Lemongrass, a mainstay of Thai & Vietnamese cuisine, is known for its lemony scent and zingy flavour. Although being a herb, Lemongrass isn’t usually seen in herb fields while being remarkably easy to produce.
Sure, you can cultivate your homegrown Lemongrass – keep reading to see how. You must have a lot of questions regarding this process. The main question is: How long does Lemongrass take to grow? Let us explore.
Lemongrass is among the most popular plants that may be grown at home. This plant is well-known for a wide range of applications, from flavouring dishes to producing homoeopathic treatments.
Whatever you intend to use the Lemongrass for, if you want to cultivate it to harvest it, you should have a solid sense of when you should be able to collect it.
Like many other species of plants, Lemongrass will grow through numerous stages before you can even collect it successfully.
Yeah, sure, there are methods to modify the pace of this procedure so that you may ensure the longevity of Lemongrass or pick it at the optimal time for your purposes.
Regarding planting and ensuring that it proliferates, Lemongrass is among the simplest plants to manage with.
First and foremost, before you begin growing Lemongrass in your garden, you will need to understand the aspects that will impact its growth. Let’s dive into the details of this process, including how, when and where to grow these herbs.
When Should You Grow Lemongrass?
Lemongrass thrives in hot, moist climates. Lemongrass is generally a perennial in growth zones ten and higher, although it may also be cultivated yearly in colder areas. However, it may be hard to grow outdoors in these zones.
Grow Lemongrass outdoors when the threat of cold has gone. Lemongrass is ready to be harvested in around 100 days, although it might take up to 4-8 months in some cases. Lemongrass may also be cultivated indoors and looks lovely in a container during any time of year.
How Long Does it Take to Grow Lemongrass?
Lemongrass would be ready for harvesting 75-100 days after planting if produced from seeds and in a warm environment. It will keep growing until the first heavy frost in the autumn.
Of course, if you’re starting with young plants or store-bought stems, this will be much faster because you won’t have to wait for the seeds to sprout and develop.
When your plant grows too huge to split, separate it like you might a hosta or any other herbaceous perennials. It’s a simple technique to multiply your lemongrass seedlings.
Where to Grow a Lemongrass?
Lemongrass grows well in swampy areas and enjoys warm, damp, and humid environments.
Lemongrass should only be grown outside in hardy zones nine and higher. Lemongrass may be grown all year indoors in a bright window.
If you’re planting in pots, you’ll probably need at least five gallons of room for the crop to develop to the height you desire. Lemongrass must be grown in sunny areas and should receive at least 6 hours of bright sunlight every day; however, it will develop well enough in 3-5 hours.
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Growing Lemongrass
In the summertime, harden off seedlings by progressively introducing them to whole light and lower temperatures. Single seedlings should be transplanted into Five gallons (or bigger) pots, and a rich nitrogen natural fertilizer, such as Blood Meal, should be used at the point of transplanting.
Add 1/2 cup into the soil when sowing. Keep the soil wet during the growing season by hydrating at least twice a week — greater in warmer weather.
Cut down lemongrass vines to 15-20cm (6-8′′) high after the growth season, when night temperatures eventually reach ten °C (50°F), minimize watering, and stop feeding. Plants should be moved to a sunny, airy location that is frost-free.
Water only until the ground is slightly damp to entirely dry. If your plants appear crowded, consider splitting them into bunches and potting those on in springtime. When spring growth begins, you may continue watering and fertilizing.
When potting up the lemongrass plant, utilize a wonderful commercial potting mix.
Using a potting mix that has been pre-mixed containing a time-release fertilizer might save you a task in fertilizing your plants.
If you keep your lemongrass plant in the original pot season after season, it’s a good idea to report this in the springtime to replenish its soil.
How to Start Growing Lemongrass From Seeds?
Lemongrass is simple to grow from seed. In hot, wet soil, the seeds will germinate quickly. Squeeze seeds gently into clean potting soil and keep hydrated until sprouting, usually taking 10–14 days.
Divide plants to just a foot away when they are approximately 3 inches tall. Indoor pots should be kept in a sunny location.
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How to Plant a Lemongrass Stalk?
Pull some of the stiff outermost leaves off from a lemongrass stalk, ideally natural, that you may get at your local grocery. Even though the root is not linked, the branch can continue developing sources as most of its bottom is undamaged.
Trim extra outer leaves to almost an inch over the stem and store them in a glass container.
Fill the container with a few inches of water, then set it out in a bright spot or on a balcony that gets nearly six hours of sunlight every day.
Replace the water regularly, and you must notice fresh leaves emerging shortly. In one week or two, new roots will develop from the stem. The resulting root system should be robust enough to transfer to a container after three weeks.
Potting and Repotting
Pick an excellent large pot with a width of approximately 12 inches when planting your Lemongrass. This allows for a robust root system and keeps top-heavy vegetation from toppling over.
In chilly locations, a solitary root division can be grown in a tiny pot on a bright windowsill to ensure it remains increasing until the next season’s yield.
Tips for Choosing the Best Pot
You’ve probably seen single stalks of Lemongrass at the store, which are used for everything, including tea to exquisite Thai dishes. What you might not anticipate is how big a lemongrass cluster can become.
If you’re cultivating a couple of stalks for cooking, it’s less of an issue. However, if you intend to landscape your garden or balcony utilizing potted Lemongrass, you should know that it may grow huge.
Set multiple pots close together to show off your Lemongrass with all its tangling beauty. A 5-gallon container with sufficient drainage is excellent for enabling your Lemongrass to grow. In-ground gardening necessitates at least twenty – four inches among plants.
A lemongrass cluster may reach up to six feet tall, but if it gets plenty for you or starts to overrun its pot, you could always trim it down.
A tiny container will suffice if you wish to grow a stalk or 2 for cooking purposes.
Also Read: How to Turn Green Tomatoes Red in the Fall?
How to Produce Lemongrass by Dividing the Roots?
Developing Lemongrass via root division is an excellent approach to obtaining a mature plant. It will assist in reviving an established clump and pruning a plant that has gotten too large. Springtime is the most fantastic time to separate an established cluster.
Cut a portion of the cluster with a sharpened spade. Lemongrass is relatively robust, so it doesn’t mind how much you trim; make sure you have one large enough root ball.
Alternatively, soften the soil surrounding the cluster using a fork or shovel before lifting the whole root ball. Split the group into appropriate sizes using a shovel or a razor blade, replant in the yard or containers.
Propagating
Lemongrass is among the simplest plants to grow. Choose the cleanest stalk at your local grocery or fresh produce grocer, pluck off any dead leaves, and put in a cup of water on a warm windowsill.
After a few weeks, you will notice roots growing, so pick your cuttings and plant them in the garden soil. There’s not an ideal season because Lemongrass is quite robust and can withstand various seasons.
Lemongrass Harvesting
Remove the entire stalk from the primary plant for food applications since just the whitish bottom of the stem is required. Remove one or two outermost leaf edges, and you’re ready to begin cutting!
To brew lemongrass tea, remove part of the plant’s fresh green tips while leaving the main stem intact. The greens can be soaked in lukewarm water after being sliced into tiny pieces.
Lemongrass may be harvested at any period of the year; however, bear in mind that most plant development happens during the summer months. If you have a tiny plant, take it slowly during the winter because new growth will take a bit of time.
Lemongrass Pests and Maladies
Lemongrass has very few issues; however, root rot may develop when plants get overwatered. Modify your watering schedule as needed to keep them drier in the wintertime. Examine the drainage as well as the ventilation around the plants.
Rust might be an issue with Cymbopogoncitratus. Remove diseased leaves and prevent getting water on them when watering. Using eco-seaweed can help minimize plant stress and strengthen defences. Cymbopogonflexuosus is rust-resistant.
Applications of Lemongrass
Lemongrass is an aromatic herb that is simple to care for. Lemongrass contains a lemon-citrus flavour and may be utilized as a tasty herb. It is most commonly used as a seasoning within Asian food, making an excellent tea.
Lemongrass tea is a natural treatment for some diseases due to its fragrant properties and high antioxidant content. Lemongrass essential oil too is utilized for its numerous homoeopathic properties.
Tips to encourage plant growth
Lemongrass is simple to cultivate indoors, mainly if you implement these guidelines:
Maintain a wet and not soggy growth medium. Plants require a great deal of water. However, saturated surfaces contain water that occupies every pore space, reducing the oxygen accessible to the roots.
Oxygen deficit impacts several metabolic processes inside the plant, notably respiration & nitrogen metabolism, leading to decreased plant development.
Apply nitrogen fertilizer or manure every 2-3 weeks to give a new nitrogen supply for your plants.
Conclusion
Because of its rapid vegetative development, Lemongrass is regarded as a nitrogen-rich diet; nitrogen is essential for the plant’s physiological and biochemical processes, and fast plant growth swiftly uses up the nitrogen in the container-based plant growing medium.
Lemongrass plant matter should be harvested regularly to encourage new development. Lemongrass plants put out fresh stalks as they develop, resulting in a thick new root. To minimize overpopulation, remove these roots and split the plants regularly. Quickly grow these lemongrass herbs in your garden or indoors. All the methods will help you to produce these herbs. Enjoy these in your cuisines, and have a good time with your family!