Please note, orders for potted plants will be shipped starting September 12.
Ashwagandha, Vedic (Withania somnifera) potted plant, organic
Family: Nightshade (Solanacea)
Hardy to Zones 8 to 12 , otherwise grown as an annual, 200 days to maturity
Evergreen or herbaceous subshrub, Native to Africa, India, Middle East and Orient. Traditional usage (Ayurveda): energy and sexual tonic. Plant prefers full sun, fast-draining, alkaline (pH 7.5 to 8.0) soil and dry-ish conditions. Sweeten regular garden soil with ground limestone. Space 1 foot apart–grows 2 to 3 feet tall, producing eventually the lantern-like pods enclosing the pea-sized fruits, green at first and becoming bright red as the inflated calyx dries and becomes transparent. Pretty little winter cherries. In colder zones, at the end of the first season, when the tops freeze back, dig the root, wash, cut up and dry the pieces for herbal use. In the warmer zones, it is possible to harvest a larger root in the fall of the second year.
Potted plant, Certified Organically Grown
Adam Allen (verified owner) –
Beautiful plants. Very healthy. Richo, question: How do I sweeten regular soil with lime? I have the ground lime stone but I don’t know how much to add. Can you recommend a volume of ground lime to volume of garden soil ratio to get where the plants would like to be?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Adam, it kinda depends on the pH of the existing soil but what I do is 50 lbs per 100 feet and till it in. That means a handful per square foot. richo
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Antoinette Winchester (verified owner) –
Hello, I received 3 of these plants and planted them in 5 gallon grow bags 2 in one bag and 1 in another 5 gallon bag, they seem to be doing ok and growing except the leaves are turning yellow and dropping off but they get new leaves. I try not to water too often and fertilize them in good mixture of soil and Dr Earth Pure Gold All Purpose Fertilizer. Also they are indoors where they receive good sunlight from my skylights and sun windows in my kitchen and grow lights at night. I am afraid to put them outside now due to cold elements. I live in Virginia zone 7a. What can I do to make sure I’m doing everything to help them grow.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Antoinette, They’re trying to go dormant, they need to go dormant, just keep them from freezing, they’ll regrow in the spring. richo
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Katie Schomberg (verified owner) –
Any tips on protecting these plants? I have several planted and there are little holes all over the leaves. I don’t see any bugs on the plant itself. Not sure what the best organic measures are to protect? Thanks for any ideas!!
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Richo Cech –
hi katie, yes, one grower told me his plants were “riddled” which I thought was a good word for it. This always happens with ashwagandha and they always seem to grow out of it. Anyhow its probably flea beetles which are little black jumpers and can easily be missed. You can buy NEEM CAKE and put it in a hand-held screen and shake it over the young plants. This technique works during early stages of growth on all the solanacea and legumes that get riddled–tomatoes, henbane, belladonna, mandrake, beans, etc. Leave it on dry for a couple of days and then water it in. Should help. Richo
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alphablue06 (verified owner) –
The plants needed a about a week to recover from shipping across country but WOW are they taking off now! I mixed garden soil with plenty of sand. They really love the heat here in Florida.
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Dara Kotkin –
I’m looking for something for a rather tall somewhat thin pot I have for my indoor front window. something that would love the long root space-would this fit the bill? comfrey? Can’t be too bushy as it will be indoors. (zone 7)
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Richo Cech –
Hi Dara, Most taprooted plants are also outdoor plants. Aloes, life plants, cacti–all those indoor things–have spreading root systems. I would actually suggest life plant–mpovupovu ziwa–as a very functional choice–it would do fine in a deep pot but wouldn’t necessarily need that. Richo
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Cj –
What size are these vedic ashwagandha plants?
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Admin Richo Cech –
6 inches
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valhallafreja –
Can I put the above plant indoor since I lived in zone 7B, and will this plant reseed if I leave it outside. Thank you
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hello there, No, ashwagandha does not self-seed in the temperate north and it is best grown as a spring-planted annual in 7B. It doesn’t help much to bring it indoors–dig the root, dry it, and enjoy. Richo
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siri atma –
The berries contain 30 to 50 small chili like seeds that are easily started for more plants. If you get berries, you are home free. I turned 50 berries into 1,000 individual plants in about 8 weeks.
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Laura McCann –
I got lucky in 6b. I was gifted a small start, I got three berries, couldn’t help myself, was compelled to eat one, but saved the other two for starting this year. It’s almost that time.
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Carolyn Gregory (verified owner) –
Hi, I tinctures fresh Root’s last year before I knew to dry them. You mentioned a toxin if you don’t dry. Do I need to discard mine?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Carolyn, I can’t make that decision for you. When I was production manager at Herb Pharm we made our first ashwagandha extract from the fresh roots and then very soon changed the formula to dry extraction, on account of solanine content, and then.. yes, we discarded the fresh root tincture. Richo
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