Stavia seeds and plants are becoming available. Will you include that in your
By writersedge
@writersedge (22563)
United States
February 18, 2011 9:37am CST
gardening this year? Stavia is also called sweet leaf plant. Many people use it instead of sugar or sugar substitutes like equal or sweet-n-low. I now have two brothers with diabetes. I may have it and not know it (will be getting retested soon, have so many other health concerns right now, too). So I'm considering buying either the seeds or the plants. I'm not crazy about the taste. But a friend of mine says that her friends like one stavia product that is green and she likes the white. So I'm wondering if one has the leaf and the other flowers?
I was just at a store the other day. The seed packets for Stavia were all sold out. The "Stavia reorder" paper was in the bottom of the slot. All the other seeds still had packets in them. So the seeds seem to be popular items this year.
So are you considering growing stavia? Have you already or are you growing it now (some people grow it as a house plant)? What can you tell me about growing it if you have grown it? If you buy the product, what kind do you like? Is there a difference in processing or something that makes some of it white and some of it green or are they different parts of the plant. I had always heard that you use the leaf. Are other parts edible and sweet with less or more of an aftertaste? Any information about this plant, pictures, etc. are greatly appreciated.
4 people like this
9 responses
@pergammano (7682)
• Canada
18 Feb 11
BOY..oh, boy...you had me going dear friend! I usually stay pretty current..on new uses of old plants...new discoveries, and for the life of me, I couldn't find "stavia"...but have been aware of "stevia" for a few years now, and grew it 2 years ago, starting seeds indoors...and later in the garden...and treated it very much like basil, as in my area it is a annual! It was a year that was bad for both, so I never processed it again. Have you tried e-Bay for the seeds. Enjoy your warmer weather today....rack up that Vitamin D! Cheers!
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
18 Feb 11
Just came back in from showeling a foot of snow to my clothes line. I have a load of clothes on the line right now. Can't wait for that outdoor smell of my clothes.
Sorry about the mispelling. Did get you to read it, though.
I can grow Basil, so that would be cool. I'm trying to buy local. If I buy online, I have to pay for my out-of-work neighbors, too. So buying local untimately cuts down on unempployment and welfare that are crippling the states financially. Buying Chinese and other places puts us all out of work. Plus if I buy local and the seeds don't come up, I can complain locally, too.
2 people like this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
18 Feb 11
This is great news for me, pergammano, as I have always wanted to grow this. So how easy is it to use? Do you use ti fresh and or dry? Also in replacing sugar, how much stevia do you use verses the amount of sugar used?
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
28 Feb 11
I think # 1 answered some of this. Gardengerty also had some info as did Peavey. Perg's notifier must not be working.
1 person likes this
@rosegardens (3032)
• United States
18 Feb 11
There may be different varieties of the plant, or it could be as you say. I really do not know. I do know that most plants have several different varieties.
1 person likes this
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
18 Feb 11
That's true, look at roses as in your name. Tons of varieties of them. I'm ancious to see what kinds of responses I get from people. Thanks and take care.
1 person likes this
@rosegardens (3032)
• United States
18 Feb 11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
http://www.stevia.com/Stevia_Article.aspx?Id=2269
A) The crude Stevia leaves and herbal powder (green) are reported to be 10-15 times sweeter than table sugar. The refined extracts of Stevia called steviosides (a white powder, 85-95% Steviosides) claim to be 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar.
1 person likes this
@rosegardens (3032)
• United States
18 Feb 11
lol! I was still searching for you when you responded. The links above may answer your questions.
1 person likes this
@peavey (16936)
• United States
18 Feb 11
I tried to grow it one time when I found a plant at our local nursery. I didn't have very good luck with it, but I neglected to read up on it. You need to harvest the leaves when the plant blooms for the sweetest taste. Unprocessed is simply the leaves, dried and crushed and the sweetening power varies. The white powder is processed commercially and I don't know that you could do that at home. I don't know if other parts of the plant can be used or not.
I use stevia in place of about half the sugar I use, but I buy the white powder processed and ready to use.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
18 Feb 11
Good to know, thanks, one person above has had good luck with it. Myabe you can try again with the benefit of that person's experience.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Feb 11
Very true, one of the reasons why I'd like to raise bees and maybe try sugar beets, but they say those are for animals.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
18 Feb 11
The only way we could grow it here would be as a houseplant, but I would need to get a plant stand to go near my front window since I do not have a large window sill. I do have an oregano plant in the kitchen, but I have to put an upside pail underneath it and the pail on an upside down square pan and even then it still does not reach. I did hear you use the leaf, but I would not know how to use it in food. I usually have my coffee and tea plain. I do not know about processing, but think perhaps the processing takes much of the good part out of it.
I do know that in our health food store, we can get the crushed leaves.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169450)
• United States
19 Feb 11
I drink my coffee and tea plain as well. My best use for Stevia is for oatmeal or breakfast cereal, things that require only a small quantity of sweetening. I imagine it would be good with fruit plus a thickener to make a cobbler or crumble with.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Feb 11
Any old table/chair/etc that's the right height or anything else would make a good plant stand. But then you already know that for the pail, pans that you tried.
We will most likely grow it as a house plant, too.
I was thinking more for baking since my brothers like baked goods. I find I can eat most cereals either without sugar or with fruit if they really need sweetening.I'm hoping this doesn't make people run to the bathroom like the artificial stuff does. Only one bathroom during the holidays for lots of people creates probelms.
The seeds are from our health food store, when they get them back in anyway.
Good to hear from you and take care. 00000000000
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Feb 11
Sorry about the circles, I leaned against my keyboard on the number side just at the same time I hit post comment.
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
18 Feb 11
I would love to, but am clueless and haven't seen any seed around here. You live in a similar zone that I do I think, are we able to grow them only indoors, or is our growing season long enough for outdoor growing? If you do this, please let me know any tips you have, because like I said, I would love to not only grow this plant myself, but know how to use it.
1 person likes this
@carmelanirel (20942)
• United States
18 Feb 11
Cool, I think I will look into this, thanks writer..:)
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
18 Feb 11
I think if it's grown outdoors, it's a one year plant. I think I would grow it indoors since most of the seed magazines I'm getting recommend it, see the person below you who has grown it for more info, that person is in a cold region, but an island and NorthWest Canada
1 person likes this
@classicalgeek (185)
• United States
18 Feb 11
I tried growing it but without much luck. I once tried a leaf from the plant--a piece about as big as the tiny sliver of white on my fingernails--and it was like having an entire cup of sugar in my mouth all at once!
http://en.wikipedia.org/Stevia
@GardenGerty (169450)
• United States
18 Feb 11
I have bought the plants two years at garden centers. I did not keep it watered in the fall in the house. The difference in the green and the white granules is that one is dried and crumbled leaves, and the other is the leaves are boiled and then the juice is evaporated. Like sugar cane juice.The leaves are little and round. The flowers are small and light blue or white. The product that is green will also add a little fiber to your diet. I buy a liquid in droppers. You can even get flavored Stevia drops at health food stores or by mail order. They say that people who like artificial sweetener will like Stevia, others will have to get used to it in order to use it. I have not been tested for diabetes. Cannot afford to see a doctor right now, either but many people in my family are diabetic or are watching to try not to become diabetic. If I was diagnosed diabetic, I would use Stevia, maple syrup,molasses and honey, all depending on what I was sweetening. It actually balances blood sugar.
@GardenGerty (169450)
• United States
19 Feb 11
I do know the others release quickly. Blue Agave is the worst, and I have never used it. The others at the very least have vitamins and minerals in them that we need. Luckily, at this point, I am not diabetic. Starches and fats are very hazardous to diabetics as well.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Feb 11
Depending on the type of diabetes, those natural sugars can be released fast and my family only keeps maple, molasses and honey for sugar downs, they may not cause as fast a spike in baked goods, but if you use a lot like baklava, they will spike pretty heavily.
Good to know how they make the white. Might be interesting to try to make that, too. Good to know that the green has fiber, also very important in diabetic diets.
1 person likes this
@ElicBxn (64169)
• United States
19 Feb 11
I've tried stavia a couple of times and didn't find it especially sweet any of them. I will grant that its been years, but I suspect that my chemical make up is making it not sweet for me (like Tylenol does NOTHING for me.)
Probably wouldn't grow if for that reason alone, but then again, I can kill IVY!
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Feb 11
It seems bitter to be as an aftertaste, at least the green stuff does. Haven't had the processed white stuff, just heard about it. Tylenol does nothing for me, too. But with more and more people diabetic in my family,it makes sense for us to at least try to grow it.
Ivy isn't edible, maybe you don't care about ivy, I kill non-useful (not edible) plants, too.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
19 Feb 11
I would have to do some of my own research. I may try it at some point as a plant. I have been deciding on what house plant I might start this Spring. My daughter got some carrots, cucumbers, peppers and tomatoes for this Spring. We like the cherry and pear tomatoes. They are so sweet and yummy. And cucumbers are great too. Carrots are great snacks for the kids.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
19 Feb 11
I haven't decided on my summer plants yet. Just deciding on what seed packets to give my family for Easter. I have a brother who likes all kinds of tiny hot peppers to plant, the more colorful the better. So I know what to get him.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (189833)
• Boise, Idaho
19 Feb 11
That's a nice idea for Easter. I like to get some of my plant in small plants and let them grow. Get a head start.
