Stevia cuttings

[PalmdaleSteve]

I have a medium-size STEVIA plant in my garden that I want to take cuttings off if and later transplant in my greenhouse this winter. Do I just cut the branches off and then stick them in water? How do I get them to root? Do I need to put anything special in the water? When do I transplant the cuttings over to containers?

[applestar]

I haven't tried rooting them in water but have had moderate success with gritty potting soil (about 1/3 to 1/4 sand) and covered with cut off top of plastic soda bottle with cap removed.

I took cuttings when I brought the plant indoors for the winter and separated the rooted cuttings ( about 6 in 4" pot) in the spring to pot up and/or plant in the ground.

In your milder climate, you might also consider ground-layering the more lanky branches -- bend to snap the bottom of the branch but not break off completely (or alternatively, you can nick or shave the underside of the branch with a sharp knife) and bury the broken portion with a rock or brick over the buried part to help keep it down and to mark the spot. The branch should root and can be cut off from the mother plant in several months -- I think this will depend on your climate.