I studied horticultural sciences at university and in my free time you can find me in my own patch of land, growing anything with roots. I am particularly passionate about self-sufficiency and seasonal food. Favourite fruit: quince, cornelian cherry and blueberries Favourite vegetables: peas, tomatoes and garlic
Ashwagandha is a time-honoured medicinal plant in South Asia and North Africa. Find out all about its uses and how to go about planting ashwagandha yourself.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an important medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Read on to learn all about ashwagandha plants and their uses as well as information on how to grow them.
Ashwagandha is an ancient medicinal herb that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for over 3,000 years. Also known as Indian ginseng or winter cherry, ashwagandha is popular for its ability to help the body manage stress, increase energy levels, and boost concentration and memory
The ashwagandha plant is native to India and North Africa, where it thrives in hot, dry regions. While traditionally grown outdoors in warm climates, ashwagandha can also be grown successfully indoors with the right care and conditions.
If you want to grow a lush healthy ashwagandha plant at home follow these indoor growing tips
Choose the Right Container
Ashwagandha can grow over 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide, so choose a container that allows adequate room for growth A 14-16 inch wide pot that’s at least 12 inches deep is ideal Make sure the container has drainage holes to prevent soggy soil.
Terra cotta pots work well for ashwagandha since the porous material allows air circulation to the roots. You can also use plastic or ceramic pots.
Use a Well-Draining Soil Mix
Ashwagandha thrives in sandy, well-draining soil. Create a potting mix using equal parts potting soil, compost, and builders sand or perlite. You can also purchase cactus/succulent potting mixes that provide excellent drainage.
Soil that is dense or retains too much moisture will cause root rot. Good drainage is key!
Give It Plenty of Sunlight
In its native environment, ashwagandha receives full sun. Indoors, place the plant near a sunny south or west facing window. Ashwagandha needs at least 6 hours of direct sun daily.
Supplement natural light with grow lights if needed. LED full spectrum grow lights work great.
Maintain Ideal Temperatures
Ashwagandha thrives in hot conditions between 70-95°F. Keep the plant in a warm room around 70°F or higher. Move it to the coolest room in your home in winter if temperatures drop too low.
You can use a space heater or heating mat to maintain warm temperatures around the plant. Keep it away from cold drafts.
Water Thoroughly Then Allow Soil to Dry
Ashwagandha prefers infrequent, deep watering to frequent shallow watering. Wait for the top 1-2 inches of soil to dry out, then soak the soil completely. Allow excess water to drain from the drainage holes.
Don’t let the plant sit in water. Allow the soil to partially dry out before watering again. The drying periods trigger root growth.
Boost Humidity
Native to tropical regions, ashwagandha appreciates 40-60% relative humidity. Use a humidifier near the plant or place the pot on a pebble tray filled with water to increase moisture in the air.
Misting the leaves also helps. Just be sure not to get water on the stems or crown which could cause rotting.
Fertilize Every 2-3 Weeks During Growth
Ashwagandha is a light feeder but benefits from occasional fertilizer. Use a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted to half strength every 2-3 weeks during spring through fall while the plant is actively growing.
Avoid high nitrogen fertilizers which can cause excess leaf growth. Discontinue fertilizing in winter when growth slows.
Prune For a Bushy Habit
Prune back leggy stems in late winter to keep the plant full and compact. Remove any dead or damaged growth as needed.
Pinching off the tip of each stem when the plant is young will encourage bushy, branched growth.
Watch For Pests
Ashwagandha is fairly pest-resistant but can be affected by spider mites, aphids and powdery mildew. Check the plant regularly and take action at the first sign of pests.
Quarantine new plants and treat with neem oil as a preventative. Remove any severely infected parts immediately.
By choosing the right potting mix, providing optimal sunlight, humidity, temperatures, water and nutrition, your ashwagandha plant will thrive indoors. Pay close attention to its needs, and you’ll be rewarded with a lush, vibrant and healthy plant.
You want to know who’s behind Plantura?
I studied horticultural sciences at university and in my free time you can find me in my own patch of land, growing anything with roots. I am particularly passionate about self-sufficiency and seasonal food. Favourite fruit: quince, cornelian cherry and blueberries Favourite vegetables: peas, tomatoes and garlic
Ashwagandha is a time-honoured medicinal plant in South Asia and North Africa. Find out all about its uses and how to go about planting ashwagandha yourself.
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is an important medicinal plant in traditional Chinese medicine and Indian Ayurvedic medicine. Read on to learn all about ashwagandha plants and their uses as well as information on how to grow them.
Ashwagandha: origin and characteristics
Ashwagandha, also known as Indian ginseng, belongs to the nightshade family (Solanaceae). This perennial shrub is native to the Mediterranean, North Africa, South Asia and the Canary Islands. Ashwagandha has been used for thousands of years as a narcotic, intoxicant and aphrodisiac. In Europe, it was first mentioned in medicinal plant encyclopaedias in the 16th century.
By the way: you may also find ashwagandha being referred to as winter cherry, but this name makes it easy to confuse with another plant in the same family that sometimes goes by the same name, namely the Jerusalem cherry (Solanum pseudocapsicum syn. Solanum capsicastrum). It is also easy to mix up the name winter cherry with winter-flowering cherries (Prunus × subhirtella), which are different plants entirely.
Ashwagandha shrubs grow from 50 to 150cm tall with felt-like branches. These plants develop many unbranched, light brown roots that grow laterally along the taproot, each of which can reach the size of a thin carrot. Ashwagandha leaves are pubescent (hairy), grey-green and ovoid. They can grow up to 10cm long and give off an extremely unpleasant smell when touched. The green-yellow flowers typically grow in clusters of five from the plant’s leaf axils. They are surrounded by hairy toothed sepals, which, after pollination, form a paper lantern-like sheath around a berry, similarly to physalis (Physalis) or ground cherries (Physalis pruinosa). In the UK, ashwagandha plants flower between mid-July and September. When the berries ripen in late autumn, the dry, brown sepals break open to reveal the red fruit inside. The light brown seeds inside ashwagandha fruits are flat and kidney-shaped, which is typical for nightshades.
Ashwagandha plants can be grown in the UK as a perennial ornamental plant. We do not recommend growing it for its medicinal use, as the potency of the active ingredients is difficult to determine and consumption could result in poisoning.
When planting ashwagandha, opt for dry, warm and sunny locations on nutrient-rich, well-drained soil. These perennial shrubs do not tolerate waterlogging or damp soils, so a drainage layer is necessary, especially when growing one in a pot. If you want to grow an ashwagandha plant from seed, start it indoors on a warm windowsill between February and March. To do this, sow the ashwagandha seeds and cover them with about 2cm of soil. We suggest using a low-nutrient growing medium, such as our peat-free, sustainably produced Plantura Organic Herb & Seedling Compost. Our seedling compost is well-drained and low in nutrients, effectively preventing waterlogging and promoting strong and healthy root growth. Keep the seeds at 20 to 25 °C and ensure the soil stays moist. The first plantlets should appear after 1 to 2 weeks. Prick out your ashwagandha seedlings after the first true leaves appear, and pot them up individually into fresh, nutrient-rich potting soil.
After the last frosts around mid-May, you can start planting your ashwagandha plants outdoors. Allow them a few days to acclimatise to their new environment first. These plants prefer a warm, sheltered spot in the garden bed. A planter that can hold at least 10 litres is also suitable and makes overwintering easier. As ashwagandha shrubs spread, ensure each plant has at least 1m2 of space to grow. When planting ashwagandha in pots, we recommend using a nutrient-rich organic potting soil, such as our Plantura Organic Tomato & Vegetable Compost. Our vegetable compost can also be used to improve poor garden soil.
- Perfect for tomatoes & other vegetables such as chillies, courgettes & more
- For strong & healthy plant growth as well as an abundant vegetable harvest
- Peat-free & organic soil: CO2-saving composition
If you plan on planting ashwagandha in a pot, first place a 5 to 10cm thick drainage layer of gravel, coarse sand or expanded clay at the bottom of the pot. This will improve drainage and help prevent waterlogging. After that, fill the pot partially with potting soil and place the young plant in it at the same depth as it was before transplanting. Fill in the rest of the pot with soil, press everything down lightly and then water thoroughly.
Ashwagandha shrubs are generally low-maintenance, as they do not need pruning or thinning out during the growing season. Water occasionally, but always allow the top layer of soil to dry out before watering again. As these plants pull a lot of nutrients from the soil, we advise fertilising them from June onwards. By this time, the nutrients from the potting soil will have been depleted and the plants will have started to form flower buds. An organic liquid fertiliser, such as our Plantura Liquid Tomato Food, is easy to apply while watering and provides ashwagandha plants with the essential nutrients nitrogen and potassium. Fertilise regularly through to the end of the growing season. Regarding the dosage, we suggest diluting 15 to 25ml in 5 litres of water and applying about once a week.
- Perfect for tomatoes & other vegetables
- Liquid fertiliser for healthy plant growth & an abundant harvest
- Quick & easy application – child & pet friendly
Ashwagandha plants are not hardy in the UK and need to be protected from cold damage. As temperatures begin to drop in autumn, move your plant to a bright, heatable area where it does not drop below 10 °C. Whether in your flat, a conservatory or elsewhere, ensure wherever you move your plant gets enough light and temperatures remain around 15 to 18 °C. Before moving the plant to its winter quarters, feel free to prune it back by half. This not only makes overwintering your ashwagandha plant easier, but it also takes up less space. The plant will sprout again in spring. Watering is hardly necessary in winter, so do so sparingly to prevent fungal diseases. There is also no need to fertilise until the following spring. Alternatively, you can sow new ashwagandha plants each year as ornamental annuals.