How to Grow Ashwagandha | Cultivation and Growing Ashwagandha

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Learn how to grow ashwagandha in your garden. Growing ashwagandha is also possible in pots. It requires particular growing conditions which are given below.

how to grow ASHWAGANDHa

What is Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha, which is also called “Indian ginseng” is native to India. It is mighty useful plant according to Ayurveda, ashwagandha roots has medicinal properties and is used to cure debility, anemia, and impotency. Its regular use improves vigor and immune power.

Ashwagandha is a low growing perennial that grows up to 3 feet tall. Its leaves are long and elliptical, yellow-green. Its flowers are tiny bell-shaped followed by bright orange-red berries.


How to Grow Ashwagandha

Propagation and Planting

Ashwagandha is propagated from seeds. In India, it is cultivated in regions with low rainfall right after the pre-monsoon at the beginning of the rainy season in hot and humid conditions in temperature around 75 – 85 F (25 – 30 C). It is a drought-tolerant plant and grows in dry soil, once established.

For ashwagandha cultivation, plant seeds 2 cm deep and 10 cm apart when the temperature is around 70 F (20 C). Seeds will germinate in two weeks. Water the seedlings well while they are establishing. Thin out the weak plants after a month of growing, leaving the space around 50 – 60 cm between plants.


Requirements for Growing Ashwagandha

Location

Plant ashwagandha in dry and sunny location of your garden. If the soil is poor add manure to enrich it and remove weed and debris from the planting site.

Soil

It needs sandy and well-draining soil in a way that water will drain out quickly, pH level should be around 7.5 – 8, neutral to slightly alkaline. Growing Ashwagandha is not possible in soil that retains moisture and remains waterlogged.

Watering

Watering should be economical and only when the plant seems thirsty. Indian ginseng is a drought-resistant herb and doesn’t like wet feet.

Temperature

Ashwagandha grows best when the temperature ranges between 70 F – 95 F (20 – 35 C), below or above this it grows much slower.


Ashwagandha Plant Care

Fertilizer

Similar to ginseng, the Ashwagandha plant is not fertilized usually due to medicinal uses of its roots. However, organic fertilizers are used. You can apply aged manure or compost near the base of the plant.

Overwintering

If you’re growing Ashwagandha in cooler climate overwinter it indoors. Keep it in temperature around 50 – 60 F (10 – 15 C) or cultivate it as an annual plant in spring and summer.

Pests and Disease

Pests like spider mites attack the plant. In diseases, the plant is affected by leaf spot, stem, and leaf rot. When the plant is overwatered root rot is possible.

Harvestingashwagandha root

Ashwagandha is ready to harvest in 150 – 180 days when flower and berries start to form and leaves begins to dry out.

Harvest ashwagandha roots by digging carefully using a small tool. Be careful not to damage the plant when digging up and make sure soil has some moisture while doing this.

After harvesting, roots, and barriers are separated from the plant. Roots are washed and cleaned and cut into small pieces of 7-10 cm and dried in sun or shade.

Berries are also separated from the plant, dried, and crushed to take out seeds.

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37 COMMENTS

      • Same here I bought Ashwagandha live plants and seeds from them. I had to do research on YouTube and Google on sowing methods for this plant refrigeration worked got two seedlings out of 8.that I started in Feb 2021

    • I harvested seeds from my ashwagandha plant and successfully grew “ashi babies” using the fermentation method described in Juliet Blankespoor’s book “The Healing Garden.” I mushed them to break open the red berry (the seeds are yellow). I placed the the whole thing water and in a jar and put inside the cabinet. I shook the jar daily and about two weeks later I separated the yellow seeds from the berries and “pulp.” The water did not bubble as described in the book. I immediately planted the wet seeds in soil and water with willow tea (which is what I use as a root starter). I placed the pots on a heated pad and kept warm and moist. I have about 25 very small plants right now but they’re healthy. That’s probably about 50% of what I planted.

  1. Super interesting! Mine just started flowering and producing berries. I want to harvest it but if I divide it will it come back next spring? Im in north florida – zone 8b

  2. Three questions: 1. How long do we dry the roots until using? (I heard it can be poison if used too early). 2. Can the leaves be ingested and 3. Can the berries be ingested?

  3. yes yes the leaves can be ingested….its a medicine for Blood pressure and sugar control in diabetic patients…. it has other health benefits also like stress busting,insonmania,rhumatism ……. in short ashwagandha is a divine plant that can change a persons quality of life(health wise)……..god bless

    • You’ll need to smash the berries to get to the seeds. I fermented mine (see a comment I made earlier). I planted them inside and now have about 25 small seedlings. I smashed the berries and planted some directly in the soil, but so far, that hasn’t worked. The seeds are inside of the berries.

  4. I am in zone 3 and I have overwintered an ashwaghanda plant indoors (in a cool room) in a pot and watered it very sparsely throughout the winter. I have now brought it out and am watering it more. I did not cut down the foliage in the fall. Should I cut it down now? If so, how? Thanks.

  5. Me again. I also harvested a few plants (1 year’s growth) and had some good sized roots. I thought I would bring one inside for the winter to see if it might come back (mimicking a warmer zone) and maybe have bigger roots after year 2. Highly experimental. :~)

  6. Sir , guide me to plant ashwagandha plant and how to cultivate it and were to sale , from were I will get seed and proper guidance. Thank you

  7. My seeds have been planted for 17 days and still not sprouted. I planted them with the red covering. Should I have broken the red covering? Thank you for replying.

    • I planted both ways. Seemed to work better with red covering broken. Grows in a clump and will have to be thinned out when transplanting. It took a few weeks to germinate. Be patient and keep warm. I use a heat table and set the temperature at 70 F for daytime.

  8. I have seeds that I saved from a plant I grew. The plant was purchased at Richters Herbs in Goodwood, Ontario Canada. The seeds germinated well after being stored for a few years.

  9. Leaves when used with tulsi and neem and stem of gloey is strong immune to Covid variants.
    Boil and drink.
    2 Ashwgandha leaves
    11 tulsi leaves
    2 neem leaves
    10 cms stem of Gloey.
    Crush the mixture
    Boil in 250 ml water reduce to 150 ml mixture while boiling. Filter and drink

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