How We Grow Ashwagandha in Oregon

It Starts in the Greenhouse

Even though Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a perennial herb, we grow it as an annual crop using seed exclusively collected from our farms. Over the past several decades, we have selected seed from plants that show increased growth vigor and resistance to the Colorado potato beetle, a known pest in our region. The growing season begins in March, when we sow the seeds in our greenhouse using a custom blend of compost, sand, and worm castings.

Timing is Everything

Ashwagandha is in the Solanaceae family, so our outdoor growing season is similar to Tomatoes, Eggplant, and Peppers in our growing zone (zone 8). The plants prefer warm soil temperatures of at least 60 degrees Fahrenheit and they are not frost tolerant. We keep the young seedlings warm in our greenhouses until closer to our last average frost date of May 15.

Slow & Steady

We typically transplant our Ashwagandha seedlings outdoors by late May or early June. We plant them 12 to 18 inches apart, giving them adequate room to grow. The seedlings grow slowly during the cooler temperatures of early summer, but they see a remarkable increase in root and shoot growth during July and August when both day and night temperatures are warmer.

Following Nature’s Lead

By the end of the growing season in fall, our Ashwagandha will reach a height of up to five feet, with a deep taproot. The oldest leaves begin to turn from green to yellow during the shorter daylight hours of autumn, the flowers turn into small green fruits, which then mature to orange-red in color. This physiological change signals us that it’s time to initiate harvest of the mature fruits for seed, followed by roots before winter.

Planning for the Future

We hand-pick Ashwagandha seeds, which are then lightly dried and carefully separated from the outer flesh of the fruit. The clean seeds are stored indoors, away from moisture and direct light until next spring’s sowing. We dig up the large taproots by mid-November. We gently wash them to keep the entire whole root intact, then dry them so they can be stored until it's time for extraction.

We’re proud of the work we put in to learn how to grow the best quality Ashwagandha close to home, to reduce the carbon footprint of this best-selling herb. Our motto on the farm is that if it’s worth doing something, it’s worth doing it right!