Lemongrass is a key ingredient in most Asian cuisines. Lemongrass tastes good, smells good, and even when the plant is cut, it will grow immediately. This is a simple herb that can be seen in many kitchens for the citrus flavor and its scent.
As the lemongrass is a tropical plant there is no need to take extra care during the winter season.
Growing lemongrass plants is possible so there is no need of buying lemongrass plants and lemongrass. There are many species when lemongrass is considered like West Indian lemongrass and East Indian lemongrass.
How to grow lemongrass?
Lemongrass will die mostly in cold climates unless it is tropical for that particular place. If the zone in which the plant is grown is above or equal to zone 10 then it is okay to grow lemongrass outside in the garden throughout the year.
In order to protect the plant in the winter seasons, the easy way is to grow them inside the containers. By doing this, whenever cold increases outside the containers having plants can be moved inside until the cool climate decreases. Or the people in the zome 10 areas can prefer buying lemongrass plants instead of growing them on their own.
Tips for growing lemongrass plants
There are a few tips that can help in growing lemongrass plants efficiently. Some of them include:
- These plants will spread all over the place once they start growing. So it is advisable to give them plenty of room.
- Whenever the climate changes to winter or if the frost season is about to start, it is better to bring the plants that are being grown in the containers inside as they can’t withstand the cold climate outside.
- The soil should be moist but not completely drenched with water.
- In dry areas as the soil will not be moist always, it is recommended to spray them with water for humidity.
Pests and Diseases that have to be controlled
Lemongrass is not prone to many pests as there will be citronella which has the ability to naturally repel the pests.
● Lemongrass Rust
The most common disease for these plants is lemongrass rust which is a real disease with symptoms like brown, red, and yellow streaks on the leaves.
In order to prevent the plants from getting rust, it is important to maintain enough space between them for getting proper airflow.
● Yellow Sugarcane Aphid
This type of pest will be yellow in color and the length of this pest will be about 2 millimeters. This will suck out sap from the leaves creating yellow and brown spots.
In order to remove the pest from the plant, spraying with a blast of water or using neem oil will also help the cause.
Conclusion
Lemongrass can be used in a refreshing tea and hence will be used daily for cooking purposes. So instead of buying lemongrass plants, it is better to start growing them at home. Lemongrass can be used for making essential oil and there are many other advantages with this single plant.
Growing freesia plant is easy, they are also suitable for indoor or outdoor planting. With proper care, they will produce beautiful and fragrant flowers in a variety of colours.
