The tangy lemon taste of this aromatic herb is essential for Thai cooking. The foliage can be used as herbal tea or chopped to add a lemon flavour to any recipe. The plant grows up to 1.5 m tall, with a fine limy green colour that makes it a great ornamental grass. It’s easy to establish by stem cuttings. Best of all, the citronella contained in lemongrass is insect repelling, so planting one near your patio would help keep the mozzies away in summer.
How to grow lemongrass in a garden
- Choose a sunny or part shade spot in your garden, with well-drained soil. Enrich with Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser.
- Sow seed direct, planting them in clumps of 2-3 seeds, 5 mm deep at 300 mm intervals. Cover lightly with Yates Seed Raising Mix and water well, the seeds will germinate in 10-14 days.
- Water regularly. Once seedlings emerge, thin seedlings and feed weekly with Yates Thrive Vegie and Herb Liquid Plant Food.
- Harvest by snipping or pulling stems at soil level – this will also help encourage leafier growth.
How to grow lemongrass in a pot
- Choose a pot at least 300 mm wide and deep and position in a sunny or part shade. Fill with quality potting mix, such as Yates Potting Mix with Dynamic Lifter.
- Sow seed direct, planting them in clumps of 2-3 seeds, 5 mm deep. Cover lightly with Yates Seed Raising Mix and water well.
- Water regularly. Once seedlings emerge, thin seedlings and feed weekly with Yates Thrive Vegie and Herb Liquid Plant Food.
- Harvest by snipping or pulling leaves at soil level – this will also help encourage leafier growth. Sow successive crops every 3-4 weeks to extend you harvest window.
Growing tips
- Chives flourish in pots which means you can have some growing right outside the kitchen door.
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Yates Dynamic Lifter Soil Improver & Plant Fertiliser
Create organic nutrient rich soil with Yates Dynamic Lifter for better root growth, stronger plants and more flowers and fruit.
Yates Thrive Vegie & Herb Liquid Plant Food
Yates Thrive Vegie and Herb Concentrate is a complete liquid plant food that provides balanced nutrition.
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