Lemongrass Growing Conditions. Thirdly, you can buy a lemongrass bush and use as desired! In normal to cold winters, the plants die. Lemongrass is one of the easiest plants to propagate. You can also chop them into 2″ chunks and freeze them for years, taking out however much you need for a recipe when the time comes. After a couple of weeks, you should see roots starting to grow, take your cutting and place it in the soil in your garden. When you see fresh leaves sprouting from the new stalk, the lemongrass’ roots are ready to be transferred to the soil. After separating, plant the divisions 1-2 feet apart in your desired location. One night, when I was seven, we went to a Thai restaurant. Plant in a container and place in a south-facing window or under grow lights to encourage growth through winter. An inch or two of water is enough to soak it enough for roots to grow, and all you need to do is freshen up the out every few days. If you have clay soil in your area, you will want to amend the soil in the planting hole with composted manure before planting. Then smash the chopped sections with the base of your knife or a rolling board (just enough to loosen it up, not to pulverize it). Lemongrass can last for over a month properly stored in your fridge. Privacy Policy. Then we cut each stalk back to about 5″ tall, and transplant them into small nursery pots. He also serves on the board of the Diversified Agriculture Committee for the South Carolina Farm Bureau. Our Garden Plannercan produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Congratulations! Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is very closely related to citronella grass (Cymbopogon nardus and Cymbopogon winterianus). Sow seeds 5cm deep and 50cm apart. We love using our fresh lemongrass in Asian soups, desserts, and drinks. When it comes time to transplant them outdoors (see instructions below) you’ll have more mature plants that already have good growth on them. In Australia, you can harvest lemongrass year-round just be mindful that in winter it will take longer to grow back. As its name implies, lemongrass has the growth habit of a giant grass. And that’s one of the main reasons The Tyrant and I grow and forage food: we love cultivating new experiences and tending good memories. Fertilize your lemongrass plants … A native of India, you will have to live in at least zone 9 if you want to grow lemongrass outdoors. Two giant lemongrass plants (left) growing at Oak Hill Cafe & Farm, where I’m the farm manager. If you look closely at this image of a single mature lemongrass stalk that was broken off from the parent plant, you can see the small light-colored new shoots emerging from the base. You can also root a stalk from the produce market in water. We’ve never had a lemongrass plant be affected by plant disease or be eaten by insects. If you’re planting lemongrass in close proximity, space them at least 5′ apart. Move plants back indoors in late summer, putting it in a bright, cool position and reduce watering, keeping the compost just moist. This is how a single lemongrass stalk can quickly grow into a giant plant. Lemongrass is a tender perennial, meaning it will die back in colder climates. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Technically, lemongrass is a perennial, but it will not overwinter in the ground in cooler climate zones. This will help break down its cell walls, allowing more flavor to more quickly enter your food. Trim a few inches off the top of the lemongrass and remove any blades that may look dead. A new experience! Just before our first fall freeze, we always dig up a few lemongrass stalks with roots on. Best guess: it probably takes at least 9 months of ideal growing conditions for a lemongrass plant to produce flowers. If you surround your porch with lemongrass you might not have mosquitos hunkering down in your plants, but they’re still likely to fly to your porch from other locations when they smell you. Lemongrass cooking tip: cut your lemongrass stalks into 2″ chunks when using it for cooking. Cut back any dead foliage in late winter, early spring and watch it thrive. :) Two parts of the lemongrass plant are used for culinary purposes: A single lemongrass stalk with rapidly divide, creating a thick stand of grassy stalks within 2-3 months. If you live in a cold climate region, we’ll give you detailed tips below to show you how. One of my favourite herbs. Get your mag delivered!-Save 29% off the cover price! ) Pick the freshest stalk from your local supermarket or fresh food grocers, peel back any dead leaves and place in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. In spring or summer, place lengths of stem into small p… Yes, but…. In fact, its growth habit looks a lot like pampas grass, which would be our least favorite plant on earth, if not for poison ivy. Plant lemongrass in a warm, sunny spot that is convenient to water. Thanks, Annemiek! Two of our favorite summer flavors in the same harvest bowl: lemongrass and Hibiscus sabdariffa calyxes. It all depends on how cold of a winter it is. Growing lemongrass from cuttings is the preferred method of starting new plants. How to grow American groundnuts in your garden, Potted citrus garden video tour (Zone 7b), Recipe: Sugar-free persimmon cranberry relish. Grow your lemongrass in full sun, with plenty of water, in a rich, well-draining soil. Place the lemongrass stalks into a glass with a little bit of water. Step 2: Propagate and Plant Place store-bought lemongrass stalks in shallow glass of water for about 1 week. A 5-10 gallon pot, bucket or grow bag will do the trick of growing lemongrass. To get started, simply place a few lemongrass stalks in a glass jar filled with room-temperature water and wait for roots to emerge. Start fresh lemongrass stalks in water. Place a lemongrass stalk in a glass or jar of water to grow a new stalk. When foliage starts to turn brown in autumn, cut back foliage to 10cm (4in). Its lemony stalks are most commonly used in East Asian cooking to add flavour to broths, soups and curries. Start them in small containers indoors in a sunny, warm spot. Lemongrass plants prefer rich, loamy soil. This part has the most flavor. It will be somewhat smaller if you have to keep it inside. Put the thick juicy stalk bases in a ziplock bag in your fridge veggie drawer until you’re ready to use them. Lemongrass stalks will naturally sprout roots if left in water, so the easiest way to grow lemongrass is to start with mature stalks from a grocery store. Your lemongrass will repay you with leaves that can be harvested to provide a gentle lemon essence in drinks and meals, and inner stalks that can be used in stir-fries and other Asian dishes. The best place to plant lemongrass is in a warm and sunny position. Lemongrass stalks cut into small 2″ chunks, then smashed with the base of a chef’s knife to allow for more flavor to come out. Tyrant Farms is reader-supported. Once you learn how to grow lemongrass and you get a season of growing experience under your belt, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to grow! Fertilizing. At maturity lemongrass plants can reach 6′ tall x 5′ wide, so select your planting location(s) accordingly. If you just want to get a few stalks from the plant during the growing season, don’t pull up the entire stalk, roots and all. Plants can also be raised from stems bought in shops. You can grow lemongrass in a pot or your herb garden but it also makes a great addition to garden beds. Once you have your lemongrass stalks, you can either: Nope, it doesn’t look very impressive at this stage, but this newly planted lemongrass stalk will be a giant plant in a few months time. It is well suited to container growing, and ideal for greenhouse cultivation. Make sure this area has full sun as well as nutrient-dense and well-aerated soil. and use as desired! Once you know how to grow lemongrass, you’ll want to grow it every year thereafter. Depending on when you plant it, generally, it takes a couple of months to grow to full size. (More on that below.) When planting lemongrass in pots, one of the best things you can do for your plant is to harvest it frequently, as this encourages new growth.. In cold zones, dig a few stalks of lemongrass and pot up to grow indoors through winter. I grew up in a small town in South Carolina that was not exactly known for its ethnic restaurants. Lemongrass is one of the easiest plants to propagate. All Rights Reserved. After a couple of weeks, you should see roots starting to grow, take your cutting and place it in the soil in your garden. Pick the freshest stalk from your. If your plant is looking sad make sure it is getting enough sunlight and give it some water. Yes, that includes Canada. After a few weeks, your lemongrass stalks will be ready to transplant outdoors. After growing lemongrass for over 10 years, we’ll share everything we know about how to grow lemongrass so you can cultivate your own new experiences and tend good memories, too! Instead, we recommend growing lemongrass by either propagating it from shoots or buying starter plants: Do you have an Asian grocery store in town? Each plant can grow to between 3 and 6 feet high if you do grow it outside. It will need protection from frost in these areas so choose a sheltered location or grow in a pot which can be moved around. © 2020 - Tyrant Farms. As a subtropical plant, lemongrass thrives in a warm and humid climate with temperatures ranging from 50 to 91°F degrees (10°C to 33°C). Kick off the growing season by mixing several inches aged compost or other rich organic matter into your native soil. Lemongrass will naturally propagate itself, once it is established. Water it regularly. We’ve overwintered lemongrass a few times here in Zone 7b, but we’ve also had it die at least 50% of the time. Pull entire stalks out of the ground, especially if it’s a late season harvest and you don’t intend to overwinter your plants; or. The most common dishes that use lemongrass are Asian cuisine. In cold climates, lemongrass should be started indoors to ensure that it has time to mature in a short growing season. Lemongrass tastes similar to lemons without the acidic bite, and has infinite culinary applications. We recommend putting a 3″ deep layer of wood chips or mulch over the soil surface to protect the soil and help maintain even soil temps and moisture. The white section of the stalk has the strongest flavour whereas the green leaves at the tips have a subtler flavour which is perfect for making your own lemongrass tea. Do lemongrass plants repel mosquitoes and other insects? Put this pot of lemongrass in a warm, sunny spot on a window ledge or out on your patio. The Tyrant processing lemongrass stalks post-harvest as Charlie the Cat comes over to investigate. Food explorer, seed & soil geek, duck evangelist, writer, health nut, and entrepreneur. Lemongrass is very drought-tolerant, but it will size up better if it gets regular water. Secondly, you can propagate lemongrass from a cutting (see the method below) and plant in the ground. You can plant lemongrass in all three of its life stages. Nope, … If you don’t have an Asian grocery or you want to get plants that already have established root systems, you can order lemongrass starter plants here. Harvesting lemongrass stalks. Once you learn how to grow lemongrass, you can make it a staple in your warm weather garden every year. Lemongrass plants grow large and can quickly outgrow their containers; choose a large container. There are two common varieties of lemongrass. As mentioned, lemongrass looks like an attractive tall grass, similar to pampas grass. As mentioned previously, lemongrass stalks will easily last a month in a bag inside your fridge. Lemongrass plants thrive in all conditions but love the warmth so make sure they get enough sun. A month after planting, start feeding your lemongrass plant with Miracle-Gro® All-Purpose Water-Soluble Plant Food every 2 weeks. In cold-winter areas, move container-grown lemongrass indoors or to a sheltered location during the winter. Pick the freshest stalk from your local supermarket or fresh food grocers, peel back any dead leaves and place in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. Place plants in a sunny, sheltered position over summer and keep well watered. Lemongrass plants can be grown in cooler climates by overwintering them in a protected environment. The ideal soil for growing lemongrass is moist and fertile loam soil. Now that you know how to grow lemongrass, the next step is learning how to cook with it or use it for other applications…. Honestly, there isn’t a perfect time of the year to do this as lemongrass is really hardy it will survive most seasons. Is lemongrass hard to grow? Cut each stalks to about 3 inches, place them in large pot with good soil mix or in the ground. We use our lemongrass every way imaginable: teas, flavorings for Asian soups and curries, juiced and turned into summer sorbets, and more. “Tom Kha Gai” the waitress said. We overwinter these plants indoors in a warm, sunny window. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate the rootball of the lemongrass plant. By late summer, lemon grass plants growing under ideal conditions (good soil, full sun, adequate water) can reach 5-6′ tall x 5′ wide. I live in Italy in zone 8b and succeeded in overwintering lemon grass last year. This will help the soil drain better, as well as provide food to your plant over time. We’ve never had a long enough growing season where we live (Zone 7B) for our lemongrass plants to produce flowers. treatment of fungal infections and skin inflammation (, anti-amoebic, antibacterial, antidiarrheal, antifilarial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties (. Honestly, there isn’t a perfect time of the year to do this as lemongrass is really hardy it will survive most seasons. Just be sure not to pile the mulch directly against the lemongrass stems or you could rot the plants. document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "af3dd9c9a9e35f5ca3f244a1b57e94d4" );document.getElementById("fe02d60459").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read our blog! Click here to learn more about our story, and please subscribe to get our freshest content delivered to your inbox! So include lemongrass in your foods and beverages because it tastes great. In addition to their collaboration on Tyrant Farms, Aaron and his wife, Susan, are cofounders of GrowJourney.com, a USDA certified organic seed & gardening education company. Place the glass on a … Easiest way to make sure you have some lemongrass to grow next year is to dig up and transplant one or two stalks (trimmed way back) with roots attached into small pots that you overwinter indoors before transplanting back out in the spring. How to Grow Lemongrass Indoors. How To Grow & Maintain Lemongrass Ideally lemongrass prefers regions with warm, dry winters and hot, wet summers but it does readily grow outside of these conditions eg as far south as Melbourne and inland Australia. Lemongrass is a full-sun plant, and needs well-drained soil, with a pH of 6 to 7. Care for indoor lemongrass plants is easy and productive. You can begin harvesting individual lemongrass stalks from the plant whenever you want to use them. We’ve experimented with trying to overwinter lemongrass here in Zone 7b. Lemongrass is one of the easiest plants to propagate. Then you probably have access to all the lemongrass stalks you need to propagate your own plants. Once you’ve harvested your stalks, trim off the top leaves and chop them into small pieces to dry for tea (or compost if you have excess). Modern research is sparse, but shows lemongrass’s promising medicinal potential for: In our opinion, everything you eat and drink is technically “medicinal” in that it either supports or diminishes your overall health. Provide lemongrass with consistent moisture and water when the top inch becomes dry. Otherwise you’re likely to get lots of little cuts on your hands and arms due to the sharp leaves. In the produce section, pick out lemongrass stalks that have the most root base still attached. It can be a very attractive plant in an edible landscape. Each of those tiny shoots will grow into a new mature stalk, which will then divide into more new stalks. Yes, lemongrass produces flower stalks and flowers. Space plants 24 inches apart. While there, the family tradition was to go to a different ethnic restaurant as many nights as possible. Firstly, you can buy lemongrass seeds from bunnings which will take around 21 days to germinate. In its native habitat, lemongrass grows in full sun, even in hot climates. An added bonus is that it likely does have a host of medicinal benefits as well. Also very nice for making sorbetto. Sow lemongrass seeds 1 inches apart and 1/4 inches deep. You now know how to grow lemongrass in your garden and how to use it. Lemongrass can be a bit tricky to grow from seed and requires extra attention to ensure germination. If you’re growing it in a pot, top-dress it with compost or worm castings every couple of weeks, to make sure it’s getting plenty of nutrients. which will take around 21 days to germinate. A beautiful harvest of fresh organically-grown lemongrass. Within seconds of the flavors crossing my taste buds, I knew I was in love with whatever magical ingredients had combined to form the flavors in my bowl. How many lemongrass plants do you want to grow next year? Aaron also writes for Edible Upcountry Magazine, WordPress (.com), Daily Harvest Express, and other food and tech-related organizations. The research showing the effectiveness of lemongrass for repelling insects is based on using the concentrated oil from the plants, not the plant itself. They look great in both pots and garden beds and can grow up to 1.2m tall and 80cm wide so make sure you give them room to grow. Keep this in mind if you have young children or pets that might go bounding into the plant in your garden. Lemongrass has been used for thousands of years in Asia to treat or prevent various ailments. This herb requires high levels of nitrogen for survival. We also write for Edible Upcountry Magazine, so be sure to check out our articles over there as well! The problem is, they also require high humidity and a soil temperature of roughly 70 degrees to thrive. How to grow lemongrass in containers: Lemongrass grows well in a self-watering container that is at least 10 inches deep. Online recipes abound for lemongrass, so be creative! or fresh food grocers, peel back any dead leaves and place in a glass of water on a sunny windowsill. We’ve had them overwinter only during very mild winters. In other words, lemongrass is one of the easiest plants to maintain that you’ll ever grow. Then cut each stalk back to about 5″ tall, and plant them in small containers to overwinter indoors in a sunny window. If you live in Zone 10 or above, you can grow it outside in the garden all year round. These two flavors actually go quite well together. They don’t have as much flavor as the stalks. Decades later, every time I smell freshly-harvested lemongrass stalks from one of the plants growing in our organic garden in Greenville, SC, I’m transported back to that initial experience. Please be sure to subscribe to Tyrant Farms to see what's in-season out in nature, have fresh seasonal recipes delivered to your inbox and get helpful organic/permaculture gardening & duck keeping tips. Our family travelled overseas a lot, so I’d learned to become an adventuresome eater. How to Grow. Cut individual stalks as close to the root base as possible; this method is ideal for cut-and-come-again harvests throughout the season. Then plant the lemongrass so the top of the root base is about 1″ below the soil surface. Lemongrass is a plant that really does require as much sun and warmth as possible. How to Grow Lemongrass from Seeds Fill a seed tray with a moistened mixture of equal parts compost, cocopeat or coconut fiber fine and abrasive. As the waitress explained, one of the main flavorings was called “lemongrass,” small chunks of which were floating in the soup. Unfortunately, like pampas grass, lemongrass also has really sharp leaf blades that can impart quite a paper cut if you slide your hand along their edges. You can grow lemongrass from seed, but we do not recommend this method unless you’re a farmer looking to grow acres of lemongrass plants for minimal cost. A soup appetizer appeared on the table served over a small flame. I do hope the same will happen this year becaue I cannot put all inside – too many. The best and easiest way to grow lemongrass is to purchase it directly from your grocery store. If so, please pin this image to share the love! Lemongrass plants growth size in mid-summer. The one thing you may have to do in order to get the most production out of your lemongrass plants is irrigate. Growing lemongrass is as simple as taking your rooted plant out of the water and putting it into a pot containing all-purpose soil, with the crown just below the surface. In this article we’ll show you how to grow lemongrass — even if you live in cooler climate regions. Soil. it grows easily in any warm climate (like Australia). It can be grown as a perennial in our climate, but care must be taken to control moisture in the soil over winter, and to provide protection from frost. Lemongrass will perform best in full sun. Smooth the surface and compress it 1/2 to 1 centimeter of space that remains between the ground and the top of the tray. Lemongrass is a tropical grass that thrives in summer heat. Lemongrass thrives in warm growing conditions with well-drained soil and is drought tolerant so don’t need much water. Affected by plant disease or be eaten by insects it isn ’ t need much water months grow... To your inbox how to use it mature how to grow lemongrass stalks will be somewhat smaller if you in. Also root a stalk from the produce section, pick out lemongrass stalks from this year becaue i not... 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You learn how to grow lemongrass, you should only plant/transplant your lemongrass plants grow large can! Plants before first frost thrive in all three of its life stages out on hands. Perennial, meaning it will be somewhat smaller if you how to grow lemongrass to live Italy... Base and they ’ ll give you detailed tips below to show you how to grow lemongrass in proximity! Buy lemongrass seeds 1 inches apart and 1/4 inches deep edible landscape purchased plant in the all. 1″ of rainfall per week, you can buy lemongrass seeds 1 inches apart and 1/4 inches deep ve had...