Sweets For The Sweet...

We’re all aware of those little colored packets on the tables at restaurants. You’ve heard that some of those choices are not very good for you, but which ones? And why? We’ve heard that some artificial sweeteners cause cancer. Doesn’t just about everything cause cancer these days? Are any of them better for you than the rest? How about regular old white sugar? As we know, this is a highly processed food with little to nothing good nutritionally. It can lead to or exacerbate diabetes, wreck havoc with your teeth, is processed with synthetic chemicals.

And don’t even let me get started on high fructose corn syrup. I’ll add it up in one word: “Ew!”

There is, however, something that is much sweeter than white sugar, has no calories, is safe for children, safe for diabetics. It’s available in supermarkets and health food stores; you can cook and bake with it and is available in several forms.

And you can grow it in your garden.

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is said to be a perennial. For us in the Rogue Valley, it would probably be an annual, unless you’re growing it in a container. Stevia is native to the subtropical regions of Paraguay and Brazil. In the wild, Stevia likes an acid soil that is generally constantly moist but not soaking. It is found near the edges of marshes and streams where the soil is sandy. If you choose to give Stevia a try, remember that it doesn’t like to dry out, but having wet feel will encourage rot and disease. You can be successful with Stevia with the use of a few simple techniques: raised beds, a good organic mulch and frequent watering (a soaker hose on a timer leaps immediately to mind) will go a long way to success with Stevia.

Stevia has the reputation of being somewhat finicky. I don’t know that that’s so. I’ve grown it. It worked. I’ve had more challenges with tuberoses, quite frankly. At any rate, Stevia is tolerant of most soil types, although it likes a sandy soil best. Any well drained soil that produces a good crop of vegetables should work fine. Of course, incorporating organic matter is the best way to improve any soil. If you have the resources to make one, a rich compost of leaves, grass, hay, kitchen waste, manure and other organic materials will greatly improve your soil structure and supply nutrients. Feed the soil and the soil will feed your plants. Stevia will tolerate a soil pH of 4 to 5, but has been known to thrive with soil pH as high as 7.5. You’ll want to test your soil and look for deficiencies. This will benefit everything you grow; not just Stevia. Excess nitrogen promotes bad growth and bad flavor with Stevia. Bone meal, blood meal, bat guano (I know, I know) or dried manure provide nitrogen that is released slowly as well as a number of other trace minerals. For the record, I don’t recommend suddenly taking up spelunking in your quest for bat guano; you can get it in a box at Main Building. Unless, of course, you have some unrealized desire to spend a lot of time crawling around in caves. Bat guano is actually a really fabulous fertilizer.

Raised beds are ideal for Stevia. A raised surface prevents standing water and soil compaction. Some bricks formed into a square or rectangle, a good soil – or even the lasagna gardening technique – and mulch and you’re ready to go with Stevia. Just a quick note – if you’re using wood for your raised beds, be mindful that treated wood can cause issues such as soil contamination – especially a consideration if you’re growing something you plan on consuming later.

Stevia rebaudiana – the only form of Stevia that is sweet – is rarely available in seed form. They say they’re very difficult to sprout and that plants are generally used instead. I got mine from a small nursery, specializing in herbs. Plants are available from several mail order sources, some of those are local or at least within our state. Feel free to write to the press or email thegardengrrl@gmail.com for mail order sources of Stevia. Arrange for your plants to arrive soon after the last frost date and transplant them as soon as possible after you get them. In the meantime, don’t let them dry out.

In general, it’s easiest to treat Stevia like any other vegetable in the garden. When warm weather sets in, around a month after planting, an organic mulch – 3 to 6 inches thick – should be applied. It will protect the shallow feeder roots, retain moisture and keep the weeds down. Those “weeping” soaker hoses made from recycled rubber are great for Stevia, since they don’t get the foliage wet, but provide the slow, consistent moisture that Stevia craves.

Stevia can be affected by fungus. Watch for lesions on the stems near the soil line. Stevia plants are usually full grown before diseases appear. Especially at harvest time, watch for disease and harvest immediately if you see any signs of it. Stevia is usually the last plant insects will feed on, so pests are seldom a problem.

You can use Stevia for tea right off of the plant. They’re great with mint. The level of sweetness is highest with Stevia just before flowering and is triggered by shortening days. Blooming generally occurs in midsummer to late fall. Plants should be harvested as soon as blossoming begins or just before the first frost – whichever comes first. Cut the entire plant at ground level. If you want to try Stevia as a perennial, clip the plants about six inches from the ground and mulch heavily, especially over the winter, and your Stevia may regrow. Harvest in the morning after the dew has evaporated.

You will need to dry your leaves. Plants are easily dried by hanging upside down in a warm, drafty location. After a few days, rake the leaves from the stems with your fingers and gather for storage in a clean container such as a glass jar. They will keep well for years. Toss the stems on the compost pile. You can also strip the fresh leaves from the stems and dry them on either elevated screens or in a food dehydrator. The quicker you can get your leaves dry, very little stevioside will be lost. That’s the sweet part of Stevia. Leaves are crisp, crumbly and bright green when fully dry.

You can easily turn your leaves into green Stevia powder with a coffee grinder. You can also make a sweet extract by soaking ¼ to ½ cup of fresh, crushed Stevia leaves in a cup of warm water for 24 hours. You would then strain and refrigerate. While homegrown Stevia is not as sweet as the commercial Stevia products, it will still be a nice addition to your garden. Stevia has been shown to repel insects. Aphids won’t touch it. It’s thought that the sweetness of the plants is what keeps those nasty aphids and other bugs away. Stevia is a great addition to the companion planting arsenal.