elsie gave me a good idea... thanks, elsie!
I have two stevia plants that I'd love to experiment and see if they will do well overwintering in a warmer climate, then have some sent back to me in the spring.
I understand these do well when you root cuttings...
anyone want to experiment with this herb? It's the 2nd time I've grown it and it did really well for me this year in zone 5b, this was from Troy's herb co-op.
they did very outdoors in southern georgia zone 8b.
drew
what is their zone limit-i got them in the co-op and they are still growing!
I don't live in a warmer zone, but if anyone has a cutting or two to spare I would love it. I could send you herb starts in the Spring, or something. I have tried to start these from seeds and didn't get good results.
they can take a little cold but not to much. I have had some die back to the ground and come back when i lost heat in the GH. Yes they do very well from cuttings just keep them wet for a few days. to over winter them in colder zones just keep them in a warm bright spot a little humid and the soil damp but not to wet in the winter
guess id better go dig them up!
i would love to exsperiment with one. can't promise the results but i am willing to try. lmk
whoever wants a cutting to try and root, please email me your addy.
I'll be sending stuff out sometime the week after next.
Thanks
Hi friends,
I had really good intentions with this thread and this herb but ended up simply pulling it out after it kicked the bucket following a killing frost. I really did mean to send some out to folks this year but never was able to do even a fraction of what I had wanted to do this year.
Health reasons mostly, but also with DH's father so ill... well we are hoping next year will be a better year for everything. I'd like to forget 2003 ever happened, really!
Thanks for your patience. Let's try again next year.
With love,
Janie
JJ, Not to worry. I do the same thing from time to time. I did order some stevia seeds from Pinetree. I had traded for seeds before and have had no luck in starting them.
mine died wheni tried to bring it in!! :(
Is it difficult to overwinter then? Did you try to repot it when you brought it in , or was it already in a pot?
not martha:
hopefully you still have it. It may not be "REALLY" DEAD.
dump it out and shake off the dirt you should see this spider like formation of roots attached to what kinda looks like a corm. if the roots are still live looking re-pot it and keep it damp. be carefull not to over water it at this point, and it may push growth in awhile. don't give up unless you dump it out and the whole thing is dead. i had about 100 plants i thought had died when i started dumping to recycle the pots and soil, and i found that most of them were still alive and after awhile about 90% of them pushed new growth . so all is not lost yet. if you think your stevia it dead from cold or dehydration don't give up till you check it.
That is really interesting Troy. I think that happens with a lot of plants.
i will check today!
I started some stevia plants this spring from seed. does anyone know how you use them? Dried leaves? Roots? If used as a sweetener do you just put ground up dried leaves in stuff? Any help is appreciated.
You can make it into a powder or I just crush fresh leaves into tea and stuff and it's less bitter that way. But you can use it either way. I don't know if you can use the roots or not. Ask Drew... he's good at rooty things
May be some helpful info @ this link, but doesn't indicate that the roots are used.
http://www.stevia.net/growingstevia.htm
Never have tried growing it, but sounds interesting.
Thanks folks for the quick reply. I have yet to set out the few plants I got from seed. Will try it anyway as an experiment. I normally use Splenda but can see a place for this herb. Bless you for the hyperlink.
Troy, when I read your line, it may not be "REALLY" DEAD. I cracked up. It reminded me of Miracle Max in the Princess Bride, telling Wesley's friends, "he's only mostly dead". LOL
But I digress. This thread is interesting. I've never grown stevia, but wanted to try it.
Do not use the roots or the stems. It is only the green leaves that contains the compound steviole which is the sweetening power. Only use a low nitrogen fertilizer. Too much Nitrogen reduces the sweetness. Preferrably, use the younger leaves because as it reaches maturity, the steviole is reduced as it goes into flower production.
Seeds do well in a 50:50 peat/pearl mixture indoors with constant moisture. Damp but not soggy soil. Since it is only found naturally along the banks of rivers in Brazil and Paraguay, I would think a greenhouse would be necessary for you folks up North and back East.........nada
Well, nada (nothing?); you've said a mouthful.
I started with 2 seedlings this spring, from a private trade. One died, the other still growing, I treated them both the same. I know of the riverbanks in Brazil and Paraguay. That's why you must treat it like a 'Tropical' up here in the Catskills. It will be coming in soon ... thanks for the link also.
Robin
NatureWalker, Didn't mean to mumble, maybe my mouth was full of crackers. The "book" says it is hard to germinate from seed and that is true to an extent. That was one of three reasons why I wanted to try it. The ideal temp for seed germination is 70 - 75 degrees. It takes 14 - 21 days for germination and the seed viability is close to 10%. Furthermore, the plant is very delicate and easily broken as you probably already know.
Cuttings is the way to go. They root easier than geraniums. No hormones are needed for spring cuttings or long day conditions but would be helpful for those in the fall. Just stick them in moist potting soil and they should root within a week. You should get 6-8 cuttings from one mature stem but cut the flower buds off unless you want the seeds. If you need help with cuttings or seed, type me a note and I will see what I can do.........Scott (nada)
Go here and see what I just posted a little while ago. (at the bottom of the page)
General Discussion: Favorite gardening tip
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/385522/
HTH, Z ; ^ )
Robin
