Ashwagandha, Vedic (Withania somnifera) seeds, organic
$4.95 – $472.80
Family: Nightshade (Solanacea)
Hardy to Zones 8 to 12 , otherwise grown as an annual, 110 days to maturity
Evergreen or herbaceous subshrub, native to India. 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. This ecotype is the one most commonly used in herbal medicine, and is somewhat smaller than the African ecotype. Traditional usage (Ayurveda): energy and sexual tonic. Plant prefers full sun, fast-draining, alkaline (pH 7.5 to 8.0) soil and moderately dry conditions. Sweeten regular garden soil with ground limestone. Light dependent germinator. Sow in early spring indoors or in the greenhouse. Average germ time 15 days. Space 1 foot apart. 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.
Packet contains 50 seeds
1 g contains ~650 seeds
5 g contains ~3,250 seeds
10 g contains ~6,500 seeds
100 g contains ~65,000 seeds
Certified Organically Grown
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Question
DONNA WUNSCHE –
Hello, Can you send certificate with organic seeds to U.K.? Thanks
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Richo Cech –
hi donna, very sorry, we don’t ship to U.K. or E.U., the regulations have us beat. r
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Question
Sara (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, will you have the 5g or 10g packets available soon?
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Richo Cech –
hi sara, sorry, no, not until the new harvest. 1 g will be out of stock soon. hurry. r
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Question
Luis –
Richo,
If started in container what size should I transplant b4 it gets too big? If I wanted to grow it out in a container what size you’d recommend for its roots?
Should I avoid containers period?
Thanks, always!
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Richo Cech –
hi luis, these are worked up more or less the same as a tomato. I do think it makes sense to start them indoors and pot up to a 3-inch, then a 6 inch, then out to the garden. Like most plants it does better with its feet in real soil but if it must be kept potted, then 3-gal minimum. r
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Question
Lake Lamb –
Are you able to ship to Ecuador? Also do you have a germination rate?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Lake, If you can successfully order, we will ship, and we cannot guarantee receipt. These are germinating at 99%. Richo
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Question
Barb –
Enjoying your large selection of medicinals! Wondering if you ship to Canada? Thank you:)
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Richo Cech –
hi barb, we ship seeds to canada. richo
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Richo Cech –
i am sorry, we cannot ship to Brazil, the seeds are taken at customs. r
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Question
Martha –
Can ashwagandha seeds be shipped to Nigeria?
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Richo Cech –
sorry, we cannot ship successfully to Africa any more, wish we could! r
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Sara Gerbi –
Question
Can you ship seeds to Israel or the UK?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Sara, I believe Israel is still enabled on our shipping grid although the UK and the EU are not. If you can manage to order them, we will ship them, and we give no longer give guarantees on international shipments. Richo
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Anjali Sujay –
can it be shipped to Oman muscat?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Anjali, if you can order it, we will ship it, and we cannot guarantee delivery. r
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Question
Sarah (verified owner) –
Will you have ashwagandha seed available in bulk as well for the 2021 season?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Sarah,
Yes, it would make sense to wait but check back frequently. New crop African Ashwagandha is in stock but we’re still processing the vedic type. Richo
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ray hughes –
Do you sell bulk ashwagandha seeds to New Zealand ?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Ray, Thanks for contacting and I’m very sorry to not be able to serve you. Since last year, we can’t sell any seeds at all to New Zealand or Australia. I know that some of them are supposed to be allowed in, but it is our experience that they are stopped at customs and destroyed.
Richo
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ruff –
can you sell and send to the philippines?
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Richo Cech –
rarely with any success
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Aura –
FOR MEDICINAL TONIC USE, would one use the berries or the root or both?
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Richo Cech –
The roots of the plant have a long history of use in ayurveda.
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Marek –
Do you send to Netherlands?
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Richo Cech –
Hello Marek, my apologies, we cannot ship to any countries in the EU, due to restrictive regulayions that date back to 1999. Richo
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Question
Fenil –
Hi Richo,
I am in Southern Ontario, Canada, Zone 5. Would I be able to grow Ashwagandha in deep containers under grow lights indoors and with heating mats underneath? Our summers, unfortunately, do not get hot enough. I would appreciate your insightful help.
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Richo Cech –
Hi, I think you could. I would also try some of the more cold-tolerant adaptogens like eleuthero, rhodiola and schisandra. These could be grown outdoors and so save on electric bill. r
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Alycia Skousen (verified owner) –
Germinated and grew seedlings indoors under T5/LED lamps. Then moved to sunroom then greenhouse. Pandemic has brought a lot of disruptions to get greenhouse timely, but this ashwagandha dna has done awesome!
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Question
judith mcdonald –
what do you mean by and the seed germinates better after aging for awhile.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Judith, Newly harvested seed gives low germination and seed that has been stored for some time gives high germination. There are many misconceptions among the populace. One is, that fresh seed is always better than aged seed. Cucumber, Tobacco and Withania are good examples of seeds that germinate better after a year or more of storage. Another misconception is that if you drop seed into water and it floats, it is no good. This is a good test for Ginseng and a terrible test for Elderberry. Anyway, to get back to the point, every botanical is going to act slightly differently under local conditions and that is the joy and the mystery of seed planting. Richo
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Kelly Schoen –
Loved reading this. Early spring I planted tom thumb snap peas found hidden in the garage dated 2013. My husband said “you won’t get a thing”. On a lark, I said “you want to bet”, never expecting anything either. Two weeks later the container was overflowing with tom thumb pea seedlings, much to everyone’s delight.
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Barbara Henderson –
These were easily grown from seed with almost 96% germination, though at different times. So far, they have transplanted well and I look forward to seeing how they fair in container culture.
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hi Barbara,
Yes, thank you, grown by us, and the seed germinates better after aging for awhile.
Richo
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Chris –
Are the fruits edible? What kind of health benefits do they offer?
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Richo Cech –
Hi Chris, The roots are the part normally employed. The fruits look tasty but they aren’t. nor are they toxic. Traditional usage (Ayurveda): energy and sexual tonic. Richo
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Janet Wilkie –
Ashwagandha is an effective antidepressant. This is also its drawback: do NOT stop taking it suddenly. Like pharmaceutical antidepressants, it is best to taper off. You might get away with stopping suddenly, but you may not. My mother was taken off it abruptly in the hospital, and she had the one and only psychotic episode of her life. When I got her back on it, she was fine. Ashwagandha is a real antidepressant, and should be treated with respect.
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Terrie –
Makes me feel calm if I get anxious, but I have only tried capsules. Subtle
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Kelly Schoen –
I like Terrie’s description. Have used ashwagandha for years on and off, as necessary, when I feel “stressed” out. It is one of few plants that actually removes cortisol from the body. Being in the nightshade family it can cause headaches for some, but for others it is a wonderous healer. I have only ever used 1 capsule at a time though.
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Question
wilson –
Ola amigo. sou wilson. moro no brasil. voce tem como vender para mim? obg
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Admin Richo Cech –
Sinto muito não poder enviar-lhe os
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Question
Katherine Adams –
What are the differences between the African and Vedic? does one have more vigorous root growth, medicinal value?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Thanks for asking, Katherine. The African ecotype was collected during my 2009 seed collecting journey in Kenya. The plants are larger and more robust than the Vedic ecotype, which comes from India (just across the Indian Ocean from my collection site). Locals in Kenya use this plant for treating sexual exhaustion. We subsequently tested both types for total withanolide content and the vedic came up with a higher withanolide content. I’m offering both types in the spirit of diversity. I wish I had more types to offer, there are many.
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Question
helena marcus (verified owner) –
Hi Richo, When is the best time to harvest ashwagandha root? Can other parts of the plant be use medicinally? Would you recommend making a tincture out of the root or just storing the root in powder form? Thank you very for your council. Helena
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hello Helena, In temperate gardens up to Z8 we’re pretty much obligated to dig the roots in the fall, preferably before first frost but in any case before the root freezes. Freezing denatures it. Standard processing wash/slice/dehydrate/powder when needed. Drying the root detoxifies it. Other parts of the plant generally not used. All this is “Making Plant Medicine” which I do recommend.
Cheers,
Richo
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Michael –
Hello Richo, I am getting ready to harvest my ashwagnadha roots in the next few days, I read here and in “Making Plant Medicine” that the roots should be dried prior to use to detoxify it and reduce side effects. What compounds are being removed in the drying process? Thanks, Michael.
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Admin Richo Cech –
withanolides
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Question
Stefanie –
I originally got my seeds from y’all last year which I had almost 100% sprout. I am saving my seeds now. The seeds are extremely oily. Is there any special processing needed or just patience as they dry?
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Admin Richo Cech –
Hello Stefanie,
Thanks for contacting. The best way to process ashwagandha berries for seeds is to put the fresh berries in a blender with enough water to assure a vortex, then whip it up for half a minute or so and pour the lot in a bowl. Add more water, stir briefly, let it settle for a few seconds, then pour off the water, the fruit, the floating seeds and all other undesirables and leaving the pure viable seed in the bottom of the bowl. Do this a couple of times until the seed is pure, then pour the wet seed off into a screen and dry and stir for a few days, then plant or store. Ashwagandha, like several other nightshade plants, increases in germination for some years as it ages. The oily residue that is formed when seed is allowed to dry in the fruit is germination-inhibiting. Just plant more, you’ll get some plants. If you want more information on the seed flotation process and general info about seed saving of medicinal plants, read “The Medicinal Herb Grower.” Cheers, Richo
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Margarat Nee (verified owner) –
Thanks so much for posting this! I’m without your book as it’s between editions right now so I was hoping for some info here.
Now that my seed question is answered, my other one is: do I wait for dieback to harvest the root? I’m in California, 92114 zip code.
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Richo Cech –
hi margaret, no, dig the root in November or after first frost, whichever comes first. richo
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tsakanias –
seed of indian ginseng or withania somnifera
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Nora Gutierrez –
Im in southern CA, I have a hill with full sun, when would be best time to plant?
Can you currently ship to CA
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Richo Cech –
hi nora, We ship seeds to all USA states continuously. Growers in S. Cal get best results planting ashwagandha in February. richo
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