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Stevia

Stevia

Introduction
Mr. John Doe

Head Director

Description

Description: Growing stevia is a fun and easy process. Watch your stevia transform from a seedling into an 18 in (46 cm) bush. This tender white flowering plant is in the Asteraceae (Aster) family and is a perennial herb/shrub. However, the leaves stop producing quite as much after year two. This is why many recommend that you replant every two years. Medium-green sage-like leaves are serrated and ovate and grow opposite one another on a rangy stem. You’ve probably heard about the health benefits of the stevia plant (stevia rebaudiana). Also known as sweet leaf, the plant’s leaves can be used as a natural sweetener and as a sugar substitute.
Optimal Time/Temperature for Germination:
Stevia is very difficult to grow from seeds. Contact your local nursery to purchase a seedling. If you have trouble finding stevia plants in your local area, search online for stevia growers who are willing to ship their seedlings. Purchase 3- 5 stevia plants if you want a full year’s supply of stevia. Small stevia seedlings are easily damaged by frosts and low temperatures. Leave the stevia seedlings in their small pots until the nighttime temperatures are consistently above 50 °F (10 °C) for a week. If the temperatures in your area fall below 32 °F (0 °C) at any point during the year, plant each stevia seedling in a pot that is 18 inches (46 cm) wide and 18 inches (46 cm) long rather than outdoors and carry your pots inside and place them by a sunny window. Once the temperatures are consistently above 32 °F (0 °C), shift the pots back outside. In hardiness zones 8 to 11, stevia is considered a winter hardy plant, and can grow with a winter mulch. If you don’t live in one of these warmer zones, you can grow and prepare healthy parent plants to overwinter in- doors and plant outside in the spring.
Optimal Soil Conditions:
Purchase seedlings from a nursery and plant them in a warm and well- drained area. The plants are fairly low maintenance. Stevia grows best in areas that have good drainage and receive full sun. Choose a place that doesn’t have puddles of water after rain as this indicates that there isn’t good drainage. Avoid choosing an area that is mostly shaded. If you live in a hot climate, it is fine to plant the stevia in an area that receives slight afternoon shade. Stevia does well in loose, loamy soil. You should add com- post to the soil to increase the drainage as well as to increase the nutrient content before planting. It’s best to add compost 2-3 weeks before planting. Preferred soil pH is 6.2 to 7.2
Seed Planting Depth, Spacing and Procedure:
Turn the pot upside down to remove the stevia plant. Place one hand over the soil and around the stevia to support the plant. Tip the pot over and gently use your other hand to pull the pot away from the soil and roots. If the stevia plant isn’t coming out, try gently tapping on the base of the pot to release the soil. Use a trowel to dig a hole into your soil that is slightly bigger than the roots of your plant. Place the stevia in the hole and push soil around the roots so that it sits upright. Leave about 18 inches (46 cm) between your plants to give the seedlings room to grow. If you are planting rows of stevia, leave about 22 inches (56 cm) between each row to give room for the plants to grow to their full size.
Best Companion Plants and Plants that Hinder:
Plants that stevia works the best with are marjoram, sweet woodruff, lemon verbena, and thyme.

Growing Instructions

Crop Maintenance

Whenever pruning any plant in your garden, first ensure the blades of your scissors or shears are sterile enough to prevent spreading diseases. Wipe the blades regularly with a little alcohol. Alternatively, wash them with soap or disinfectant and hot water. Trim the top 6 inches (15 cm) of the bush in spring. Pruning your stevia will encourage it to grow more branches and leaves. Use secateurs to cut off the top 6 inches (15 cm) of the bush. Leave the sides of the bush to continue growing. Trick early frosts by covering your stevia plants. The goal of extending your harvest time out as far as possible is to achieve maximum sweetness. Stevia leaves become sweeter into autumn as temperatures drop and daylight hours decrease. You can help your plants gain sweetness by shielding them from too much cold during early frosts. There are a variety of ways to shield plants from the cold: Use mulch and insulating straw built up around the bases of the plants; Use a lightweight blanketing material (available from most gardening stores) over the tops of the plants; Use a polyurethane or glass cold frame; If you planted your stevia in containers, simply move your plants indoors during colder spells or green- house.
Moisture Requirements & Solutions:
It is really important not to over water the stevia plant as this can kill it. Touch the soil around the roots of the plant and if it feels dry, lightly water it. Avoid creating puddles of water in the soil. If you live in a hot climate, you will need to dampen the soil every few days. You do need to water your plants regularly. The plant perks up fast once you give it a drink of water. However, wilting does apply stress to the plant, so avoid it as much as possible.
Weeding Needs & Solutions:
Don’t forget that mulch also suppresses weeds. It’s always a smart idea to mulch around stevia plants. Mulching helps to prevent the soil from drying out on hot summer days. Another benefit of mulching is that it helps to regulate the soil temperature. In the hot days, it keeps the soil cooler but keeps the soil during the cooler days.
Feeding Needs/Optimal Natural Fertilizers:
Add organic fertilizer or compost to the soil once per year. Stevia plants grow best when they are given plenty of nutrients. Follow the instructions on the packet and add the amount of fertilizer or compost suggested around the base of your plants. It is important not to add more fertilizer to the soil than the instructions suggest as this can harm the stevia.
Pests, Diseases & Solutions:
Stevia doesn’t suffer from too many diseases or pests, but there are a few that you should remember. Alternaria Leaf Spot- causes reddish, round, small spots with white or grey centers on the leaves and midrib. Sometimes, the lesions encircle the stems, causing the plant to wilt. It gets worse in warm or humid weather. Make sure that you don’t get water on the foliage and always remove infected plant parts. Keep the plants apart for air circulation. Botrytis- a nasty fungus that leads to grey mold forming on the stems, leaves, flowers, and all parts of the plant. It loves cool, wet weather conditions. If you notice this fungus developing, remove all affected parts of the plant and don’t water at night. Damping off- common problems when you start the plants from seeds. At first, the seedlings look healthy, but then they wilt all of a sudden. Damping-off is a fungus that typically ap- pears when the soil is to wet or you have too much nitrogen in your soil. It’s vital that you keep seedlings moist but avoid overwatering. Never over-fertilize your seedlings and quickly thin the seedlings to avoid overcrowding. Also, wash containers before you reuse them. Aphids- tiny little insects that can be red, black, green, yellow, brown, gray, or peach scored. They suck on the leaves, typically clinging to the underside of the leaves. Then, they leave a sticky residue that attracts ants. You can knock aphids off of the leaves with a jet of water from your hose. Another option is to use insecticidal soap on the leaves. Slugs- leave big holes in the foliage or eat the entire leaf. You’ll find slime trails in the morn- ing; slugs are more active, eating at night. At night, go into your garden and try to hand- pick them off of your plant. Try attracting them to traps made of either cornmeal.
When to Harvest/Number of days to maturity:
The stevia leaves are usually at their sweetest just before the plant blossoms. This is usually at the end of summer or in early fall. Each time you check your plants through the main growing season (summer), look for buds at the tips of this flowering plant and pinch them off with the nails of your index finger and thumb be- fore they can bloom. While this prevents flavor being diverted from the leaves, it also stops your plants becoming ‘leggy’, so they end up bushier with more leaves to harvest. Extending out the time of your harvest will increase the sweetness of your crop but it’s also a gamble. Don’t leave it too long, because your stevia plants won’t tolerate a severe frost. Be sure to harvest before the first killer frost hits your plants.
How to Harvest:
Pick off the leaves and use them as desired or harvest leaves with a snip or garden scissors. If you want the plant to continue growing, don’t pick more than one- third of the leaves at one time. If you are cutting branches, apply the same principle. Only cut off ⅓ of the branches. The best time is to harvest is in the morning because the plant has a high sugar content.
Optimal Storage temperature and conditions:
Use leaves fresh; leaves will keep a couple of days wrapped in a damp paper towel placed in a perforated plastic bag in the crisper of a refrigerator. You can also dry it. Cut the whole stems, wash them, and hang them to dry. Another option is to put them on a non- metal screening outside to dry on a sunny day. Typically, they dry in one day. If you have a food dehydrator, you can use one of those as well. Once dried and crisp, you can crush the leaves by hand or use a food processor to grind into a powder form. Homegrown stevia powder should be stored in an airtight container. Leaves can be used fresh or dry to sweeten beverages, cereals, fruits, salad dressing, yogurt, teas, smoothies, as a sweet snack, and in most creamy desserts. One-eighth teaspoon of dried stevia leaves equals 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Optimal Preserving Procedures:
Seed Saving:
Seeds germinate in 14 to 21 days when kept moist and warm. It’s generally easier to start plants from 4 to 6-inch tip cuttings. Dip cut ends in a liquid rooting hormone and place in organic potting soil. Keep the air temperature 70°F at night and warmer during the day.

Harvest and Storage

Notes

Stevia leaves are 30 to 40 times sweeter than granulated sugar and have almost no calories.

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