Ashwagandha Culture and Harvest
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Hannah Roessler
Posted on: December 29, 2009

Just a few growing questions about ashwagandha. I have about seven ashwagandha plants that are dying back as the sun leaves and the cool weather comes in. I was wondering when the right time to harvest is? Is it the first year or the second year? If I wanted to keep the plants for another year, what would be the best way to care for them through the winter, cut them back or leave them be? Would they make it through a winter in Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada. I have them inside in pots now so they are warm enough, but there is not a lot of sunshine right now?

Ashwaganda is a half-hardy perennial and I am not sure if it would survive out of doors in your zone 7-8 climate. It is treated as an annual by harvesting the roots in the fall and then resowing seeds in the spring. You could certainly over-winter it indoors in a cool place and harvest the larger roots next fall. Do not cut the plant down until the top dies down, to allow the nutrients to go back into the roots.

Back to Growing Herbs | Q & A Index

Copyright © 1997-2024 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.