How to grow stevia on a windowsill
Sweeteners are very harmful to the human body. However, there are plant-based sugar substitutes that provide not only sweetness, but also health benefits. Stevia is such a plant. Surprisingly, stevia is 10 times sweeter than sugar.
Stevia was born in South America, more precisely in Brazil. For more than 1,500 years, Indians have been eating stevia, referring to this plant as "sweet grass" or "honey leaves."
Stevia grows in the form of a branched shrub, reaching up to 70-80 cm in height. Its leaves are small, superficially resembling mint leaves. The stevia flowers are small, 3 mm wide, and they are represented by small baskets. Inside of which small seeds are formed.
Ways to use stevia
Stevia herb is used for culinary, cosmetic and medicinal purposes.
Stevia has a powerful bactericidal effect. This wonderful plant is able to restrain the growth and reproduction of pathogenic bacteria, in addition, stevia suppresses most viral fungal microorganisms.
Stevia can even lower blood sugar levels, remove cholesterol and harmful substances from the body. In case of obesity, nutritionists even prescribe drinking stevia in the form of tea.
Herbal tea and stevia infusions normalize the digestive tract, prevent cancer, atherosclerosis. After its application, blood pressure decreases, nerves strengthen, the functioning of the cardiovascular system, the functioning of the gallbladder and liver are restored.
The more people learn about the healing properties of stevia, the more popular this plant becomes.
Stevia seeds begin to be sown in the spring - at the end of March. The best soil is an earthen mixture, which consists of humus, sand and peat. A pot with such an earthy mixture and a seed is watered and covered with glass. Place the pot in a warm place.
After germination, the box with seedlings or the pot is moved to the brightest place on the window.
Stevia is a fairly thermophilic plant, its favorite temperature is 16-17 degrees. Do not allow drafts to appear, otherwise the plant will die.
It is not recommended to transplant stevia immediately into a large container, it is better to wait for a couple of real leaves to appear. The soil mixture should be of the same composition.
Do not forget to water and spray stevia regularly. Stevia is fertilized once a week with an ordinary flower fertilizer.
When the plant reaches a height of 20-30 centimeters (in a flower pot), it must be cut off so that the stevia grows lush and beautiful in the future. In addition, as you have noticed, stevia will not only replace sugar for you, but it will also be a home healer.
You may ask how to prepare stevia for use.
The answer is that not all leaves should be used for food. First, wait for the stevia to bloom, and only after that you can trim about 5-6 centimeters of the plant from the top. The leaves are finely chopped and dried. After that, you can use stevia as a tea brew, make herbal infusions or apply it to wounds and cuts for healing.
By the way, stevia can be planted in the open ground, if desired, and moved back to the flower pot for the cold period. Just make sure that the pot fits the size. The root system of stevia is quite developed, and it will not like a sufficiently cramped container. Anyone planning to join an online betting platform should spend a few moments reviewing the available promotional offers before making the initial deposit. Using the promo code for 1xbet at the appropriate stage of registration gives eligible newcomers access to a 100% welcome bonus of up to €130, providing extra balance that can be used across a wide selection of sporting events.