It's time for me to root my lemongrass. I do this 3 weeks before the last frost date here every year, and it will be rooted by the time I can put it out. For those who wish to do this, simply put some stalks in a glass of water, and change the water every two days or so. I usually do this with 8 stalks, and plant the 6 best ones. 6 plants is too much even for me, by the end of the season, but the plants look nice and I have had one or two die, so better to be safe than short on lemongrass!

Dave

Thanks! I'm going to try this! --J--

In just two weeks now there are little 1/4" roots on about half of the stalks, and signs of roots on the rest!

Maybe on my next trip to the market I'll go to the Asian section and get some lemon grass and try this. After they root do you put them in pots or do you plant outside?

I did a search and, even if I didn't cook with lemon grass, it sure looks like a lovely plant. I wonder how big it gets?

I just plant them outside, about 2' apart (18" gets a little crowded), then wait! By the end of the season it is a large, 2-2 1/2' tall, by about 3-4' in diameter grass, with between 20 and 30 usable stalks of lemongrass, and a bunch of smaller ones (still usable in soups and the like). My Mom saw it in my garden one time and remarked "I didn't know you were growing ornamentals!" I'm not, really, but it happens to be ornamental!

Dave

It looks like time to harvest the lemon grass for the season! I won't be digging it up and bringing it inside, just not enough room.
We have winter temps well below feezing.
I'm thinking to just cut it short as possible and bring it inside to dry, or should I freeze it?

Hopefully someone with first-hand experience with both will chime in here, but while I've done neither, if I were in your shoes, I'd vote for freezing rather than drying. The one time I purchased dried lemon grass, it tasted more grassy than lemony.

I dig up my lemongrass just before freezing time every season, right about now. Much of it is good sized, much very thin, but the thin is still usable. I pull it up, then hose all the soil off, and cut the leaves off, leaving about 10" (I often freeze the leaves, but that's for other stuff). Then I separate the stalks, placing the small ones (under 1/4") separate, and cut off the woody root part, so I see the rings of the stalk, cut the top off to about 6", and peel the outer layers, just as if I were using it right then. I end up with a bunch of 6" stalks. Then I freeze them in Foodsaver plastic, which I cut into a bunch of approx. 2" wide strips, which I seal on both sides, and vac-seal the narrow end. I put 2-3 in each one, and if the stalks are small I put more. The very small stalks I put in a little larger strips, and use them in soups or stocks, and things like that.

This stuff keeps forever in that foodsaver stuff, as long as you don't break the seal. Just used some of last year's yesterday making some curry paste, and it was better than storebought.

Dave

Do you think Lemon Verbena tastes the same? I planted one, one time, and used the heck out of it. I liked it because I could put it in a muslin bag, into the soup (etc) and fish it out when done. I dried it on my kitchen table, just laid out there in one layer, in about a week. Gave away some about every month!

I'm also a Lemon Verbena fan, but I think the scent/taste is a little more "flowery" than Lemon Grass.

i found it easy to grow, like a proverbial weed...

Okay.... you guys TOTALLY have my attention here! I love ornamental grasses... but can't justify having many because they take up valuable space! I want edibles! So this looks like a PERFECT combination! I'm going to get some lemon grass and do this! BUT...

what the heck do you USE it for?? What types of meals (other than soups I've seen mentioned)? I'm assuming it's lemony-tasting... which doesn't go well with what I usually cook. Of course I'm always up for trying new stuff...

Ok... nevermind. Just looked on allrecipes and they've got a bunch of recipes. WOW! This looks AMAZING! http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/A...m-Ka-Gai/Detail.aspx

Okay... so once you get it starting to root... if you direct plant outside... when is the right time to do that in zone 7?? I'd assume spring... seems too early to start rooting now??

Funny you should bring this up, Jen. The first year I grew this my Mom was over at my house, and when she saw the lemongrass she said "Since when did you start growing ornamental grasses?" I told her it was edible, as well as essential for those foods I cook. I grow lemongrass to use in the SE Asian food I make more often than any other kinds of food. Thai, Vietnamese, and Malaysian foods use lemongrass almost as often as not!

It is very close to harvest time here...still no frost, but as soon as a mild frost hits, I dig it up. I always have way more than I need, and go over to the Asian market and trade it for other goods!

Dave

Dig it, strip it, freeze it, thanks Dave.
So I guess here in zone 5 lemongrass is an annual?

quote:

Originally posted by dirtdaddy:
Dig it, strip it, freeze it, thanks Dave.
So I guess here in zone 5 lemongrass is an annual?

It would be an annual in your zone unless you have the means to grow it indoors.