If you love Asian dishes, you won't want to do without fresh lemongrass as an aromatic condiment for sauces, curries and drinks. In this case, what could be more obvious than growing lemongrass at home and harvesting a few stalks whenever you need them in the kitchen. In this article we explain how the propagation succeeds.
Root lemongrass in water
The offspring of the Asia spice from stalks that you bought in the supermarket or Asia shop is completely unproblematic. Make sure that the lemongrass is still fresh and juicy, then the stalks will root quite quickly. Cut off a small piece from the bottom of the stalks and place them about one to three centimeters deep in a glass of water.
Change the water regularly to keep the stalks from rotting or getting moldy. After just a few days, the stems will sprout the first little roots. As soon as they have reached a length of two to three centimeters, you can plant the lemongrass in soil.
Sow lemongrass
If you want to grow lemongrass from seeds, you have to use seeds from specialist shops.
Proceed as follows when viewing:
- Fill shallow bowls with potting soil.
- Carefully press the small seeds into the seed compost.
- Evenly moisten the soil with a sprayer.
- Cover with a glass or foil hood (greenhouse climate).
Lemongrass is a warm germ. The seeds need temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees to sprout. Nevertheless, the germination rate is only forty to sixty percent. Don't forget to air the growing pots daily to prevent mold growth. As soon as the plants have reached a size of about ten centimetres, you can separate them.
Propagation by vegetative division
If you already have a large and vigorously growing lemongrass shrub, you can divide it in spring or autumn and plant it again separately.
- Carefully lift the lemongrass out of the ground with the digging fork or remove it from the planter.
- If the roots have not grown too densely, you can carefully pull them apart.
- Dense root systems can be cut up without endangering the plant.
Place the lemongrass in a sufficiently large planting hole or planter, as lemongrass will drive numerous roots.
tips and tricks
Lemongrass needs lots of light, warmth, and a dry environment to thrive vigorously. The Asian spice plant feels extremely comfortable in a sunny spot on the windowsill, on a south-facing balcony or in a warm corner of the garden.
SKb