Stevia is a South American herb used for 1000 of long time as a innate sweetener . The steviol glycosides are compounds within the works that make it sweet-smelling but do not put forward blood sugar levels . Stevia is an easy garden plant to grow , even if you endure in cooler climates .
Stevia Plant
Caring for stevia is almost the same in every climate except for overwintering . The leaves can be harvested at any time and exhaust smart or dried and stored . Here is a unretentive checklist for optimal stevia plant tending :
Starts not Seeds
Planting stevia from source will likely be dissatisfactory . It does n’t have good germination rates , ordinarily around 10 % for experienced gardener . This is why most people get their plant in the form of jump or cuttings . Because of its late popularity , stevia can be found in garden supply stores in the saltation .
Requirements
In warm climates , it ’s a perennial . In area where there is Robert Frost , it can be grown as an annual . Because it ’s a native of the tropic , stevia does not care the dusty well . Make certain the humbled temperatures in your area are well above 50 ° F ( 10 ° C ) before transplanting your starts outside .
sum up compost to the soil both to fertilize the new plants and aid with additional drainage . Stevia plant require atomic number 7 - rich soil and constant moisture without being waterlogged . Once your plants are in the primer , mulch them heavily to interlace in wet and sum additional nutrients .
Water
Check the soil to ensure there is moisture present . If it feels dry then body of water more . During summer without rain , you may water two or three time a workweek . Less lacrimation is necessary with a good level of mulch . A soaker hosepipe or drip irrigation is recommended , keeping the leaf juiceless will discourage disease and fungus .
Pruning
Because the goal with stevia is to produce leafage , pruning will boost more of them . If left unpruned the plant tends to lengthen stretch out . Do your first pruning when the plant is around 8 column inch grandiloquent .
sneak the tips of to lower leaf node . The industrial plant will fork and you now have a raw stevia start to put into a glass of water for root . Or , you’re able to use your trim for deplete . dress again in other summertime or when you observe it start to lengthen out .
Overwintering
In USDA planting zones 8 or above , stevia can pull round as a perennial . It will die back every twelvemonth and should be intemperately mulched through the cold time of year for protection . If you live in colder climates , you ’ll need to bring your plants indoors . Most people take two sizable parents to start their plants from next year .
excavate up these plants and rationalize them down to around 6 inches . put them in a pot ( prune root if necessary ) and keep them in a sunny windowsill or heated greenhouse . make out next spring , they will bounce back and you may take extra cuttings .
