Have you ever tasted a Thai soup or a Vietnamese dish and wondered what that amazing, zesty, citrusy flavor is? Chances are, it’s lemongrass! This incredible herb adds a bright, fresh taste to food and drinks. This guide will show you exactly how to grow lemon grass plant right in your own backyard or even in a pot on your patio.
Growing lemongrass is surprisingly easy and super rewarding. You don’t need a huge garden, and the plant itself is beautiful, looking like a graceful ornamental grass.
We’ll walk through every simple step, from starting your plant to harvesting those fragrant stalks. Let’s get ready to grow a taste of the tropics!
What Exactly Is Lemongrass?
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is a tropical grass native to Southeast Asia. It’s not a type of lemon tree, but it gets its name from its distinct, wonderful lemony scent and flavor. The part you use in cooking is the thick, lower portion of the stalk.
It grows in dense clumps and can get quite tall, often reaching 3 to 5 feet in a single season. It loves heat and sun, which makes it perfect for a summer garden. In most of the U.S., it’s grown as an annual because it can’t survive cold winters. But don’t worry, you can bring it indoors to keep it alive!
The Easiest Way to Start: From the Grocery Store!
While you can grow lemongrass from seeds, it can be a slow and tricky process. The absolute easiest and fastest way to start your own plant is by rooting stalks you buy from the grocery store. It sounds crazy, but it works almost every time!
Look for stalks that are fresh and firm, not dried out. You want the ones that have the bulbous bottom part still attached. This is where the new roots will grow from.
When Is the Best Time to Plant Lemongrass?
Lemongrass is a true sun-worshipper and hates the cold.
- Best Time: The perfect time to plant lemongrass outside is in the late spring, well after your last frost date has passed.
- Wait for Warmth: The soil and air should be consistently warm. Think about the time you’d plant tomatoes or peppers—that’s a great time for lemongrass too.
- Starting Indoors: You can start your grocery store stalks in a jar of water indoors any time of year, but doing it 3-4 weeks before your last frost date gives you a nice head start for outdoor planting.
How to Grow Lemon Grass Plant: Two Easy Starting Methods
Let’s get down to the fun part. Here are the two best ways to get your lemongrass journey started.
Method 1: Rooting Grocery Store Stalks (The Easiest Way)
This method is almost magical. You’ll turn a kitchen scrap into a living plant!
What You’ll Need:
- A few fresh lemongrass stalks from the store.
- A clear glass jar.
- Water.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Prepare Your Stalks: Trim off any dried, brown tops from your lemongrass stalks. You only need about 6-8 inches of the stalk from the bottom up. If there are any outer leaves that are loose or dry, peel them off.
- Place in Water: Put the trimmed stalks into your glass jar. Add about 2 to 3 inches of room-temperature water, just enough to cover the bottom bulbous ends.
- Find a Sunny Spot: Place the jar in a warm, sunny spot, like a kitchen windowsill.
- Change the Water: This is an important step! Change the water every 2-3 days to keep it fresh and prevent any sliminess.
- Watch for Roots! In about 2 to 3 weeks, you should start to see little white roots sprouting from the bottom of the stalks. It’s so exciting to watch!
- Wait for New Growth: Soon after the roots appear, you’ll see new green shoots of grass starting to grow from the top. Once your roots are about 1-2 inches long, your new plant is ready to be planted in soil.
Method 2: Planting a Starter Plant
Another simple option is to buy a small lemongrass starter plant from a local nursery, online, or even directly from Amazon for convenience. Amazon Product: Live Lemongrass Starter Plant This is a great choice if you can’t find fresh stalks at your grocery store. Planting it is super easy.
Where to Plant: Pots vs. Garden Beds
Lemongrass is versatile and grows well in both containers and directly in the garden.
Growing Lemongrass in Pots
This is the best option for most people, especially if you live in a climate with cold winters.
- Why It’s Great: You can control the soil, and most importantly, you can bring the pot indoors to protect the plant from frost and keep it alive over the winter.
- Choose a Big Pot: Lemongrass grows fast and can get a big root ball. Choose a container that is at least 12 inches across and 12 inches deep (a 5-gallon pot is a great size). Make sure it has good drainage holes. Amazon Product: Large 5-Gallon Planter Pot
- Use Good Soil: Fill your pot with a high-quality, all-purpose potting mix. Don’t use heavy dirt from your garden. Amazon Product: Premium All-Purpose Potting Mix
Growing Lemongrass in a Garden Bed
If you live in a very warm climate (Zone 10 or higher) or just want to grow it as an annual, you can plant it directly in your garden.
- Sun is Key: Choose the sunniest spot in your yard. Lemongrass needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sun every day.
- Rich Soil: Lemongrass is a heavy feeder. Prepare the spot by mixing in a generous amount of compost to create a rich, well-draining soil.
- Give it Space: A single clump of lemongrass can grow to be 2-3 feet wide, so give it plenty of room to spread out.
Step-by-Step Planting Guide
Once your stalks have roots or you have your starter plant, it’s time to get it into the soil.
- Prepare Your Pot or Spot: Fill your pot with potting mix or prepare your garden bed with compost.
- Dig a Hole: Dig a hole that is just deep enough and wide enough for the root ball of your new plant.
- Plant It: Gently place your new lemongrass plant in the hole. If you’re planting a clump of rooted stalks, you can plant them all together. The top of the root ball should be level with the top of the soil.
- Fill and Pat: Backfill the hole with soil, gently patting it down around the base of the plant to remove any air pockets.
- Water Well: Give your newly planted lemongrass a good, deep drink of water to help it settle into its new home.
Caring for Your Lemongrass Plant
Lemongrass is pretty low-maintenance, but a few simple care tips will keep it happy and productive.
Watering
Lemongrass is a tropical plant, so it likes to stay moist, but not waterlogged.
- Check the Soil: Water your lemongrass whenever the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
- Pots Need More Water: Plants in containers will dry out much faster than those in the ground, so you’ll need to water them more often, especially during hot, dry weather.
- Water Deeply: When you do water, give the plant a thorough soaking until water runs out of the bottom of the pot.
Fertilizing
Since lemongrass is a type of grass, it gets hungry for nitrogen, which helps it grow lush green leaves.
- When to Feed: Start feeding your plant about a month after you plant it.
- What to Use: Feed it every 2-3 weeks during the growing season with a balanced, all-purpose liquid fertilizer that is high in nitrogen. Follow the instructions on the package. Amazon Product : High-Nitrogen Liquid Plant Food
Sunlight
More sun is always better for lemongrass. Find the sunniest spot you have! If the plant doesn’t get enough sun, it will be thin and won’t have as much flavor.
Harvesting Your Homegrown Lemongrass
This is the most rewarding part! You can start harvesting from your plant once it’s well-established and about a foot tall.
- What to Harvest: You want to harvest the individual stalks. The most flavorful part is the thicker, lower portion of the stalk (about 4-5 inches from the bottom).
- How to Harvest:
- Don’t just cut the top. Follow a stalk down to the base where it meets the soil.
- You can either use a sharp knife to slice the stalk off at ground level, or you can grab the stalk firmly and twist and pull it off.
- Always harvest from the outside of the clump. This encourages new growth from the center.
Preparing Stalks for Cooking
To use your fresh lemongrass, you’ll need to prep it.
- Cut off the very bottom root end and the upper, leafy green parts.
- Peel away the tough, dry outer layers until you get to the tender, pale-yellow inner stalk.
- You can then chop this tender part finely or bruise it with the back of a knife to release its flavor in soups and marinades.
Overwintering Your Lemongrass Plant
If you live anywhere with freezing winters (most of the U.S.), your lemongrass will not survive outside. But you can easily bring it indoors!
- Before the first frost, if your plant is in the ground, dig up a section of the clump and pot it. If it’s already in a pot, you’re one step ahead.
- Trim the grassy tops back to about 6-8 inches.
- Bring the pot inside and place it in your sunniest window.
- Reduce watering significantly during the winter. Only water it when the soil is very dry. The plant will go dormant and may not grow much.
- In the spring, once the danger of frost has passed, you can take it back outside.
Storing Your Harvest
If you have a big harvest, you can easily store lemongrass.
- Freezing: This is the best way to preserve its fresh flavor. Chop the prepared stalks and store them in a freezer bag. They’ll last for months.
- Drying: You can also dry the leaves to use for tea. Bundle them and hang them in a dry place, or use a food dehydrator. Store the dried leaves in an airtight jar. Amazon Product: Food Dehydrator for Herbs
Conclusion
You now know everything you need about how to grow lemon grass plant! It’s a wonderfully easy and rewarding plant that brings a touch of the exotic to your garden and kitchen.
From rooting a simple grocery store stalk to harvesting your own fragrant ingredients, growing lemongrass is a fun project for any gardener.
Enjoy the fresh, zesty flavor in your cooking and the beautiful, graceful look of the plant in your garden.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. How long does lemongrass take to grow?
Lemongrass grows quite quickly! From a rooted stalk, you can have a plant that’s large enough to harvest from in just 3-4 months. From seed, it takes a bit longer.
2. Does lemongrass come back every year?
Lemongrass is a tropical perennial. It will come back every year only if you live in a very warm, frost-free climate (USDA Zone 10 or higher). In colder zones, you must bring it indoors for the winter if you want it to survive.
3. Is lemongrass hard to grow?
No, lemongrass is very easy to grow! As long as you give it plenty of sun, water, and rich soil, it will thrive. Starting it from grocery store stalks is one of the easiest plant projects you can do.
4. How do you start a lemongrass plant for beginners?
The best way for beginners is to buy a few fresh stalks from the grocery store. Place them in a jar with a few inches of water in a sunny window. Change the water every few days, and in a few weeks, you’ll have roots. Then you can plant it in a pot!
5. How big of a pot does lemongrass need?
Lemongrass needs a fairly large pot because it grows a big root system. A pot that’s at least 12 inches wide and deep (like a 5-gallon container) is a great choice.
6. Why are the tips of my lemongrass turning brown?
Brown tips are very common and usually not a big deal. It can be a sign of inconsistent watering (the plant got too dry) or just a natural part of the plant’s life cycle. You can simply trim the brown tips off to keep the plant looking tidy.
7. Can you grow lemongrass indoors?
Yes, you can grow lemongrass indoors year-round as long as you can provide it with enough light. It needs a very sunny window (a south-facing one is best) or you can use a grow light to help it out.
