How to Plant Stevia and Grow Your Own Natural Sugar Substitute

Click these links to read more of my Stevia series:
What is Stevia, Anyway?
How to Grow Stevia in Your Garden
How to Prepare Stevia for Use in Your Kitchen

Click here for a slideshow about planting stevia.

Stevia plants are of sub-tropical origin, from the high altitudes in Brazil and Paraguay. The native growing conditions are hot, and stevia is often found growing along waterways where the soil is constantly moist. The plants do not like "wet feet," or roots that are submerged, but they do need plenty of water. In most areas of the United States, gardeners can replicate the ideal growing conditions for stevia. If you're a little too far north to have 100+ warm days in your growing season, you can grow stevia in containers and move them indoors when temps dip, or just grow stevia as a houseplant.

Stevia seeds are available from many seed sources. I purchased mine online from Pinetree Seeds. The seeds are tiny and elongated. (See images.) I started my stevia seeds the same time I started my tomato seeds indoors, about mid-March. I make a sphagnum/vermiculite mix for a clean, light, moisture retentive growing medium. I salvaged plant cell pack containers, washing and rinsing them thoroughly, and planted the seeds at one per cell. Light helps stevia seeds germinate, so I dusted a very thin layer of vermiculite over the seeds to barely cover them. I placed the cell packs under plant lights in a warm place, kept the soil moist, and the seeds germinated in about 10 days. In his book, Growing and Using Stevia, Jeffrey Goettemoeller recommends leaving the plant lights on 24 hours a day until the seeds germinate, but I had other seedlings in the same area, so I set the lights for 16 hour days and 8 hour nights.

The seedlings need bright sunlight and long days. I placed them on a table near a window and continued to supplement the natural light with plant lights for 16 hours a day. My stevia seedlings received a once-a-week feeding of a mild fish emulsion dilution of 1/4 teaspoon per half gallon water, the same dilution I use for other indoor seedlings. Use plain water between feedings as necessary to keep the soil moist.

Stevia seedlings are extremely tiny. Keep them warm and away from drafts.

Click here for the next article in my stevia series, How to Grow Stevia in Your Garden

Click here for more from this author.

Sources:
Personal Experience
Growing and Using Stevia, Jeffrey Goettemoeller and Karen Lucke, 2008