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.