Michael, I came across the species Stevia rebaudiana just now in a herbal site. Says it needs warmth to germinate and that the seeds should be surface-sown and just pressed lightly into medium. You however have a plant, and if that same species, looks like it should be a good fit with your location. Appreciates warmth!

+oM

Hi

I grow it in both locations but like most plants hates the florida sand lol

Very easy to grow as long as the soil holds moisture . never found a practicle way to extract the sweetness in quatities large enough to sweeten tea so use it mainly in salads though have tried it in pies where if you have enough it can replace sugar entirely!! Have not tried seed as it divides very easily. gary

Cool. Gary, just generally, do you advocate for using compost and/or other soil amendments in your gardening? Seems like for many species it would be helpful. Heck, I use compost up here in my beds and we have decent, heavier soil.

+oM

Wiscon

Have seen better soils in Ashtrays than mine . A mix of powdery sand with seashells Ammending it is very difficult as it breaks down so rapidly it's gone before one season So I grow most everything in pots which solves the soil problem but also allows for constant rearranging Now working on methods to hide the pots lol gary

LOL-yes, I've seen the S. Florida "soil"! I get a kick out of that stuff, in that, at least in the world of native plant species,many do indeed grow well in that stuff. I suppose with your heat and humidity, no amount of organic matter is going to stick around for long. Makes sense. Thanks.

+oM

I am new to Florida (zone 9b) and am still experimenting. Last year, I bought a stevia plant and had it in a pot. I didn't grow huge, just about 16". This year it's in the ground and looks about the same. It made it through the winter, just died to the ground and came back when it warmed up. I tried to make a Stevia tincture - that was some vile stuff and wasted good vodka. But I had good luck with just drying it, stems and all. To sweeten my tea a little, I just put some of the dry stems in the hot water with the tea bags. It gives it just enough of a sweet flavor without any aftertaste. If you use too much it can be bitter.

I thought I would boil leaves in water to extract the sweetness and then boil the water more to reduce it to make a simple syrup. But I haven't tried it yet.

Gary you need to get some bunnies. Just a few bunnies will give you some good compost makings. A lot of people can't have chickens or other livestock but most can have rabbits. I have outdoor hutches under deep shaded oaks and a carport roof over them as well. The dwarf bunnies make just as much manure but eat less and are cute :) Bunny manure is higher in Nitrogen and Potassium than even horse manure and safe to put on plants even without being composted. It is especially good to use for vermicomposting.

http://riseandshinerabbitry.com/2012/03/31/the-benefits-and-uses-of-rabbit-manure/

When you boil it, it tends to get bitter very quickly. That is what happened to my "tincture". Let me know if the water method works.