Stevia: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar
How do you sow stevia outdoors?
For outdoor sowing, wait until frost has passed and conditions are consistently warm, including at night. Stevia needs warmth to germinate: around 20–25 °C is a common guide, sometimes higher depending on the seed lot. Follow your seed packet. A cool spring seedbed is unreliable; if conditions remain unsuitable, start the seeds in a warm place under cover instead.
Use fresh seed and a small pot or tray with drainage holes, filled with fine seed compost. This is easier to monitor than sowing directly into a large bed. Moisten the compost first, level it and press the tiny seeds onto the surface. If the packet recommends covering them, use only a very fine sprinkling. Do not bury them 5 mm deep or space individual seeds as though they were established plants.
Put the container in a bright, sheltered place, protected from heavy rain, drying wind and intense midday sun. Keep the surface evenly moist with gentle watering, without soaking the compost. Check it daily because a small container can dry quickly.
Germination often takes one to three weeks in suitable warmth, but can be uneven. Once seedlings have true leaves and are large enough to handle, move them into individual pots, holding a leaf rather than the stem. Keep them warm, protect them from slugs and accustom them gradually to stronger outdoor light.
When and how do you plant stevia?
When does stevia flower and how do you follow its flowering?
How do you trim stevia?
How to care for this plant
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Prepare for overwintering
To keep your tender plant for next year, prepare a bright place at a temperature suitable for the species. Watch forecast night temperatures and move it under cover before they become too cold: some plants suffer from cold before frost arrives.
When and how do you harvest stevia leaves?
