Stevia is a perennial herb that was brought to Russia from South America. This culture is also called honey grass, and this is justified, because stevia leaves are used as a natural substitute for sugar. This unremarkable culture is especially appreciated in folk medicine, it can be grown both at home and in the garden.
Stevia. Growing and reproduction. Healing properties
The leaves of the plant contain a lot of useful substances. For example, tea brewed from them, with prolonged use, is able to raise and strengthen the immune system. In addition, stevia is a natural
sugar substitute (it is 200 times sweeter than saccharin).
The use of plants for cosmetic purposes also gives a positive effect. Cooked masks and decoctions make the skin smoother and firmer, as well as even out complexion.
Stevia: growing, care, plantingPlant seeds are sown in late January or early February. This applies to the seedlings, which will subsequently be placed in the ground. It is advisable to introduce fertilizer into the prepared soil, and the seeds themselves should be sown only on the surface of the earth, not sprinkled. Next, this place must be covered with film or glass. When shoots appear, you need to carefully monitor that the condensate accumulating on the surface of the shelter does not flood the sprouts that have begun to form.
Stevia, the cultivation and care of which does not require the creation of any special conditions, is quite easy to take root in our climate zone. Most importantly, planting in the ground should be carried out only after the morning frost ends. Initially, seedlings can be placed in a greenhouse or greenhouse.
Young plants are best planted in the evening or in cloudy weather. After that, each of them must be abundantly watered. It is better to choose a place for landing sunny, but as much as possible protected from wind, drafts adversely affect the growth of such a plant as stevia. Growing this culture in the garden requires mandatory top dressing. Usually they use universal mineral fertilizer, which is suitable for vegetable or berry crops.
In the first year after planting, one should not expect intensive growth from the plant. For the winter, they dig it out and store it in the basement. The leaves of the plant are collected at the beginning of flowering, the stems are cut about 6 cm from the ground.
Growing stevia at home is easy to do all year round. The only difficulty you may encounter is the lack of lighting in winter. Under such conditions, the foliage of the plant becomes small, and the stems are very elongated. This problem is easily solved by providing the culture with additional lighting. Stevia, the cultivation of which takes place indoors, must be provided with sufficient watering. A pot with it is better to place it in a warm and bright place. In addition, about 4 months after planting, pruning of the plant should be performed to obtain more lateral shoots and leaves. Next, the bush is cut once every six months.