The Winchendon Courier
Serving the community since 1878 ~ A By Light Unseen Media publication
Week of April 8 to April 15, 2021

Gardening

Grow Stevia--Nature's Sweetener

Stevia plants
Stevia, nature's own sweetener, can be grown indoors or out as long as the plants receive proper care.
Photo credit: MelindaMyers.com


Sweeten your meals by growing your own sugar substitute in gardens or containers. Stevia is nature's own sweetener that can be snacked upon fresh or added to soups, sauces, or beverages.

Wait for warm nights and the danger of frost to pass before planting stevia outdoors. It is a perennial in USDA zones 8 and warmer, but those gardening in colder areas must grow stevia like an annual.

Start plants from seed, cuttings, or transplants. Seeds are difficult to find and even more difficult to sprout. Use this method if you like a gardening challenge.

Reduce your effort and increase success by starting with transplants. Check garden centers and mail order catalogs for plants. Place Stevia plants 12 inches apart in full sun or light shade with moist well-drained soils. You will get the best growth and most leaves during the long warm days of summer.

Incorporate a low nitrogen slow-release fertilizer in the soil or potting mix at planting. These provide small amounts of nutrients over a long period of time. Make a second application mid season if needed.

Water new plantings often enough to keep the roots and surrounding soil slightly moist. Gradually extend the time between watering. Thoroughly water whenever the top few inches of soil are crumbly and slightly moist. Spread a layer of evergreen needles, shredded leaves, or other organic matter over the soil surface. Mulching helps conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve the soil, reducing your time weeding and watering.

Harvest leaves as needed for sweetening your dishes. Munching on a single leaf can help suppress a sweet craving. You may be able to pass on a candy bar and go for a healthier option.

Wait for cool short days at the end of the growing season when the sweetness is most intense to make large harvests for drying. You can dry in a microwave, dehydrator, or a warm dark location in your home. Cut, bundle, and hang stems upside down to air dry. Knock leaves off the stem and save the dried leaves in an airtight jar. Grind the leaves by hand or use a coffee grinder to crush the leaves and release the sweetness. Dried leaves stored in an airtight jar will last for several years.

You can grow stevia indoors in a bright sunny window or under artificial lights. Purchase plants or start your own from cuttings. Check plants often and water thoroughly when the top few inches of soil is starting to dry. Fertilize with a dilute solution of any fertilizer labeled for use on indoor edible plants. Harvest the leaves as needed to sweeten your favorite dishes.

Growing stevia indoors or out can add flavor to your beverages and meals and fun to your gardening experience.

Melinda Myers is the author of more than 20 gardening books, including Small Space Gardening. She hosts The Great Courses "How to Grow Anything" DVD series and the Melinda's Garden Moment TV & radio segments. Myers is a columnist and contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine. Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

Antiques

Sports Cards are Breaking Records

Ted Williams trading card


In my last column, I reported on the Tom Brady rookie card that was nearing $2 million in an online auction. The bidding ended on April 2nd, with the rare card selling for $2.2 million. While there aren't many cards worth millions of dollars, auction prices for cards overall have skyrocketed during the pandemic. Many cards have more than doubled or tripled in value over the past year.

A February Chicago Tribune article cites multiple reasons for the current sports card boom. "Some industry analysts see pandemic stay-at-home boredom as fueling a resurgence of interest, as parents rediscover the hobby and share it with their children," according to the Tribune. They also report, "investors who saw big returns on the stock market last year also have begun to buy into trading cards as an alternative to equities, pumping up prices for the cardboard commodity."

Prices in almost every type of sports card and non-sports card category are seeing strong results. An unopened 1973 Topps wax pack of cards recently sold for $780. A high grade 1976 Topps Walter Payton Rookie Card #148 went for $800. An average grade tobacco card of Ty Cobb recently brought $3,250. Despite being in altered condition, a 1951 Bowman Mickey Mantle Rookie still sold for $7,100.

PSA (Professional Sports Authenticator) is the most popular card grading company. Their business has increased so much that they reported grading turnaround times were taking up to nine months. They recently put all submissions completely on hold until they can catch up on some of the backlog. Polygon.com (a video game website) reports that Pokémon cards are partially responsible for the backlog at PSA. Believe it or not, rare 1990s Pokémon hologram cards in near perfect condition can bring six figure sums.

So, will card prices continue to increase? There is no way to say for sure, but the late 1980s and early 1990s saw a card boom similar to what we are experiencing today. To keep up with the demand during that time, companies such as Topps, Fleer and Upper Deck drastically increased production. The demand dried up in the early 1990s. Many people who bought those cards as an investment are still sitting on boxes of nearly worthless cards. It may be the right time to sell your cards now before values decline again.

We will soon be offering an online auction of a large collection of sports and non-sports cards from a Holliston, MA estate. Our next session of model railroad trains, die-cast cars, model kits and other toys will also soon be running online. Our multi-estate with jewelry, coins, paintings, more sports cards, and a wide variety of other items takes place in May. Keep watching www.centralmassauctions.com for details on all of these events or use the email signup form on our homepage to be notified of all upcoming events.

Contact us at: Wayne Tuiskula Auctioneer/Appraiser Central Mass Auctions for Antique Auctions, Estate Sales and Appraisal Services www.centralmassauctions.com (508-612- 6111) info@centralmassauctions.com