How to Grow Stevia Plant at Home in the Philippines

Stevia plant (Stevia rebaudiana) is an herb with sweet leaves. I has been used  for centuries in South America as sweetener. Its active compound which is called steviol glycosides have 30 to 150 times sweetness compared to sugar, and its sweetness does not changed even passes through heat process and not fermentable.

Since stevia has no sugar content, it is recommended for people with diabetes as alternative sweetener.

Here is how to grow your own stevia plant at home using the plant's cuttings.

1. You would need stevia stem cuttings with about 3 inches long each. The young stems are most preferable.
2. Remove the leaves, leaving the 3 to 4 uppermost young leaves.
3. Plant each stem into the garden soil with about 1-2 inches distance with each other.
4. Water the soil, and cover the whole pot with plastic bag for 1-2 weeks.
5. After two weeks, place your newly planed stevia in shady area for an other 2 weeks before gradually posing them into direct sunlight.

You may start picking the leaves of your stevia for personal consumption when they have have many leaves to sustain their growth. Make sure not to remove all the leaves.

Cut the long stem (branches) before they start flowering to avoid early plant maturity.

You may watch this video on how to grow you stevia plant from cutting.