Stevia revaudiana Seeds

Stevia Sweet

This herb is a sweetener which is estimated to be 30 times sweeter than sugar, but it has no calories. It can be used in cooking and baking. This tender perennial is usually grown as an annual. Its leaves can be used fresh or dried for later use, and the sweetness is greatest just before flowering.

Germination of the seeds can be slow and erratic, and they require light to germinate. Sow in a seed tray with compost and a plastic cover over it. As soon as they are large enough to handle, prick out into pots. Plants can be grown on in tubs and moved into a greenhouse in the autumn. Plant outside when all chance of frost has passed, spaced 30cm apart.