What are the precautions for growing stevia?

Stevia is a high-quality sweetener raw material and has been cultivated in China for more than 30 years. It is now widely used for extraction as an additive. Traces of it can be found in many sweets and medicines. So what should be noted when growing stevia?

1. Growing environment

The growing environment greatly limits a plant's growth, so when growing stevia you should choose an environment suited to it. Stevia is native to Paraguay and by nature loves warm, humid environments and cannot tolerate cold, so it is currently grown more in southern China. Although it does not demand much from the soil, it still prefers soil with high air permeability and has certain requirements for soil fertility; generally fertile fine soil is best, and the terrain needs to be relatively flat.

2. Temperature

For stevia, which loves warmth, temperature has a very important effect on it. Its temperature requirements during the seedling stage differ somewhat from those during the growing season, so growers should choose the timing well. The temperature in the seedling shed should be kept above 20°C, with the optimal temperature at around 25°C-28°C. On the day of transplanting, the temperature only needs to be around 15°C, but the following week or so must be sunny weather so the seedlings can quickly adapt to the growing environment; if there are cloudy days, it may cause abnormal development of the seedlings.

3. Water

Stevia loves humid environments because its roots are very shallow and are basically distributed in the surface soil, unable to draw water from deeper soil layers, so water is especially important for stevia, and growers should pay attention to this. Generally, sprinkler irrigation is sufficient for watering; watering at the roots will cause most of the water to be unavailable to stevia, while sprinkler irrigation allows the soil to receive water relatively evenly and the moisture level drops more slowly, which is more conducive to stevia fully absorbing water.

4. Fertilizer

Fertilizing is a place where mistakes are easily made. Because stevia grows quickly, in order to meet its nutritional needs, the initial base fertilizer generally uses a compound fertilizer, preferably one with high phosphorus and potassium content. For later topdressing, to promote better growth, switch to a fertilizer with high nitrogen content. Also, when topdressing, spread it evenly around the root system and do not concentrate it in one place, otherwise seedling burn is likely to occur.

The above are some of the issues to note when growing stevia. At present, China's stevia cultivation techniques are relatively well developed, so its yield is also much higher than in the early days. Friends who are interested can learn more about it; stevia currently still has a good market.

Stevia is a high-quality sweetener raw material and has been cultivated in China for more than 30 years. It is now widely used for extraction as an additive. Traces of it can be found in many sweets and medicines. So what should be noted when growing stevia?

1. Growing environment

The growing environment greatly limits a plant's growth, so when growing stevia you should choose an environment suited to it. Stevia is native to Paraguay and by nature loves warm, humid environments and cannot tolerate cold, so it is currently grown more in southern China. Although it does not demand much from the soil, it still prefers soil with high air permeability and has certain requirements for soil fertility; generally fertile fine soil is best, and the terrain needs to be relatively flat.

2. Temperature

For stevia, which loves warmth, temperature has a very important effect on it. Its temperature requirements during the seedling stage differ somewhat from those during the growing season, so growers should choose the timing well. The temperature in the seedling shed should be kept above 20°C, with the optimal temperature at around 25°C-28°C. On the day of transplanting, the temperature only needs to be around 15°C, but the following week or so must be sunny weather so the seedlings can quickly adapt to the growing environment; if there are cloudy days, it may cause abnormal development of the seedlings.

3. Water

Stevia loves humid environments because its roots are very shallow and are basically distributed in the surface soil, unable to draw water from deeper soil layers, so water is especially important for stevia, and growers should pay attention to this. Generally, sprinkler irrigation is sufficient for watering; watering at the roots will cause most of the water to be unavailable to stevia, while sprinkler irrigation allows the soil to receive water relatively evenly and the moisture level drops more slowly, which is more conducive to stevia fully absorbing water.

4. Fertilizer

Fertilizing is a place where mistakes are easily made. Because stevia grows quickly, in order to meet its nutritional needs, the initial base fertilizer generally uses a compound fertilizer, preferably one with high phosphorus and potassium content. For later topdressing, to promote better growth, switch to a fertilizer with high nitrogen content. Also, when topdressing, spread it evenly around the root system and do not concentrate it in one place, otherwise seedling burn is likely to occur.

The above are some of the issues to note when growing stevia. At present, China's stevia cultivation techniques are relatively well developed, so its yield is also much higher than in the early days. Friends who are interested can learn more about it; stevia currently still has a good market.