Growing Fresh Lemongrass

Growing Fresh Lemongrass

By Joseph Parish

My next growing experiment involves growing Lemongrass from store bought cuttings. Lemongrass is a hard produce item to locate since you generally only find it in Asian markets. I am certain that you have heard about it and you may have even tasted it at your local Chinese restaurant without even knowing it. Lemongrass is a grass like herb with the flavor of lemon. It is a tall perennial which comes back year after year. These plants can grow to be three feet tall. When harvested lemongrass can be dehydrated and powdered or used fresh of the plant. It is very strong lemon aroma and is used in aromatherapy, candles, detergents, and soaps. It is popular in repealing insects as seen in the form of citronella oil. As a natural remedy, lemongrass can be employed to treat headaches, muscle pain, and stomach aches.

When purchasing your lemongrass from the market select those which are firm and have solid stalks. Avoid any which are bruised. If you cannot prepare the lemongrass immediately it can be stored in your refrigerator for a period of three weeks.

After purchasing your lemongrass, you will need to cut off about a five-inch stalk from the bottom. The rest of the plant can be tossed into the compost pile. Pam generally chops it all up in her blender as it speeds the amount of time it takes to turn into useable compost. The plant should have somewhat of a callus on the very bottom. Some people remove this callus with the thought that it speeds up the rooting process however, I leave it on and have noticed no noticeable difference. Peel the outer layer of the stem off revealing a clean, fresh stem. Wrap the pieces of lemongrass together with a rubber band. This has no effect upon its growing but makes it easier to place them into the water and ensures that they are all submerged in the liquid since they are all different size.

Place the bundle of shoots in a container of water. Only fill the container with about two inches of water and no more. Add a pinch of Miracle Gro to the water and be sure to change it every several. days. For proper growth you will need light but these cuttings do not need direct sunlight. Within a period of three or four weeks you should notice roots growing from the bottom of the plant and green stems shooting up from the center of the section which you cut off. It is then time to pot these new plants.

When potting your plants select a 12-inch pot with good drainage. Plant your shoots 1 ½ inch deep and about 4 inches apart. This means you will likely plant two cuttings per pot. Out of those cuttings you will likely obtains dozens upon dozens of new lemongrass plants. In fact, you will never run out the remainder of your life. Place the pots in the shade for three days to allow the plant to be accustomed to the outdoors. Let me know how yours comes along.

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