How to grow Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana · sweetleaf, candyleaf, sugarleaf

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) — a tender perennial herb from Paraguay and Brazil, grown for its sweet leaves, used fresh or dried as a sugar substitute. Frost kills it, so in cooler climates it is grown as an annual or kept in a pot that comes indoors for winter. Non-toxic to cats, dogs and horses.

Checked against sources: October 3, 2026

Quick facts

Type	Herb
Family	Asteraceae
Light	Full sun
Frost	does not tolerate frost
Soil for sowing	from 15 °C
Germination	14 days
Seedlings ready	35 days
Sowing to harvest	125 days
Where it grows	Greenhouse, Open ground, At home

When to plant

Sow for seedlings about 7 weeks before planting out.

Plant out in open ground about a week after your last spring frost, once the soil is warm.

In an unheated greenhouse everything moves about three weeks earlier.

The first harvest comes about 125 days after the shoots appear.

Frost dates · When to plant

Care

Greenhouse

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 3 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), 28 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 63 days into the stage
Harvest	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), 35 days into the stage

Open ground

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Growth	every 4 days	—	balanced (NPK), 28 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 63 days into the stage
Harvest	every 4 days	—	balanced (NPK), 35 days into the stage

At home

Stage	Watering	Temperature	Feeding
Germination	every 2 days	—	—
Seedlings	every 3 days	—	—
Growth	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), 28 days into the stage; balanced (NPK), 63 days into the stage
Harvest	every 3 days	—	balanced (NPK), 35 days into the stage

Growing notes

Light

Full sun, 6 hours or more a day; it tolerates partial shade, and in hot regions and in pots some afternoon shade helps.

Soil

Moist but well-drained, slightly acidic sandy loam rich in organic matter. Avoid nitrogen-rich fertilisers — they give large leaves with little flavour.

Care

Sow 6–8 weeks before the last frost and only just cover the seed; it germinates in 7–21 days at 20–24 °C, and seed under 6 months old does best. Prick seedlings out into individual pots and plant out 30 cm apart after the last frost — stevia cannot stand temperatures below 7 °C. Keep the soil evenly moist but never soggy, as overwatering rots the roots. Feed every 4–6 weeks while it grows. Pinch the tips for bushy plants and snip off flower buds, because the leaves are sweetest before flowering. Pick leaves in the morning; the main harvest comes about 90 days after planting out, cutting the stems about 15 cm above the ground. In a pot at least 35 cm across, bring the plant indoors before the first frost.

Pests and diseases of Stevia

Two-spotted spider mite

Sources

Figures checked against these sources.