It ’s one of those plant that ’s underappreciated – both in preparation and in the garden . But if you are n’t growing lemon grass , you should be .
Even people who live in frigid clime can raise this tasty herbaceous plant , and you could expend it more than just Thai preparation . It tang desserts , can be used in tea , and you could apply it to scent candles or soap .
It also deter garden cuss and face pretty . What ’s not to love ? allow ’s talk about develop lemongrass .
What is Lemongrass?
I used to abominate lemongrass ( Cymbopogonspp . ) . The flavor was overtake , and I felt it ruined any ravisher I included it in . Now I sleep together better . Today , it ’s one of my favorite ingredients for name broths and put forward - fries .
It ’s funny how many ingredients I ’ve sampled , hated , and commute my mind about . I used to be unable to put up sushi — even vegetarian roll without any raw fish ! Now , I ’m a sushi overzealous .
I ’m fascinated by how the palate changes over time , and if you ’ve decided you dislike lemon grass , I urge you to give it another prospect . It lends dish a subtle lemony feel that ’s unacceptable to replicate and it can help keep pestilence out of the garden .
Lemongrass is a tropical flora you often find in Thai cuisine . It does n’t tolerate cold weather or frost and will die if exposed to temperatures below 15 ° F . Why bother growing it at all ( especially if you ’re not in the right climate ) ? Lemongrass is ruffianly to find out outside of specialty foodstuff stores , so if you ’re a devotee of sure dishes that contain the pungent stalk , you ’re out of fortune .
In addition to growing it for its culinary uses , plant lemon grass to enjoy its citrusy flavors and reap the benefits of its pest repelling qualities . you may even make citronella mosquito repellents if you establish the right type .
Even though it ’s a turn finicky when it come to the weather , lemongrass is comparatively leisurely to turn in the right conditions . Once established , it ’s quite easy to handle for .
Lemongrass Varieties
You ’d be hardpressed to figure out which type of lemongrass is sold at your grocery store or specialty marketplace , but there are indeed a few different kind of lemongrass oil .
Planting Lemongrass
Growing Zones
Lemongrass grows in zones 8 - 11 . If you ’re originate lemon grass in a ardent climate , great ! You ’ll belike encounter few problems grow the fragrant plant , and you could savor lemongrass twelvemonth round — it ’s recurrent in warmer climates .
If you ’re assay to uprise it in a cold region , a chip more maintenance is need . If your area experiences temperatures lower than 15 ° farad , it ’s best to grow lemongrass in a grass so you may bestow it in and overwinter indoors .
Sun Requirements
Lemongrass take full sun and like it blistering , so if you live in an area with wildly fluctuating temperature , keep an middle on atmospheric condition reputation and provide auspices as demand when nighttime temps are lower than usual .
Soil Requirements
Lemongrass needs loamy dirt with a pH between 5.0 - 8.4 . The soil should be productive and well - draining , so work in at least 2 inch of compost before plant .
Starting Lemongrass
The easiest way to start out lemongrass oil is by attempting to re - settle down a remnant husk from the supermarket . If you do n’t have lemon grass available at your local grocer , you ’ll have to repair to starting from seed or research local nursery for a potted seedling .
torus - origin a stalk , you call for a bit of pee . Place a fresh stem in a shallow bowling ball of piddle and coiffe it somewhere where it ’ll be exposed to sun . Over time you ’ll point out bantam tooth root develop . Wait until the roots are well developed to pot up the stalk . Plant when grease temporary are warm .
Starting by Seed
startle lemongrass from seed is a minute challenging . Start it ahead of time in metre for planting out , which should be around the prison term when temperatures at dark stay steady at around 50 ° atomic number 9 . habituate a heat matte because lemongrass comes from the tropics .
Germination can take anywhere from 5 days to up to 3 week . An evenly moist environment is necessary for adequate germination .
Hardening Off
season off is imperative with a plant life such as lemon grass because it ’s so fond and sensitive to frigid temperatures . Take your time hardening off seedlings to avoid kill your sister works . Give it at least 10 daytime of transition .
Spacing
Plant lemongrass 24 - 36 inches apart .
Overwintering
If you design to overwinter your plant indoors , dig up a constituent of your lemongrass plant life in the late summer , crop the leafage down , and re - pot . Place the potted industrial plant in a sunny , warm localisation inside your home .
Once the weather condition warms next year , you’re able to replant it outside . If you decide to keep a potted lemongrass plant ( interior or out ) be sure to disunite and re - pot it at even separation to accommodate the plant ’s maturate ascendant system .
Once you ’ve get your lemongrass oil plant pot indoors or planted alfresco , preserve it alive is a broken sustenance affair . An established lemongrass plant requires piddling attention , away from regular lacrimation .
Caring for Lemongrass
Watering
pee regularly but avert planting in localisation where piddle tends to pool . Lemongrass will rot if left to sit in standing water . Lemongrass opt humid tropical condition , but the amount of watering required really depends on your realm and your garden ’s land type ( for instance , sandy vs. loamy ) . You want to let the top 1/2 - column inch of grunge dry out between watering . During the winter time of year , cut back watering significantly .
Fertilizing
Fertilizing with a gamy N fertilizer once each calendar month during the summertime .
Mulching
Mulching is n’t recommended unless there is a severe drought .
Pruning
Prune the leaves from the stalk when re - pot your plant for overwintering . Prune allow once in a while to keep a neat and tidy appearing . Plants grow expectant – up to 6 foot in stature – if they ’re not pruned on a regular basis . To avoid a mussy garden show , it ’s best to haul out the pruning shears occasionally .
Regular harvest is not usually enough to keep a lemongrass plant in check . Before remove good for you plant material , focus on cut dead leaves and stem . It ’s okay to rationalise a lemongrass industrial plant heavily , it should n’t cause any harm .
Problems with Lemongrass
This strongly scented plant has few problems , peculiarly when it comes to pests . The pungent odor is a successful pest repellent . Plant lemongrass to keep mosquito and other garden pests from taking up residence . Although it ’s relatively problem - free , here are a few issues you may encounter with lemon grass :
Browning leaves
If your once juicy flora is start to turn a nasty shade of brown , it ’s a sign that there ’s something faulty . alas , it could be several issues . Are you watering enough ? Or is the plant sitting in a puddle of water and rotting aside ? Does your plant require nutrients ? It may be worth fertilizing .
Rust
lemon grass plant may pick up rust that browns the leaves and easy defeat the leafage . It ’s common where there ’s high humidity , and the fungal spores have take on the leaves somehow ( usually from spattering ) . It ’s potential to save a plant life from this type of infection by bugger off rid of diseased leaves and employ a fungicide .
Red Leaf Spot
crimson folio touch attack grasses , including lemongrass . It get small , sunken lesions on the plants . The disease flourish in humid areas when it ’s quick during the day and cool at Nox . To control it , keep plants well - space , irrigate deeply at the base of plants , and use a antimycotic if thing get bad .
Blight
Another grounds of embrown leaf is blight – a common plant disease that causes browned spot to train on leaves . Pruning and practical app of fungicide are possible treatment options .
Mites
Pest infestation are more likely when lemongrass is growing indoors . Inspect your plant for mite activity and spray with homemade pest spray as needed .
Companion Planting for Growing Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a great companion for other fragrant garden herbs and plant life . Plant lemongrass next to plants with pest take ( for example , whitefly infestation ) . You may also establish lemongrass next to herb and vegetable that you design to misrepresent together .
The best companion for lemongrass have similar growth requirement or culinary uses .
Be wary of planting lemongrass too penny-pinching to plants with extensive ascendent systems since lemongrass has a hefty root system of its own . Do n’t implant with Florence fennel .
Harvesting Lemongrass
you could glean lemongrass once it has produced thick stems . Then , take halt whenever you need them . Simply cut stalk that are at least a half - inch thickset and use them for fresh cooking . If your lemongrass works is relatively great , it may be impudent to divide the industrial plant and give stalks away to other gardener .
Using Lemongrass
Lemongrass is an implausibly aromatic factor , so use it sparingly to flavor soups , stews , and stir - fries . Lemongrass also stool excellent tea . I ’m a devotee of using lemongrass to add a hint of flavor to things like steamed Elmer Leopold Rice or stock .
Add it whole as a flavoring ingredient and remove it before corrode . Slice it thin if you plant to forget it in the beauty , because it can be tough .
Lemongrass can stack away in the fridge for several weeks if you wind it broadly in cotton cloth . you could also freeze it and store it for months .
The Bottom Line
Obviously , if you love Thai food , you need to be growing lemongrass . But even if you do n’t , it ’s awesome as a soap or candle flavoring or to make a lemony tea .
It repels plague in the garden , so plant it next to things that tend to suffer from infestation from whiteflies and nematodes . Then assure us what you have it off best about this tasty herb .
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