How to Grow Lemongrass

Lemongrass originates in India and Sri Lanka so it’s no surprise that it’s a common ingredient in many Asian dishes. Used to flavour foods and drinks including tea, it is associated with a lot of health benefits. It is rich in flavonoids and phenolic compounds, vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, as well as iron, zinc, calcium, potassium and magnesium. The health benefits include anti-inflammatory, reduced cholesterol, antifungal, weight loss, pain relief, improved sleep quality and more.

Lemongrass grows exceptionally well in tropical and subtropical areas so if you are a beginner in a warmer climate, this could be a good one to add to your starter garden.

When to grow lemongrass

Lemongrass likes soil temperatures of 20-30°C or 68–86°F which is why it thrives in tropical and subtropical areas. That doesn’t mean you can’t grow it if you are in a cooler area but you may like to grow it in a pot so you can protect it from the cold by relocating it to a greenhouse or indoors. The ideal time to plant it is in Spring, Summer or Autumn.

Lemongrass varieties

There are only two different varieties of lemongrass:

· West Indian – the most common variety for use in cooking

· East Indian/Cochin/Malabar grass – has slight purple tinges and more medicinal uses including essential oils.

How to grow lemongrass

Lemongrass can be grown from seed if you wish but the easier way to grow it is by dividing an existing plant.

All you need to do is pull up a stalk of lemongrass with a couple of roots on the end and it will easily propagate when placed in some good quality soil.

Alternatively, if you can’t access a plant from a friend or buy one from your local nursery, you may like to try putting a stem of lemongrass that you’ve purchased from a store into a glass of water to encourage it to grow roots. Once it has a few good strong roots developed, you can plant it in some good quality soil and let it get established.

When planting out, space your plants at least 30cm or a foot apart to allow it room to grow. Water them regularly until the plant is established and growing new leaves.

As a grass, it is very hardy and will grow fine in dry soil but it doesn’t like boggy or overly wet soil and will always grow better and be more nutritious if grown in good quality soil that is well-draining and watered regularly.

How long does lemongrass take to grow?

If growing from seed, lemongrass will take around 75-85 days to reach full maturity however, if you are dividing an existing plant, that can be much quicker.

When to harvest lemongrass

Lemongrass is a perennial plant that you are best to harvest as you need it. Once your plant is established, you can simply pull out the outer stems as and when you need it.

If growing in pots, be sure to harvest regularly or divide it into another pot to avoid it outgrowing the pot and degrading due to lack of space.

Lemongrass pests and diseases and how to control them organically

Rust

Rust is a fungal disease that can give the leaves of your lemongrass a brown/yellow/orange appearance and can cause stunted growth and a weakened plant that may not produce so well. It’s important to act quickly if you find rust on your lemongrass. An organic neem oil or organic fungicide will help greatly and removing any infected leaves will prevent further spread.

Alternatively, cut the plant back removing any rust affected leaves and let the plant rejuvenate with new growth.

Ensuring you have good air circulation between plants and watering at the base of the plant can also help.

Mark’s top tips for growing lemongrass

Lemongrass is great to grow along fence lines as it’s a natural weed suppressant and you can give it a good trim back when it gets too big and utilise the offcuts as a great, nitrogen rich mulch for your fruit trees that also smells amazing. You may also want to check out Mark’s video “5 Top Tips How to Grow a TON of Lemongrass at Home” for more tips.

Do you have any tips or questions about growing lemongrass?

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