Well 4 little plants doing great by mid-July. The bugs don't seem to care for it, not a single leaf nibbled. I expected a pest invasion on them since they are sweet, but it didn't happen so that's a huge plus. I think probably they do not know what is is, they maybe haven't dveloped a taste for it. Requires very little care, likes to be watered mostly is all.
I have been plucking off stem leaves and tips to make the plants branch out a bit. I dry them in a little bowl on the kitchen table for about a week and then put into a jar. I am happy to report that only 3 little dried leaves sufficiently sweeten a cup of my favorite Chai (decaffinated) tea. By summers end from these 4 little plants, which grow bushy to a height of about 18-24", I should have enough stevia leaves to sweeten both my tea and spaghetti sauces throughout the winter and then some. I have even used it for baking... very good fresh and fresh dried, no bitter taste whatsoever. I'll make some autumn cuttings next month to take indoors for the winter, and also I have let them start to flower to collect seed. the directions that came with the plants say that the leaves are sweetest just before flowering but I haven't noticed any major taste difference between pre-flower, during or after. Plus I think one of my plants started flowering a bit early and no way was I going to cut the thing so soon.
