How To Grow Stevia
If you have listened to the news or just like to learn about different plants or natural sweeteners, chances are you have heard of stevia. Stevia is an herb that is known to be sweeter than sugar and is native to South America. The great thing about this plant is that you don’t have to live in South America to grow it. In fact, there are people all over the world growing this product. In fact, stevia has proven to be quite resilient, growing well in climates ranging from those in Florida to Canada.
Stevia at Home
When you grow your own stevia at home you should be aware that it will not be as potent as refined white stevia extract, but it will still be a nice addition if you enjoy stevia tea leaves and like to use the natural sweetener in addition to the commercial stevia sweeteners that are already available.
Many gardeners also like to add stevia into their gardening repertoires because it has been shown to repel insects. Many believe that it is the sweetness of the plant that keeps aphids and other bugs away. If you are an organic gardener and want to plant something that will reduce the amount of bugs in your entire garden, stevia is a great choice because it is also a lot of fun to use and quite simple to grow.
How to Start Growing Stevia
Even the best gardeners are usually not all that successful growing stevia from the seed. Instead, it is much easier to grow stevia at home with starter plants. You may be able to buy the plants from your herbal or garden provider in your area. If you cannot find any stevia plants in your local area we recommend shopping the internet as there are many suppliers that will ship you as many baby stevia plants as you want.
Wherever you get your plants you should be sure that there is not the danger of frost when you plant them, as the young plants are very susceptible to cold temperatures. It’s best to plant stevia when soil temperatures are into the 50’s and 60’s if you want them to thrive. When planting you will want to place the young plants in rows that are 20 to 24 inches apart and you should ideally leave 18 inches between plants. Stevia plants will eventually grow to be about 30 inches tall and will be 18 to 24 inches wide.
How to Continually Care for Your Growing Stevia Plants
Caring for stevia is quite simple, especially if you plant in very rich soil. The feeder roots of these plants are very near the surface, so it’s a good idea to use compost to really get your plants going. You should be careful not to over-water them and in the summer months you should take care and add mulch to your plants to keep the roots from drying out.
In the late autumn you will want to strip your stevia plant of its leaves, leaving about four inches of stem at the base during this pruning process. Once you have harvested all of your leaves you will need to dry them using a net or screen. The best place to dry them is in direct sunlight, which should take about 12 hours. If you allow for the process to take longer you will not be able to take advantage of the sweetness of the plant. If you do not live in a climate where sun is abundant you can always use a home dehydrator.
After the leaves are dry you can grind them in a coffee bean grinder for later use. If you would like liquid stevia you can choose to add a cup of warm water to one-quarter cup of crushed stevia leaves and let the mixture set out for 24 hours at room temperature. Finally, refrigerate the liquid stevia and use it later in your tea or other beverages and foods as you please.
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50 Responses to “How To Grow Stevia”
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I want more information about Stevia plantation
Sounds like I might be interested in growing some. Thanks, Roger Compton
[...] How To Grow Stevia at home How To Grow Stevia at home [...]
I am interested in more information on growing stevia.
I have a 5 acre farm in Washington state. Great sandy lome environment but rains a lot. Can I grow Stevia in a greenhouse environment with flowers?
Can I sell commercially at local markets or is this unrealistic?
Chad
Give me the full information about stevia and how to grow it
Ilive in SanDiego, Ca., and would like to know where I can buy baby Stevia plants.
Thank you,
Joy
very informative info. new to stevia and needed that kind of information thanks so much
can you eat fresh stevia leaves in a saled? Just pick a few at a time alongw w/ other greens?
Could you please tell me where is Saskatchewn I could buy plants to grow.
Thank You
Can you grow the plants in pots and take inside in the winter in a colder climate?
Since it doesn’t winter over and come back in zone 7 could I grow it as a houseplant? Also, does it produce seed I could gather and replant from season to season as an annual in my garden?
I would like to learn more how to cook with stevia and also how to grow stevia in my garden.
Thank you,
Jan
Hi there,
I have an indoor stevia plant and it is not doing so well! it was transplanted this fall, and since then the leaves have been drying out and the plant is a yellowy sick looking color. Is this plant an annual? can it survive year round in a warm indoor envoronment? maybe i’m watering it too much? i love it so i want it to live!
thanks!
its intresting to know abt the cultivation of this plant as our company owes good amt of agriculture land we would be intrested to cultivate this plant if any one would be intrested to help to do this project please mail us, thanks.
i’m a former golf course super from years past and i love to garden, but i would like to try growing stevia. if any one has found other tips to help to start seed indoors & keep the plants thriving outdoors here in zone 5, i would really be so grateful. thanks
i want to grow Stevia in Kenya large scale. i need info on how to grow it.
I want to know the weather conditions, soil and elevation ideal for Stevia growing in Malawi.
I would like to grow Stevia on my back yard or in pot, Jacksonville, Florida 32257.I need information how to grow it and how to cook with raw leaf on my black bean. Thank you very much.
Nguyen
It’s the sowing season, Stevia Seeds is available. If you are interested, please let me know or visit http://www.everstevia.com
Dear sir,
I just want to know the cultivation of stevia & in which climate it is favourable.also give me the link of company for which this plant is given.
I got a stevia plant from my friend in Italy, and once I arrived back in Kenya I planted it on my backyard, right now it is 24 inches, and I am already using the cuttings to have more plants. I use the ground powder together with stinging nettle as an infusion. Great sweetener……
I just bought a stevia plant at The Home Depot here in California. If they have them then the availability is becoming pretty common.
Thanks for the helpful information. I need more information on how to access the plantsor cuttings for grwowing Stevia
I just want to know the cultivation of stevia & in which climate it is favourable.also give me the link of company for which this plant is given in West Bengal.
The stevia plant can be found at home depot in Atlanta. Can the leaves be used immediately, without the drying out process?
Can you bake with the leaves?
[...] a house. And hey, sugar isn’t good for us anyway. So cut back on sweets and sweet drinks. Use stevia to sweeten your drink- the healthier alternative for you and your [...]
can anyone tell me how tall an adult stevia plant gets or post some pictures? thanks
Yeah, I have a big stevia plant and didn’t know what to do with it. Now I do. Thank you very much.
I planted two stevia plants in my garden 2 years ago.I didn’t realize they got so big! All the bee and nectar loving critters love them!I did pull them out of the ground after the first year,I was going to replant in a different spot.To my surprise they came back up in the same spot!I live in NC. I pruned them with no mercy this growing season to control their side way growth,so they are contained to the area I wanted them.They are all 36 to 40 inches tall.Now that I know what to do with them.YUMMY!THANK YOU !Next season they will be put at all 4 corners of my garden and allowed to grow however they please!
were i get stevia plant in my country malaysia
5 yrs back ,I panted Stevia. Also i used it in differrent ways for health. but after some time I lost all (10) the trees .know were i will get this plant. i am from kolhapur,MH, INDIA.
I would like info on where to get stevia plants and how well will they grow in central Ala. thanks
can I grow the stevia plant in a pot on my windowsill along with my parsley,oregano and other herbs in the winter? I live in New York.
Kindly give me contacts where i can get stevia seedlings in kenya.
Seeds are not too difficult to germinate if seeds are fresh, given the proper environment and plenty of light. A grow light and bottom heat are very helpful. Beware of online businesses trying to sell you 5-20 seeds ect. There is no way you could possibly have a good germination rate with the already challenging seeds. The more the better, 50 seeds minimum. I found one supplier that sells them very reasonable without costing you an arm and a leg. http://centerofthewebb.ecrater.com/category.php?cid=442052
i want to know whether stivia plant can be grown in india
,if it is possible from where i can get its seeds . kindly furnisn with fruitful sugestions
thanking you
pankaj goswami
i also need detail production technology of stevia
Can I clip the top off to encourage side growth?
I have been removing leaves starting from the bottom, dried them, pulverized them in my coffee grinder. Is removing the leaves in this way a good idea.
To start cuttings, do you just cut them and place in pot to root? Thanks
Please tell me where I can get stevia plant in Malaysia.
I am interested in growing stevia in Embu district, kenya, East Africa. where do i get the seeds or seedlings from? Do you know other growers in kenya’ Ts evident that the market potential is high as people continue to search for safe low calorie sweetners
I live on the island of Oahu in Hawaii and would like to know where I could purchase the Stevia plant here……thank you
i would likr to grow stevia in kirinyaga in the tea growing area. how can i get the seedlings and can you please introduce me to other farmers of stevia in kenya.
Let me know from where and how I can get these baby plants at jabalpur,mp,India.
I find the page useful for me including all the stevia lover or growers. I too have some stevia seedlings of high sweet content in my house in Kathmandu, Nepal. If any body want to take, please write me to the address: navraj.adhikari@gmail.com
9/27/10
Now my stevia plants are beginning to produce light pink/white blossoms. I realize that these will produce seeds, but I wondered if I should harvest the leaves now, or wait until closer to frost. I am in OKLAHOMA and it will be another month before frost (usually).
Now stevia plants are full of blossom. There is no branch that does not have flowers. But, I want only leaves without flowers. How to do. For clonal propagation, it’s almost impossible!
anyone interested in cultivating stevia plants in india can contact me for for baby plants of it.
aabheys@yahoo.com
we want to grow stevia we want more information about stevia n wht cost of stevia for one accer land
I wish all around the world people will be growing stevia so long gone will be the days of diabetes. Refined sugar is soft killer.
Now, how do I get stevia baby plants in Tanzania or Kenya. Contact me at edgariustz@yahoo.com