Stevia Seeds 50

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is the celebrated "sweet leaf," a tender perennial herb prized for the intense natural sweetness packed into its small, bright-green oval leaves. A single fresh leaf delivers a clean, sugar-free sweetness, making it a favourite for sweetening teas and drinks, and a handsome, bushy plant for pots and herb beds alike.

Planting

Sow the seed shallowly, about 0.6 cm deep, and cover only lightly because stevia needs light to germinate; keep the surface moderately moist. Seeds sprout in roughly 7-21 days at a soil temperature of 20-24 C. Start indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost and transplant only once frost has passed and the weather is settled and warm, as stevia cannot tolerate temperatures below about 7 C. Space plants 25-30 cm apart in full sun.

Fertilizing

Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers. Feed lightly with compost tea or dilute fish emulsion roughly every two weeks from early summer. Potassium-leaning feeds near maturity help develop the sweet steviol glycosides that give the leaves their flavour.

Care

Keep the soil evenly moist, since stevia is not drought-tolerant and yields drop sharply without regular water. In hot, dry regions give dappled sunlight or afternoon shade to prevent heat stress; plants grow far more vigorously in warmth around 26-30 C. Pests and diseases rarely trouble it under good conditions. Begin harvesting once plants reach about 20 cm tall, picking leaves in the morning and always before flowering, as the flavour fades after bloom.