Overwintering Stevia

Stevia is a tropical plant and needs to be moved indoors for the winter in zones 8 and below.  Overwintering Stevia is an easy process.  Just find a sunny Southern, Western or Eastern window and place the Stevia plant as close to the window as possible.  It will thrive in the direct sunlight when the ambient temperature is above 60 or 65 degrees Ferenheit.  Water weekly and your Stevia plant will reward you all winter.

For move details, enjoy this eHow article on How to Overwinter Plants From Your Garden:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4787870_overwinter-plants-garden.html

Water Stevia Plants Well

While Stevia plants are a children of the sun, they do need their water!  Dessicated, dried plants can occur in just one day if they are not provided the water they need.  Grown in containers on the deck, Stevia plants are at high risk for drying up.  

Use a rain guage to be sure Stevia plants in the garden get at least one inch of rain per week. 














Use a plant water meter, available for just 10 dollars or less to test the moisture in the soil of the pot.













Keep 'em watered and the Stevia Plant will grow for you!

Iced Green Tea with Stevia Plant

Cool and refreshing with natural sweetness.

  Make green tea by brewing green tea bags in hot water for 10 minutes steeping the green tea until very concentrated.  Add a small amount of granulated or liquid Stevia.  Let cool to room temperature.

Fill a glass with ice, add a spring of fresh Stevia Plant.  Enjoy your Iced Green Tea with Stevia for a calorie free, refreshing summer drink.

Growing Stevia in North America

Memorial Day Weekend, the official start to summer.

Move Stevia seedlings out to the garden before or on Memorial Day throughout most of North America.  Select a sunny spot which receives more than 6 hours of direct sun per day.  Water well until established.  Allow 18 inches between the plants. 

Consider placing Stevia near the kitchen door to allow a quick step outside to snip sprigs to put in your hot tea in the morning and iced tea in the afternoon.

Growing Stevia Plant seedlings

Growing Stevia Plant seedlings is much like growing seedlings of other plants.  The Stevia seedlings will need even watering, a light source and humidity.  If you buy at a local garden center or order online Stevia seedlings they will be past the delicate 2 and 4 leaf stage.  As you grow your Stevia plant steedlings indoors before moving outdoors, if they get leggy (which means tall and lanky) pinch off the leggy part leaving at least 2 to 3 sets of leaves on the stalk. 

In this picture you can see that the Stevia plant seedling on the right has gotten leggy, the one on the left was pinched off about a week ago and is showing new branches sprouting from where the leaves grow from the main stem. 

When you move the seedling outside, place them in a shady area, make sure the night time temperatures will not dip below 45 degrees Farenheight.  Slowly expose them to morning or evening sun, slowly increasing the sun until they are able to be in the full sun without wilting or getting sunburned.  Keep them well watered.  This process is called hardening off. 

Stevia Recipe - Ricotta Stevia Citrus Spread

This Stevia recipe is a simple way to enjoy the healthy benefits of a low calorie lifestyle through the use of Stevia.  This is a versatile recipe which can be used on toast, bagels, biscuits, english muffins or any other bread.  If you are trying to eat a low calorie, high protein diet, pair this cheese based low calorie spread with double protein bread for a high protein breakfast.

1/2 cup Ricotta Cheese

1 packet of Stevia Sweetener (In this case I used Truvia Stevia Sweetener)

Zest of one Clementine Orange (Use a cheese grater to remove the outermost rind of the orange.  It will be very fine.  Gather the rind from the cheese grater and place this into the Ricotta Cheese.)

One very small sprinkle of salt.

During the holidays - add a sprinkle of nutmeg.

Blend all ingredients together just before serving.

For diabetics who cannot eat the orange, place the rest of the left over orange outside in one of the birdfeeders designed to hold fruit pieces for song birds.

Growing Stevia Seeds

Spring is the time of the year to order your Stevia plant.  It grows in tropical climates so should be started inside by Stevia Seed then placed outside in a pot when the weather warms.  Consider buying Stevia Seeds along with a terrarium that will help the seeds thrive in the warmth and humidity that they prefer.

The DuneCraft Terrarium with Stevia seeds is just the Stevia plant starting set up that you need to have a Stevia crop this summer!