Selecting a yarden home for Ashwagandha

The Withania somnifera, commonly known as Ashwagandha, seedlings grew healthy and strong from the seed packet gifted me upon completion of the Herbal Immersion program of Chestnut School of Holistic Medicine.  Since Ashwagandha is a tropical plant preferring warm soil for optimal growth, I awaited the consistent daily warm weather of mid-May before transplanting the protected seedlings from the grow room to the yarden.

In order to support the plants transition and eventual growth,  I carefully considered the various niches of my garden before I selected the spaces to grow the Withania somnifera. I researched seed catalogs, garden websites, and books from my garden and herb library to remind myself of the plants preferences regarding light, water, soil, and pH.
Ashwagandha thrive in conditions where the soil is alkaline and very well-draining, receive full-sun exposure, and experience warm soil and air temperatures consistently.  Thus informed, I chose the garden bed with gravelly soil that receives sun consistently all day.  As one end of the garden bed is much more gravelly in soil texture than the other, I will watch and note how the plants perform over the course of the season. I hope to gather seed from the plants in the garden bed to propagate a new bed of Ashwagandha next year. I will also gather the root and process for use in tea, tincture, or other herbal concoctions.

In its native habitat, Withania somnifera is a perennial. I would like to establish a longer than a few month relationship with the plant, so I potted 4 seedlings into a large container. I hope to transition the potted Withania somnifera plants into a sunny location in the house for the winter.   also put a few in a pot with soil designed to drain especially well. I hope to over-winter the potted Ashwagandha indoors overwinter.
While I introduced Ashwagandha tonic, tea, and other concoctions into my routine months ago, to great enjoyment and support of wellness, these seedlings are my first interaction with the living plant.