Home › Forums › Over the Fence › The Kitchen Garden › Herbs

Growing stevia

bkacker's picture

Growing stevia (post #12820)

bkacker on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 15:14
in

Anyone here grow stevia? What are its likes/dislikes? And, how do you use it?

-A +A
jeana's picture

(post #12820, reply #1 of 8)

by jeana in reply to bkacker [original] on Tue, 09/29/2009 - 16:02

I used it as compost. It tastes like saccharine. : - p

Jeana

Never try to baptize a cat.

Jeana Never try to baptize a cat.
1946's picture

(post #12820, reply #2 of 8)

by 1946 in reply to bkacker [original] on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 02:11

I tried it too. Once.

bkacker's picture

(post #12820, reply #3 of 8)

by bkacker in reply to Anonymous [original] on Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:23

I'd appreciate your info about what you liked/ didn't like about it. Does it like sun? How much water, etc. Why did you only grow it once? Thanks.

1946's picture

(post #12820, reply #4 of 8)

by 1946 in reply to Anonymous [original] on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 01:06

Yes, stevia likes sun and plenty of warmth. It can be a bit fussy to grow, at least up here, but I doubt you would have that problem. The reason I never grew it again was because I realized I did not like it, and I could not find anyone who did, so it seemed silly to waste time and money to grow it. Before you do, if you are planning to grow it to consume, I would recommend you buy a little bit of it to try first. Most health food stores carry it I believe, and in fact sometimes you can even get little free sample packets of it. If you don't want to use it for a food product I would see no reason to grow it as it is not especially pretty or anything.

bkacker's picture

(post #12820, reply #5 of 8)

by bkacker in reply to Anonymous [original] on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 02:08

Thank you for the info.

BeeJay's picture

(post #12820, reply #6 of 8)

by BeeJay in reply to Anonymous [original] on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 02:26

I bought a pot at Wallmart several years ago.  It grew fine through the summer.  Full sun but no special care.  It seems to be a sub-tropical so it won't winyer over in most of ourgardens.  I didn' care for it because I don't like artifical sweetners because they leave a sweet after taste.  I thought that it tasted no better and no worse than the chemical sweetners.  Go for it!


BJ


Gardening, cooking and woodworking in South'n Murlyn'
Gardening, cooking and woodworking in South'n Murlyn'
jeana's picture

(post #12820, reply #7 of 8)

by jeana in reply to Anonymous [original] on Thu, 10/01/2009 - 03:20

It tasted exactly like Sweet and Low to me. Yuck.

Jeana

Never try to baptize a cat.

Jeana Never try to baptize a cat.
nena111's picture

I grow it just for the fun of (post #12820, reply #8 of 8)

by nena111 in reply to bkacker [original] on Thu, 08/04/2011 - 12:38

I grow it just for the fun of it. If you put it in a hanging basket it will trail over the side. It has no flowers even though it is from the crysanthemum family. My 3 year old likes the taste and will sometimes pick the leaves off and eat them. The leaves have a milder taste than the grocery store packets. I'm wondering if anyone will ever come up with a salad recipie for this stuff. It's a nice conversation piece in the garden.