I was curious if anyone has any experience propagating and/or raising/cultivating this wonderful Asian herb. I can get it here in the local Asian markets fresh. I am going to attempt with some root stimulator to see if I can get it to root. That seems to be the way that it is propagated, but have yet to find much on this subject. I have found a great source in California where you can buy 3 inch pots of this herb. However, before I invest in the minimum 6 pots/order will see if what you buy fresh in the market is "rootable"........LOL
I have read some warnings about this herb, that not unlike mint, you need to contain it in a pot. I suspect that it can begin to take over. If you have ever seen this stuff you will notice that it is segmented much like things like "Wonder Jew". I have some sort of a wild Wondering Jew that I fight all year long so I understand their warnings. Also, it seems to thrive in hot/humid climes so here in Southeast Texas should be great. I know that my Asian basil does great and so far has come back strong this year from the seeds it dropped last year. My cilantro reseeds itself annually, so if I get this herb going I should be really set for my Vietnamese recipes...................LOL.
Look forward to anyone's insight into this. I tell you what........last year I planted a variety of some Asian mustards that eventually went to seed and they have reappeared very conveniently this year. I basically have found that for Southeast Texas many of the Southeast Asian veggies do well here and should really be considered as a nice change from some of the old standards.
This is the site that sells this herb along with many others: http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/polodoratum.htm
Regards................
Rau Ram, aka, Vietnamese Corriander, aka, Persicaria odorata
I don't have any actual experience with it, but if you get a bunch of it fresh I'd suggest trying sticking cuttings both with and without the rooting hormone, and I'd put some cuttings in water too. I think a friend of mine might have grown and propagated this in spring... I'll check with her...
Tomatomaniac, Critter directed my attention to your post. I have a bunch in water with roots, but I tossed the main plant yesterday. Hope to keep it going at least in water over the winter. I'll elaborate a little more on my experience with it this year when I get a few more free moments.
Thanks, Miata! I knew you'd come through for us! :-)
Tomatomaniac, just re-read your post. I hope you haven't purchased six pots of this. Consindering how easy this thing is to grow and propogate. I would definetly try rooting some from the asian market. The cuttings I took began to show roots in water in about 2 days. I haven't sent any plants in the mail yet, but I'll gladly send some of my rooted cuttings to you if you want.
I bought a 3 inch pot from a nursery at a plant fair. Before I got it planted, I let it go a little too long without water and I thought I had lost it because it was rather rootbound. It perked back up though and I planted it in a whiskey barrel with some other herbs. Not a good idea. It actually took over my lovage which usually is the brute.
I'm almost convinced I can keep this through the winter in water. The cuttings began to get too big, so just for grins, I topped them off and stuck the tops in the same water. They're now rooted and I think I'm going to need a bigger glass if I keep this up. Tried to grow in soil in a pot indoors but didn't have any luck with that yet. Maybe I don't have the right light or conditions inside. I've still got lots of cuttings, so I will probably try again.
The guy at the nursery told me that this doesn't go to seed. That was one of his selling points, cilantro that doesn't bolt. But I don't believe the two can be compared as this has an entirely different flavor. My husband didn't care for it, so I haven't really tried it in any recipes yet. Got any to share?
i tasted this herb in Vietnamese food. i have always been curious of food i ingest, and this prompted me to do some research, immediately after my son introduced me to Vietnamese cuisine. all the links below were saved and available in my bookmarks and files. since there are no certainties in the www these days, i do make hard copies of what i find online.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_Coriander , http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Poly_odo.html , http://park.org/Pavilions/FoodAndMarkets/Herbs/qr_034.htm , http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/polodoratum.htm , http://www.webvitamins.com/Nutrient.aspx?id=3926
Rau Ram smells like cilantro with a citrus note. it has a peppery aftertaste. some people find it to have a soapy scent.
Rau Ram is a bushy herb that grows wild along the banks of ponds and streams in it's native habitat. it is grown as a tender perennial where there are no heavy frost, but grown as an annual where there are no frost. it grows best in partial shade and rapidly becomes invasive in rich, moist soil. lower stems tend to become woody. in the tropics, it bear red or pink flowers. keep trimming the plant to encourage new growth: parts used are the fresh young leaves. it roots easily if stems are left in a glass of water for 2-3 days, after which it can be planted out in the warm weather.
I hadn't checked my posting in some time.........please forgive me. I had some health issues off and on since this and several other posts. I too have tried rooting fresh rau ram from our local Asian markets. I had repeatedly been able to get them to root in water, but I had several successive failures when trying to establish them in any kind of soil. I finally got a large water rooted sample to take when I used some 1" mold compost I use in my vegetable garden. I really think that the greatest issue at that time was the seasonal cold weather at the time I was attempting this, as this is a tropical herb. With all the hot humid weather we have been having this year in Southeast Texas this sample is and has been thriving. I have it in a large pot, but still have to water it daily. I think that I might try re-potting it a larger container with some sphagnum moss for better water retention. I must tell you that I use Micro-Life organic fertilizer that works well. Thanks for all of you that made posts here and forgive me for my apparent lake of interest or appreciation.
Kindest regards...............
P.S. I also got a bunch of lemon grass going as well........... Take a look at both of them.....
Good luck w/it. I have some and it has been yellowish lately. I need to get some epsom salt and put on it. From what I've heard it's easy to root.
After finally getting the rooted bits into soil, aka, some 1" mold compost, I just use an organic fertilizer, Micro-Life, which is naturally slow release. I would be worried, as I am about most chemicals, is the inherent salt build up. I must tell you after finally making a total commitment to an organic/natural approach to gardening my overall results has been remarkable. The problem I think with many that attempt a more organic approach is that nothing much in nature happens "instantly". The interesting thing though is that as you start to see results, they just keep getting better and better.
I recently has to transfer those two plants in my earlier posted picture to a much larger container. I found that both had incredible root systems that had far out grown their pots. I also cut the rau ram plant back severely and it has new bushier growth that you just wouldn't believe. The lemon grass is now looking more like a small pampas grass plant.........LOL.
I am glad to see this much interest in Asian plants and gardening.
Regards...............
I just bought another plant yesterday at my local nursery.
Here's a photo of the new one!
