{"id":779,"date":"2009-09-18T13:53:00","date_gmt":"2009-09-18T13:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2009\/09\/how-to-grow-stevia.html"},"modified":"2019-06-24T16:26:36","modified_gmt":"2019-06-24T20:26:36","slug":"how-to-grow-stevia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homegardenjoy.com\/site\/2009\/09\/how-to-grow-stevia.html","title":{"rendered":"How to Grow Stevia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Interested in learning how to grow stevia? It’s an easy to grow herb for the home garden.<\/p>\n

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Stevia Sugar Replacement Herb<\/h1>\n

I first found stevia plants through the Park Seed catalog. I bought whole plants, but now Parks seems to sell only stevia seeds.<\/a> Stevia is a natural herbal sweetener. South American Indians have used it for hundreds of years as a sweetener. It appears to have no side effects and no impact on blood sugar levels, making it an ideal sweetener.<\/p>\n

I’d been looking for a sugar replacement for years when I came across stevia I’m incredibly reactive to aspartame (Nutra Sweet). I guzzled diet colas all through high school. My diet then consisted of a slice of toast and a glass of Crystal Lite for breakfast, diet colas all day and night, and lots of other garbage I won’t even mention. Later on during college, I developed horrible stomach pains that sent me from doctor to doctor. I was told I had every disease under the sun. It wasn’t until about five years later that I made an appointment with Lynn Newman, herbalist and nutritionist.<\/p>\n

She took one look at my diet profile and said, “I think your stomach problems are from all the aspartame you’re drinking.” Within a month of cutting it out of my diet, I was like a new woman. To this day, I know as soon as some aspartame has slipped past me – say, in a restaurant if the waiter mixes up someone’s diet cola with my regular one. Within 20 minutes I’m so sick I’m doubled over. Splenda may also be bad for you. Here is an excellent article<\/a> by an medical doctor, Dr. Joseph Mercola, on why it’s best to avoid Splenda.<\/p>\n

I don’t feel well after I drink soft drinks with Splenda in them, so I no longer use that artificial sweetener, either.<\/p>\n

On to stevia! After researching it, I found it to be a safe alternative. It tastes fine. So when I don’t want to use real sugar, I reach for my dried stevia. But it’s expensive. So I decided to grow my own.<\/p>\n

Where to Buy Stevia Seeds and Plants<\/span><\/h2>\n

I’ve tried to grow stevia from both seeds and plants. The seeds never germinated. From my research, other gardeners had the same problem. Most recommend plants.<\/p>\n

You can buy stevia cuttings from the following online sources:<\/p>\n