Quick Guide to Grow Lemon Grass -Growing from Seeds, Cuttings and Dividing-
Lemongrass is a tropical plant native to Sri Lanka and Southern India. It’s much more commonly accessible as a dried or fresh herb, but you’ll get the finest flavor by growing it by yourself. Lemongrass has a mild smell that works well in both food and body care items. Lemongrass is a popular herb to grow. Its stem and leaf are used in a variety of prepared foods, including teas, soups, and sauces. Lemongrass is simple to cultivate and maintain. Lemongrass includes compounds that are considered to alleviate pain and swelling, lower fever, enhance blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
How to Plant Lemon Grass from Seeds
If you want to start growing lemongrass from seed, do it in the spring. Wait till all risk of frost has passed before planting. Choose a site that gets plenty of light and has nitrogen-rich, well-draining soil. Individual seeds should be spaced six inches apart. Only a sprinkling of dirt should be used to cover the seeds since they require a lot of sunshine to sprout. It might take up to three weeks for seedlings to develop, so keep the soil wet throughout this time. Thin each seedling to two feet apart after they reach a height of a few inches. If you like, you can transfer the seedlings you remove to another spot. Plant seeds one month ahead of time if you’re beginning seeds indoors in seedling trays or pots.
Pick a good container that is at least one foot broad and one foot deep if you wish to plant in it. Lemongrass spreads fast and may rapidly fill up a container. Because of its tendency for spreading, planting it in jars is an excellent method to keep it restricted if you don’t want it to spread all over the place. Plant seeds six inches apart in pots filled with nutrient-dense soil. Thin single plants or clumps of plants to 1-2 feet apart after they reach a height of a few inches. Wait until seedlings are at least three inches tall and all risk of frost has gone before transplanting them.
How to Plant Lemon Grass from Cuttings
To take a cutting, cut the stalk neatly about an inch from the ground with a knife. This will allow the stalk to regenerate if it is left in the ground. Remove the top three to four inches of the stalk and leave just the bottom three to four inches. Look for lemongrass in the grocery store or Asian markets if you don’t have any in your garden. Cut the leaves off and use them in your cooking, leaving a good 3-4 inches of the stalk to enable healthy root growth. Don’t chop off any of the stem’s bottom sections. Place your cutting in a cup of water with the base of the stalk soaked. Replace the water on a daily basis. After 2-3 weeks, the roots will be large enough to support the plant. Transplant the lemongrass into well-aerated, nutrient-dense soil at this time, either in a container or outdoors, after making a 1/2-inch hole and inserting the cutting root side down. You should be able to harvest them in around 2-3 months after planting them.
How to Harvest Lemon Grass from Divide
Spring is the optimum time to split mature perennials. This plant produces numerous stalks from the base, making it clumping grass. These stalks can be split and transplanted to a new site. You’ll need to carefully detach some stems from the main cluster to divide it. One method is to grip a stalk firmly and pull it away from the rest of the plant until it separates from the rest of the plant. If the roots are highly knotted, you may need to gently separate them with a knife, leaving some roots intact for replanting. At least one stalk with complete roots should be present in each division. Plant the divisions 1-2 feet apart in your preferred place after they have been separated. Make sure this region gets plenty of sunlight and has nutrient-dense, well-aerated soil.
Growing Conditions for Lemon Grass
Each division should have at least one stalk with full roots. After the divisions have been split, plant them 1-2 feet apart in your desired location. Ascertain that this area receives ample sunshine and has nutrient-rich soil.
Light:Lemongrass grows in full light in its natural environment, even in hot temperatures. The plants require at least six hours of direct sunlight every day to satisfy their energy requirements. Plants that grow in the shadow will be scarce, and pests may be attracted to them.
Soil:Lemongrass thrives on loamy, fertile soil. Compost, manure, and leaf mold are all enriching additions that may be used at planting time to produce this perfect soil.
Water:Lemongrass grows best in wet soil, but once established, it can withstand dryness. A 3-inch layer of mulch may help retain moisture in the soil while also enriching it as it decomposes.
Fertilizer:Lemongrass, as a grassy plant, need a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to thrive. You may feed lemongrass with a slow-release fertilizer throughout the growing season.
Temperature:Lemongrass flourishes in hot, humid settings since it is a tropical plant. It’s time to plant lemongrass outside when the night temperature is in the 60s, just like it’s appropriate to plant tomatoes. Lemongrass is frost-sensitive, so bring it indoors before the weather drop into the 40s if you intend to overwinter it indoors.
How to Harvest Lemon Grass
Lemongrass is a fast-growing plant that can endure harvesting when the plants are young without affecting their growth. Although the green leafy sections are too rough to chew, they can be snipped and used in tea or soup. When crushed or chopped, the juicy stalks give a fragrant lemon flavor to meals. Remove individual stalks from the cluster using a hand trowel, roots, and all. Remove the harsh outer leaves and cut or freeze entire stalk pieces for later use, or remove the tough outer leaves and prepare the soft white stalks by chopping.
