Grow lemongrass in a flowerpot

Lemongrass needs sun and warmth. These are the most important requirements. If you can provide these two conditions, you can grow it in your garden or on your balcony and use it as a great aromatic addition to various foods. Asian foods mainly.

If you want to grow lemongrass in a pot you should know that lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) is quite tall. If it grows under ideal conditions, its pointed leaves can reach a height from 80 to 150 cm. It also forms clumps up to one meter in diameter.

Growing lemongrass

As said before, you need to choose a sunny and warm place, preferably protected from strong winds. Ordinary garden soil lightened with sand and adequate watering is all it needs. However, you need to watch out for low temperatures – it can deal with 8 °C but lower temperature is not good. Naturally, you need to move it to a warm place for the winter or you need to start growing it from the beginning each spring.

Before winter you need to move it to an unheated room where the temperature stays at around 15 °C. Limit watering during the winter and cut and shorten shoots to approximately 5 cm.

Photo: Pixabay

Growing lemongrass from seeds

If you cannot find seedlings at garden stores then you need to get seeds. Seeds must go in the ground in early spring (mid-April at the latest). Use containers or large flower pots with fine seeding substrate. Water regularly, but carefully, lemongrass is picky. Too much water and a very dry soil can harm it.

Place the flower pot in a warm place (20 °C) where it gets plenty of light. Seeds should start germinating within few days. When your seedlings are about five centimetres tall, transplant them into larger containers. After May 15, you can move them to your balcony or plant them in a flower bed.
Young plants have no special requirements – just sun and warmth, and as mentioned earlier, you need to water and fertilize.

How to grow lemongrass from cuttings

Stores usually sell lemongrass in the form of fresh large bundles, wrapped in plastic, and even though it may sound strange, you can use these bundles for growing. Just cut them, put them in water and wait until the roots appear. Well, you may not always be successful, but if you’re lucky they will take roots. If they do, plant the cuttings in the ground and they should grow normally.

Preview photo: Pixabay