Hello everyone,
I'm a beginning gardener and am looking to get some interesting herbs/useful plants to my collection, especially Stevia Rebaudiana which I find most interesting. I don't really have anything to offer (except some seeds for the Balsam apple which has interesting, almost alien looking fruits), but would gladly return the favor to others once I get a respectably sized garden.
I can provide SASE's to anyone who will be gracious enough to lend a helping hand.
Thanks so much!
Wanted: Stevia (Rebaudiana) or Other Interesting Herbs...
I have a small stevia that is flowering right now. If you don't get seeds from anyone else, I'll share mine when they are ready. I've heard they are difficult to start from seeds but cuttings seem to work really well. It will be a couple of months before mine is big enough to take cuttings from, but I'm happy to share them. Dmail me if you're interested.
Janel
Thanks so much Janel, I sent a D-Mail to you.
Katlian, if you have extra cuttings, can I get one?? I live up north and sent my stevia down south so it would survive. Took a couple of cutting but none took.. If you have any extra, I'd like to try again.. And the dreaded damp-off took every one of my seedling attempts..
I'll let you know. The plant is still pretty small and not happy about being indoors, but outside would be even worse.
Janel
Janel, Stevia is a tender perennial and it needs grow lights indoors. That's why I sent mine to retire down south in FL. My plant was actually pretty big but without light and heat, it turns into an annual and dies.. I was always told that if it flowers, it will die..I don't know if it's true. I always trim off the flowers just in case though..
I have saved my Stevia plants in a pot for 2 years now. I bring the pot indoors & place beneath florescent lights. The plants die back hard. I thought mine were truly dead. But when I placed the pot outdoors in late Spring, the plants regrew even thicker that the previous year. I even divided & shared some this season. The pot was loaded with live roots. I think it is tougher than we think. Let me know if I can send some your way in Spring!
Julie
Jrush, are you offering to me?? :) You're the same person that Sequee knows right?? I was going to crash the Logee trip last time but I was out of town.. :)
Yes - We try to get to Logee's a couple times each year. Each time, different plants are in flower - It is always a great experience! You are welcome to some Stevia in Spring - I think Sequee has some Stevia from me too. I have a baggy of dried leaves that I use daily to sweeten my tea.
We all seem to cross paths at some point - our friends at DG :)
Jrush.. LOL.. Sure enough.. I'm really close to Sequee but I still haven't met her.. I've met Sev though even though she's in NJ.. Guess that's because I'm in NJ all the time now.. :)
I may not have any to offer this year after all. My plant has come down with some mysterious disease that is causing sections of the plant to wilt and die rapidly. In a week most of the plant is gone already. I took a few cuttings from sections that were not yet affected but I'm not sure they will root. I may have to move this plant to my want list instead :(
Katlian, I'm sorry to hear that. I heard it's easy to root but none of my rooting attempts took. But then again, I'm not too good at rooting. I hope you the best in trying to save the poor plant..
I'm sorry to hear about your plant. I'm planning on looking to ebay to get some seeds. If I happen to get more plants growing than I need I will happily send you one!
I have lots of herb seeds to swap. However, no Stevia. It's too cold here....
If you're interested, please send me an d-mail.
Just a note on sowing the Stevia - I got the best germination rate by surface sowing, keeping it slightly damp at all times.
Don't give up on it yet, Janel - It may just be dying back for a rest. It may surprise you in the Spring, when you place the pot outdoors again.
Julie
Julie, I don't have a problem getting it to germinate but damp off keeps getting it right after it germinates. I've never tried surface sowing though.. Hum...
If damping off is your problem, you should put the pot with seedlings in a saucer and water it from there, instead of pouring the water on top of the plants. This works really well!
I will try that.. I was wondering though, I though bottom watering only works with those growth sponges or earthbox setups?? I can do that with regular soil??
I always do so, and it works out fine! As long as there's holes in the bottom of your flowerpot, that is.......
Interesting.. I will definitely try that then.. Thank you for the advice.. :)
Alright, I got 100 stevia seeds, which should leave me with about 10 plants or so given a 10% germination rate.
They should arrive soon. Once they start flowering, I'll be sure to collect all the seeds. I'll give them out SASE to anyone who wants them.
I'm guessing it will be in a few months though =P
Ailos, I always heard that if it flowers, the plant starts going downhill.. But if you're really going to give out seeds, I'd love to get some.. :)
Well, if I plant all the seeds I get and have a total of 10 plants successfully germinated, I could easily sacrifice a couple for the benefit of everyone else =]
Or, if I happen to get a spectacular germination rate and get more than 10, I could give some actual plants away to some loving homes.
Only time will tell =]
Hello all,
Sow Stevia on the surface of a "sterile" soil mix.
Jiffy mix works well. Use small Jiffy pots or pellets to make transplanting easy. I think that someone further up this thread made mention of "regular soil". That is why your seeds "damp off".
I let a bunch of stevia plants die this year. SORRY! The older one that I kept (different seed source) is getting quite heavily branched, but they all tasted kind of nasty/bitter.
D-mail me if you want to know where I got the seeds for this nasty stevia. :)
That's true.. Some stevia have a more bitter (green herbier) taste than others.. Those aren't too nice..