Stevia is a very heat-loving plant that grows up to 120 centimeters tall in its subtropical homeland. The sweet herb is not hardy and therefore has to be kept indoors over the winter in our latitudes.
How do I overwinter stevia plants correctly?
To overwinter Stevia successfully, place the plant in a frost-free, bright room with constant temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees. Make sure to keep the substrate evenly moist and avoid waterlogging.
Stevia has to overwinter indoors
When the nights get significantly cooler in autumn, you should dig up the stevia plant from the herb bed. Place the sweet herb planted in a flower pot in a frost-free and bright room. Stevia plants that you have kept in pots on the balcony during the summer months can now be moved into the house.
A location where there are constant temperatures between 10 and 15 degrees during the winter is ideal. If the upper shoots of the plant die during the winter months, you should shorten them to ground level. Keep the substrate evenly moist; However, be sure to avoid waterlogging.
Overwintering in a heated greenhouse
Alternatively, you can overwinter the non-hardy stevia under glass with additional lighting. Check this plant regularly, as sweet herbs grown in greenhouses are very susceptible to diseases and pests.
Tips & Tricks
Stevia thrives more luxuriantly outdoors than in flower pots. Therefore, put the plant back in the herb bed from the end of May.
