Lemongrass plants (Cymbopogon citratus) are popular for their culinary uses, as the lemony flavour is perfect for cooking certain dishes.
The fast-growing plant has juicy edible stalks and the green leafy portions are the ideal addition to fragrant teas.
Lemongrass’ slightly bulbous base is particularly used in Asian cooking, such as Thai, and the long, sharp-edged lemon-scented leaves are popular for teas and flavourings.
The foliage adds gorgeous colour outside in autumn, when it turns burgundy and red.
Lemongrass is best used fresh by cutting individual stems from the white ends (base) and discarding any discoloured parts.
But to get the tropical plant, you need to know how to grow your own lemongrass first.
So we’ve spoken to Stephanie Jones from MyJobQuote to get the best step-by-step guide on how to grow your own lemongrass.
She says, “Lemongrass or Cymbopogon is a tropical grass plant which is known for producing oil with a fragrant lemon scent.
“This is a popular ingredient in Asian dishes and is also used in the production of medicine and perfume."
How to grow lemongrass
- The first step involves sewing thin layers of lemongrass seeds into small pots after the last frost in spring.
"To ensure the seeds have good contact with the soil, you should gently press down on them."
Stephanie adds, “You should then water the seeds from the bottom of the pot. You can do this by placing the pot over a bowl or saucer of water.
“To germinate the seeds, you should invest in a heat propagator.
- Once the seedlings become easy to handle, you should then separate them by putting three seeds in each pot, making sure you place them in multi-purpose compost.
These should then be placed on a windowsill where it is bright and there is no risk of frost damage.
You may have to move the seeds into larger pots once the roots start to poke through the bottom. By this time, they will be ready for the growing stage.
- Lemongrass should be placed in a sunny area of the garden, although try to make sure there is some sort of shelter nearby during the summer months. The plant should also be watered at least every other day.
- In the later summer months, you should bring lemongrass indoors and place the plant in a cool and bright area.
Once inside, you can reduce watering to keep the compost moist.
- When Autumn comes the foliage will turn brown. You should cut this back to around 10cm.
Get started growing your own lemongrass
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This wonderful lemon-scented herb is an essential ingredient in oriental cooking, added to soups, curries, sauces and fish dishes. The woody stems are also great for making a refreshing tea; the packet of lemongrass seeds from Amazon are available from 50p, so itu2019s a bargain-friendly buy. Simply sprinkle the seeds thinly on the surface of trays of moist compost and cover lightly, be careful not to over-water. Store in a warm place. Once the seedlings appear, remove the plastic. Once the seedlings are strong enough, they can be transplanted into bigger pots or trays. Alternatively, for all year round supply, sow indoors in pots. Review: u201cMy lemongrass has grown so well that I've even got invaders. Brilliant, thank you!u201d
www.primrose.co.uk
If youu2019re learning how to grow your own lemongrass, this three plant set from Plant Theory is a good place to start. Boasting an abundance of long and slender, citrus-flavoured foliage that is arranged into an outwards-facing silhouette, these lemongrass plants will be a beautiful addition to your garden. Fresh from the nursery and rich in nutritions, the lemon grass plants are easy to grow and wholly organic. Sustainability is at the very heart of Plant Theoryu2019s ethos, and their entire offering is as environmentally-conscious as possible.
www.hettysherbs.co.uk
Available in a seed pack of approximately 140 or as a potted plant, this lemongrass from Hettyu2019s Herb is the ideal introduction on how to grow your own lemongrass.
The West Indian strain of lemongrass is clump forming, lemon scented evergreen grass has cane-like stems, strongly lemon-scented and pale blue-green leaves up to 90cm long.
It requires a sheltered site, with good drainage in full sun and is not frost hardy so move plants to a greenhouse or conservatory for the winter.
Ideal for in tubs and pots, lemongrass is highly versatile and can be used in thai recipes while itu2019s fresh lemon scent has multiple uses.