Development of the seeds
When breeding from seeds, it is therefore important to cut off the calyxes in good time. Place the capsules on a kitchen towel for a few days until the seeds fall out when you tap them gently.
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Sow seeds
In order for the seeds to germinate, they need a uniformly moist substrate and an ambient temperature of at least 22 degrees. Stevia is a light germ, so never cover the seeds with soil. Only when light stimuli fall on the dark grains for several hours a day does the seed come to life and a new stevia plant develops.
Even under the best conditions, the germination rate of the honey leaf is only around fifteen percent. Even seeds that you buy in specialist shops usually do not have a higher germination rate. Therefore, always place several seeds in a growing container and separate the plants if the seedlings are too close together after a few weeks.
Care of the small seedlings
It is important that you pay a lot of attention to the freshly emerged stevia plants.
- Carefully moisten the substrate daily with a sprayer.
- Avoid waterlogging at all costs.
- Use a plastic bag to ensure an evenly humid microclimate.
- To prevent rot and mold formation, ventilate the plants daily or that Mini greenhouse(€ 25.14 at Amazon *) open a small crack.
Isolate the seedlings
When the small stevia plants have reached a size of ten centimeters, they are separated and put into separate pots. Prick the plants into large containers six inches in diameter so that the strong storage roots can develop well. Carefully get used to the heat-loving stevia in the field and do not expose the seedlings to direct sunlight for the first few weeks.
Tips & Tricks
If you are not planning to breed, you should not leave too many of the pretty flowers on the plant. Cut back the buds and the shoot tips regularly so that the stevia forms more branches and grows bushy.