Was in our local bulk food store yesterday talking. They carry powdered and liquid stevia. They cannot keep it in stock. It is bought out within a day of being unloaded. I know I have seen people on here have seeds for sale before. I am wondering if I could grow some plants in small pots and sell them at the food store. How hard is it to grow, I remember someone stating a low germination rate. What do you do with the plants as far as using them? Any info would be appreciated. Always need another way to make money around here. Thanks.

-- Joanie (ber-gust@prodigy.net), February 27, 2002

Answers

Hi Joanie, I've been growing stevia for the last three years. Once you get a plant growing it is easy to take cuttings from- I have hundreds growing in my greenhouse right now. I've been getting about 50 per cent germination out of my seeds, but it takes forever to get big plants from seed. You can take a three inch cutting and once it is rooted(about 3 weeks) it will spring into a full grown plant in about 45 days. I use the fresh leaves in my coffee and tea-use the dried leaves sprinkled over oatmeal etc. and in baking. Also boil the leaves in water-strain the liquid and use it for sweetner that way. Here is my website: http://www.localharvest.org/listing.jsp?id=3937 Feel free to e-mail me for more information. Daryll

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.

Daryll, I was given the powdered stevia. (very fine and green). I can't get away from the strong "grass/weed/plant" taste and smell.

I have considered that it was the way it was processed and perhaps the stevia that I raise will be more appealing. I purchased 100 seeds and they have arrived. So far, using this purchased stevia has been discouraging. The taste of the drinks that I sweetened with it was vile.

What are your thoughts on this.

-- homestead2 (homestead@localnetplus.com), February 27, 2002.

I bought a pound of dried leaves. I too did not like the taste of it in coffee or anything else. Tastes like artificial sweetener to me.

-- bruce (niobrara55@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.

You might also try "steeping" a fresh leaf or two in your cup of tea or whatever, then fishing it out.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), February 27, 2002.

Hello!

I too tried to grow Stevia. We found the seeds, 15 per package, at Park Seeds and had a great sprouting rate. The catalog said they could be grown here as a container plant. They are native to south american high altitudes. Not too hot and not too cool. My plants made it okay until about June and the heat got them. Even sitting in front of an a/c. I still have a packet in the frig but had given up hope.

I read an article someone wrote where they mentioned that it tastes like licorice (SP but you know, that yucky black candy). That lost us. I'd wondered if it might make a better winter crop to avoid the harsh summer heat of Texas.

I may just write to the one reader who had success. We cannot find Stevia in any store around here but it has been available on line for years. I think now, we'd have to try it and like it before we tried again to grow it. Just because it has been used for over 20 years in Japan and now it is finally legal in the USA, time will tell. Imperial Pure Cane Sugar did file for bankruptcy.

Thank you, Nita

-- Nita Holstine (nita@phancypages.com), February 27, 2002.

Daryll,

I wanted to let you know that four of the five plants you sent me are doing GREAT! It's exciting to see them grow, since I usually kill everything that I try to raise.

Cheers!

-- chuck in md (reply@mission4me.com), February 27, 2002.

Daryl, I e-mailed you about getting some plants. The powdered they sell here is not green but white like sugar. I don't know if I can sell the plants or leaves but I am going to give it a try.

-- Joanie (ber-gust@prodigy.net), February 27, 2002.

Hi All, I'll try to answer some of your questions, first in hot drinks I use the fresh green leaf and fish it out as was suggested. I've never liked the green powder that the health food store sells- must be the way it is processed. I used dried leaf for oatmeal etc. My plants grow fine here in the heat of the summer as long as I water them when they start to wilt. Chuck,I'm glad you didn't kill all of them:>) As for the vile taste- beats me,I like it.I find I don't care for the taste of sugar anymore(seems like something is missing). Joanie got your e-mail and sent you more information,and I have been having great luck selling the plants at the farmers market here-no one else seems to be growing it in this area. Daryll

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), February 27, 2002.

I had great success growing a plant from a small plant which I purchased. I did buy some seeds from Johnny's Seeds and they sprouted, but then died. I dried the plant that grew and then crushed the leaves. I also found it was terrible in coffee, but have later read that if you take a teaspoon of dried leaves and steep in a cup of boiling water and then strain the leaves out, you are left with a sweetner you can add to beverages. Keep remainder refrigerated.

I have also heard, and saw mentioned here, that once you get a plant going you can take a leaf and plant it and it will root quite readily. The plant likes heat it seems and I just planted it in my herb garden in early summer and forgot about it until it bloomed. It did very well.

I think the plants would sell well if you added a little card with instructions on how to used the dried herb.

-- Mary in East TN (barnwood@preferred.com), February 27, 2002.

I have seen lots of seeds for sell here too. I got some from DARYLL, I planted them monday, and I have tiny little plants already. His stock is great and he has fast friendly service. My advice to you, as far as the seeds, is STICK WITH DARYLL. Its hard to find reputable seed dealers anymore. Daryll is one . Just my .02 worth. Kristean

-- Kristean Thompson (pigalena_babe@yahoo.com), February 28, 2002.

There is a good thread on Stevia over on gardenweb.com. Kim in CO

-- kim in CO (kimk61252@hotmail.com), March 01, 2002.

Two people can taste the same thing, and have totally opposite opinions of it. One will think something tastes bitter, while another will think the same thing is sweet. I really think taste is an individual thing. Must be something about how our brains interpret the signals sent by the taste bud receptors...? Anyhow, I was a little hesitant to try stevia, because of how some people said it tasted strongly like a weed to them. I found that I LOVE it! So I suggest that each person should make up their own mind, after trying it. Dont let someone influence you not to try it at all!

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), March 01, 2002.

We did a test way back in science class with those little strips of paper (like PH strips) on whether or not you could taste an aftertaste in saccharin. Some could and some couldn't. It was a genetic thing, so people who said there wasn't an aftertaste to saccharin aren't lying, they really don't detect an aftertaste. Might be the same with stevia.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), March 01, 2002.