[New shoot]

Had a rep in at work yesterday who pursuaded me to book a few of the above.

Interested myself to try them, but has anyone grown them?  I'm going to get asked loads of questions by customers and would be nice to have some answers while my own home trial gets underway 

Wasabi root looks like an invader from another planet looking at the catalogue pic  :blink:  Can't wait to see the plants 

[arugula]

Got as far as buying stevia seeds this year, didn't sow them - yet. Wasabi is a variety of horseradish, isn't it? I have a bit of an idea of how it will behave. 

[allotmentann]

Only grown stevia - from bought plants and also from seed. Seed does not germinate well, I  only got a couple of plants from a packet. They are going strong in the polytunnel now despite a lot of neglect to be honest. After having poor success with germination,  I did look it up and discovered that they are notoriously difficult to germinate. The darker seeds are the most likely to be viable and successful and the best way to propagate them is by stem cuttings. The slugs absolutely love them. The ones planted in the ground at the plot have completely been eaten. The ones planted at home in big pots with copper tape round have grown well. Unfortunately no one likes the taste!  I don't think that I will be growing any more!

[strangerachael]

I also grew stevia one year, thinking it would be useful for cooking fruit. I don't remember having any difficulties growing it, but it didn't really sweeten my rhubarb very effectively - perhaps I didn't use enough.

[Trillium]

There are a few tricks to growing stevia and getting the sweetness out.

HERE.

[New shoot]

Thank you 

Sounds like the wasabi would be better in a pot and the maybe the stevia as well so it can be brought under cover to keep it in growth as long as possibe 

[Hennery]

There is an article in todays Telegraph about Wasabi growing. Apparently its not easy in the UK but some guy in Dorset has cracked it and has gone commercial.

[Lawrence]

I wanted to have a go at both of them, but never seem to get the time.
I tried to look for plants but had no luck and I heard that Wasabi is very difficult to grow. Which explains the high cost of it. If you do grow it I would like to know how you get on.

[Annen]

I was just looking at the King's seed catalogue and under Stevia, instead of how many and how much, it just had "crop failure".  So if they are having difficulties with it what chance have us ordinary mortals.

[New shoot]

Apparently wasabi is grown in running water in Japan, bit like the watercress beds we have over here. I have this info from a customer yesterday (having a nerdy veg chat with a regular), but will do some more research    If so, it should be possible as you can grow watercress in a pot, so long as you keep it wet enough.


The stevia I am getting will be growing plants.  I can understand a seed crop failure this year with the weather we have had.  According to link Trills has posted, you can take cuttings to overwinter, which would seem the easiest way given the seeds as so difficult to get going