Shiso: All I have ever done is throw the seeds at the backyard and wait. By July, I have dozens of plants. They get about 4 feet tall. The flowers are edible too. Hubby likes pickled Shiso, tempura shiso leaves and hides it in the sushi. I add it to the Umeboshi after its been pickled and dried a bit (the ume' not the shiso). The shiso adds the red color, an added flavor (before that, the umeboshi is salty and sour) and also preserves the mix.
Shiso has a very strong flavor that a lot of people don't like. It also turns into a weed and re-seeds itself freely. I think my crop failure was due to Hubby and the Roundup. Sounds like an old rock band.
Daisy
