Content
- The right care of the stevia plant
- The water requirement of the sweet herb
- Fertilize moderately
- Repot regularly
- Cutting ensures vigorous growth
- Common pests and diseases:
- Stevia overwinter:
- Tips & Tricks
The right care of the stevia plant
The stevia, also called sweet herb or honey leaf, thrives persistently, but is not hardy in our latitudes. With proper care, during the growing season, you can continuously harvest leaves of the sweet herb and use or conserve fresh.
The water requirement of the sweet herb
Stevia plants love the change between wet and dry and thrive optimally under these conditions. Therefore, pour the honeywort regularly and let the pot bale dry afterwards so that it only feels slightly damp inside (thumb test). However, be sure to avoid waterlogging, to which the sweet herb is very sensitive.
Fertilize moderately
Fertilize the stevia plant extremely sparingly, because like many herbs, the stevia is susceptible to disease in excess supply of nutrients. During the growing season, fertilize at most once a month and after repotting, do without additional fertilizer for at least a quarter of a year.
Repot regularly
Stevia in pot culture must always be repotted when the plant has become too big for their old planter. The sweet herb needs a lot of space for free development and forms strong, flat storage roots. Therefore choose generous pots or bowls. As a plant substrate is normal potting soil or special herb soil.
Cutting ensures vigorous growth
Cut the sweet leaf regularly during the summer months, so that the plant grows stronger and bushier. Even before the first cool nights announce the fall you should cut back the Stevia to a length of about ten centimeters.
Common pests and diseases:
With proper care, the stevia is a very insensitive herb. On over-fertilization, the sweet herb reacts with unstable stems and weakly formed, light green leaves. In this case, do not fertilize the plant for a few weeks. Bright, white spots on the underside of the leaves indicate mildew or white rust. Cut back these shoots or fight the plant disease with appropriate means.
Stevia overwinter:
Since Stevia is sensitive to frost, the sweet herb can not be overwintered outdoors. Dig the stevia in the fall before the first night frosts and overwinter the plant in a bright place.
Tips & Tricks
Stevia is very valuable for people who are not allowed or do not want to consume sugar. Dose the herb very sparingly, as it develops a slightly bitter sweet taste when overdosed.