Every woman who counts calories knows about Stevia. You can grow stevia from seeds in a pot, and its leaves will provide your family with extract. You can prepare stevia extract on your own, but first, you need to grow a good bush.
A native to the Americas, this herb has conquered the world as a source of calorie-free sugar. Imagine, 1 kg of dry leaves is as sweet as 30 kg of sugar, with a calorie content of 18 kcal per 100 grams.
Stevia seeds
Does stevia taste different from sugar? To me, it does, and in a better way.
How to Grow Stevia from Seeds
- The germination rate of stevia seeds is not great – about 20% to 80% of the seeds will sprout. Propagating with cuttings is more productive, but I haven’t been able to get a stevia cutting yet.
- Black seeds germinate better than brown ones.
- It’s best to germinate the seeds in small containers.
- Place 3–4 seeds on moistened soil, cover them with a thin layer of soil or vermiculite, and spray the top layer.
- Cover with plastic wrap and maintain a temperature of 23–25 degrees Celsius.
- For the first 24 hours, provide continuous light; afterward, provide 15 hours of light for 3 weeks post-sowing.
- Seeds should sprout within 7–14 days.
- Once the seedlings sprout, remove the plastic wrap.
- Initially, until 4–6 true leaves appear, water through the tray, or gently mist the plants every 3 days.
- After 8–10 weeks, you can transplant the plants into pots.
Provide a warm, shaded spot for the delicate seedlings. You can germinate stevia in special cups made of coconut fiber, peat, or even eggshells, which can be directly planted into a pot once the seedlings are stronger.
The pot for stevia should hold at least two liters for a mature plant, though you can transplant it as it grows. Lay a layer of expanded clay at the bottom of the pot, followed by sand, and then nutrient-rich soil.
Watering – I’ve seen recommendations to use boiled water for watering, but we know that boiled water is dead and offers only H2O without nutrients for the plant. So, I prefer to water my plants with settled water enriched with eggshells (though it smells a bit during watering). Water generously, but not daily. Ensure there’s no water standing in the pot.
Choose a sunny, warm place for stevia – a south or southwest-facing window is ideal. The amount of light and warmth directly affects how sweet stevia leaves will be. The secret to lush stevia in a pot is daily misting.
After 3–4 months, stevia is ready for pruning to form the bush – trim elongated shoots, leaving buds and three to four pairs of leaves. Pruning is best done every six months.
In winter, without supplementary lighting, stevia will dry out and go dormant. Before this happens, trim the leaves and move the plant to a cool place. Occasionally, the soil with the dormant stevia must be moistened. With the first rays of spring sunlight, place the stevia back on the windowsill. It needs fertilizing twice a month.
When the time comes for repotting, be careful, as its roots are very delicate and do not recover well. Harvest the leaves at the beginning of flowering when the concentration of stevioside, minerals, and vitamins is highest. Stevia possesses a range of unique properties .
