Growing Lemongrass at Home: Tips for Healthy Plants

If you take a look at lemongrass, the herb might simply look like a clump of grass, but there is so much more that you need to know about this herb. This ordinary-looking clump of grass is a highly versatile herb that has a pleasant lemony scent, which is why it is known as lemongrass. Additionally, it is used by people in soups, sauces, and teas for a unique citrusy flavour. 

The herb also has medicinal properties; it assists in healthy digestion and calms nerves. If you are a gardener, whether beginner or seasoned, you can easily grow this herb. Here, in this guide, we will tell you how to grow lemongrass easily without any issues. 

When to Plant

You can start by planting your herb outside; however, you should wait until the first frost has passed. If you’re tending lemongrass in a container and keeping it indoors, you don’t have to fret about the weather at all. You can start it indoors whenever you feel ready, basically at your convenience.

Where to Plant

Try to give lemongrass 6 to 8 hours of bright sun, the full kind if possible. It also likes well-draining soil, so if your dirt is kind of tired, mix in some organic compost for extra nourishment. Shoot for a soil pH around 6.0 to 7.0, but honestly a little wiggle room is fine. 

Make sure you’ve planned for it reaching about 3 to 5 feet tall, because it does not stay tiny for long. Lemongrass works really well in a pot too; it can keep going inside your home as long as you can provide enough sunlight hours.

Growing Lemongrass

Quick note: Lemongrass acts slowly at first until the summer heat finally shows up, then it really picks up momentum. So if it feels like it’s taking forever, don’t automatically assume something is wrong.

The herb loves water and humidity, so plan on steady watering. Keep the soil evenly moist, not soggy; yeah, it’s a delicate balance, but you can get it right. If it lives indoors, you might notice the air gets overly dry in winter, and that can make the plant unhappy. A humidifier often fixes that problem pretty well.

Lemongrass needs nitrogen for strong, healthy leaves. During summer, consider giving it a water-soluble nitrogen fertilizer, or use compost tea if you happen to have access. The fast growth and eventual size of lemongrass also crowd out weeds, kind of a pleasant bonus without extra effort.

Soil pH isn’t a major stress point for lemongrass. It can tolerate some variation on either side of neutral, no big drama. What you do want to avoid is frost, because lemongrass will not handle it. Some crops like spinach, kale, and peas might tolerate a cold snap, but lemongrass isn’t in that club.

You can even grow lemongrass outdoors during summer and then transplant it into a pot later, so you can enjoy it indoors afterward. You can also repot the plant if you see that the herb grows bigger than its container.