keep it contained but it could be difficult. I grow mine in large individual pots.
Are you going into the perilla business? That’s a lot of plants. You just need three or four, and even then, unless you plan on harvesting seeds, you’ll have more than enough.
Best investment to grow your own if you love these.
Definitely thin them out by a lot. If you want big leaves for wraps and banchan, ONE seedling every 10-12 inches apart in a raised bed. Unless you are looking to grow a ton, maybe grow just 4- 6 seedlings. It’s in the mint family, so it grows like crazy with minimal care. They are self seeding, so beware of any flower growth as the plant matures and pinch them off. Else, your entire yard may start popping up perilla leaves. I grow mine in a container.
Once they grow big enough, you can sow red leaf lettuce seeds in between the rows so it gets some protection from the summer sun through the perilla leaves. Basil and tomatoes make for good companion plants as well.
Enjoy!
Eta: These are great as microgreens as well, so you can keep one or two rows pretty densely seeded and harvest when tiny to use as microgreens.
That’s waaaaaaay too many. Thin thin thin. They’re super hardy. They will transplant without issue. They look sad for a few hours but perk up quickly. Sell or give away. They get big. Super big. And wide. You’ll need contacts at h mart if you grow all of them in your pic. (Dont feel bad. Some will die naturally)
They will reseed. I planted 10+ years ago and never planted again. I give them away every year.
Save the seeds at the end of season. They’re 들깨. Ground it up fresh and add it to kalguksu or gamjatang. No need to save to replant. They’ll replant. They’re practically invasive hahahaha.
Thin at least 6 inches, 8 inches if you want full bushes. If you want plant lettuce in between. I would buy starts bc its a bit late to start seeds. Most korean markets near me sell them for 2 to 3 dollars. They’ll bolt in direct sun so it’s good for them to be under the perilla.
Unless you have cucumbers somewhere in the garden I’d put some sturdy poles on the side and grow some. It’ll grow on the fence and you’ll have the holy trinity of ssam plate – lettuce perilla and cucumbers.
They perilla and lettuce have almost simular watering needs (lettuce is a bit more) perilla you want a good soak every few days. Keep soil moist during growing season. Lettuce is basically “lettuce flavored water” and needs a LOT of water.
Have fun. Enjoy!.
During fall once seed-pods form you can cut them off while its green to prolong the life of the plant bit longer. unless you want to collect the seeds to make oil.
These plants spread like wildfire and it’ll grow on anything, I think it’s a good idea to control them by cutting off the seed pods as well, my friend found small forest of perilla plants growing out of gravel year after he raised one in the flower bed.