Lemongrass

[crichmond]

Cant remember exactly how old but I think probably about 2 months old.

[Alison]

I remember when I sowed mine (a year last Feb, I think), it took ages to get going in a little pot on the window ledge but then suddenly took off. I've grown it on in a pot ever since (probably about 4 or 5 plants in there) and it is currently desperately in need of splitting but that's yet another job I haven't got around to doing. It's outside at the moment but comes in over winter (I lost my first attempt in it's first winter by forgetting to protect from frost)

[HotStuff]

Thanks for the info, I'm off to pot up my stalks

[Lemon]

Thanks leoblackcat for this thread! Was telling my mum about the lemongrass in water and she said she'd grown some before. Someone at her work had some lemongrass in a bag in the fridge that has sprouted roots so she planted it. All was well 'til she forgot to bring it indoors for winter!

Saw some dryish specimens in T@@@@ that were reduced to 17p - only two stalks though. I put them in water.....2 weeks later - HURRAH! I see roots on both stalks! That and they are sprouting new leaves from the middle of the stalks! How are yours doing leoblackcat?

[buzzingtalk]

I have a very big very healthy lemongrass plant, I bought it indoors in september as they really do not like the cold, I have mine in the kitchen next to the window. It is quite warm and humid in the kitchen and it is getting BIG (about 2ft tall) Not ready to eat yet, stalks will be ready for cutting next year as it takes around a year for them to mature.

I have it in normal compost with some bark chips to keep the moisture in...I let it dry out completley then water through (like chillies) as this will simulate the conditions over in thailand/malaysia more than keeping it moist all the time. Plus it might enhance the flavour possibly...we shall find out! I used to live out in malaysia so know what lemongrass should taste like so I'll find out if this UK grown stuff is any good next year, yum yum

Anyone managed to grow any galangal? Thats the one thing I'm missing from my curries now - oh, and fresh tumeric. I'd love to grow them too

[Tam]

Yellow Turmeric (Haldi) This should get you started with the growing of turmeric - they also have the white - anyway, it is a cracking site for anyone who likes Indian cooking.

[Tam]

And this looks like how you could grow your own galangal -

Galangal from Thai Food Online

[Jaune]

Growing lemongrass at home

I hope this help anyone trying to grow this wonderful herb at home !

I'm located in Québec, Canada and seeing as Lemongrass is a semi-tropical plant and we are in the dead of winter I still decided to give it a try !

End of Sept 2010, I got some stalks in china town. I trimmed the tops to keep about 8 inches of stalks and put them in about 1in of water. (not enough, you need to trim to 5 or 6 inches and put at least 2-3 inches of water). I bought a small neon (30.00$) and placed my jars under it for approx 12 hours a day. it took 3 wks for me to see roots and grass pushing thru the tops.

I kept them watered and waited till just after xmas to transplant them in regular potting soil (way too long... my stalks had fungus/mushrooms and I had to clean them thoroughly so after some more research, the water needs to be changed with fresh water every 2 days and should be transplanted when the roots are about 2 inches long) I again invested in a new grow light of 150watts (100.00$) and have kept my potted friends under it for a minimum of 12 hours. Apparently, 18 hours is best... but 12 is working fine for me !

Recently, I purchased (with attention and caution) 6 more stalks that are much fresher and cleaner than the first ones. I trimmed them down to about 6 inches and have been religiously changing the water every 2 days ! On day 4 grass was already pushing through the tops, day 7 little white root buttons starting pushing through and now day 10 my roots are about 1cm long ! So by next wk or the one after, when the roots reach approx 2in, I will transplant them right away and not wait cause although my older ones are doing not bad, they did struggle quite a bit...

Anyway, I've decided to use common sense and not over think it ! Go with the flow and what nature does. If it's semi tropical, give it lots of light for at least 12 hours which is what you get in the tropics. I keep them moist, a little humid and warm and that's that ! Oh yeah and I tell them they are beautiful almost every day )

Enjoy !

[valmarg]

I know this might be considered a bit of a daft question, but having grown lemongrass from stalks from a supermarket, and having quite good plants, is the use of the leaves of the plants acceptable. They are very lemony, and it would seem a waste not to use them.

valmarg

[madhatterlizzy]

I had some lemon grass in the fridge (last stalk) cut it lengthways and then into water and put on the window sill in kitchen - it took two weeks for the roots to start - but it has made two good plants - its now in the unheated greenhouse ready to go outside in a couple of weeks. Its growing really well.

[Tadpole123]

Having read this thread, I grabbed a stalk from my fridge, and popped it in water, roots grew quickly to 2" and its been potted up in a 6" pot for about 2 weeks in my kitchen, on a south facing window.
I have little baby shoots coming up.

Now, what happens next?

[crazii_c]

ive tried growing lemongrass from seed this year. i sowed them in a heated propagator at the end of feb. they are now in the blowaway outside. they seem to be slow growers, so i dont think i'll get a harvest anytime soon, but its something a bit different to try.

[binley100]

I got some to root last year, it has overwintered in the conservatory and is now looking like some new shoots are coming up. OH thinks it's a waste of space and asked why I bothered......my reply ? Just to prove I can

[allotmentfairy]

I have been given some lemongrass seedlings from my neighbour who has grown them from seed. How do I keep them alive? They are in small module pots at the moment, should I put them all in one big pot together? What is the bext to do?

[perkin]

I'd put them in a big pot together and then sink the pot in the garden somewhere - that way you can retrieve it come the cold weather and overwinter it indoors or in a greenhouse. I've rooted a couple of supermarket stalks in water and have just potted them up in a small pot in the greenhouse.