Whenever you begin to develop your individual meals, a pleasant shock is that some ‘unique’ vegetation grow to be simpler to develop than you would possibly count on. Lemon grass is one. A couple of years in the past, I believed this solely grew within the heat of Thailand or Vietnam. The excellent news is that it additionally grows fortunately within the UK and different temperate climates, so long as it’s introduced inside over winter.
Rewarding and stuffed with flavour
It’s a enjoyable and rewarding edible to develop. The flavour is extra intense and scrumptious than store purchased, you get leaves in addition to the stem (good for tea and flavouring), and the grasses look beautiful waving within the breeze on a balcony or window sill. It may be grown from seed however the simplest way is from a recent lemon grass stalk – you can purchase from most supermarkets, Asian shops and grocers.
Lemon grass could be grown from recent stalks from the grocery or grocery store.
Final summer season I met up with Sally Cunningham, horticultural skilled for considered one of my favorite rising initiatives within the UK, Sowing New Seeds run by Backyard Natural. Sally exhibits you develop lemon grass – and provoking concepts on use it – within the video under. Begin lemon grass in spring or summer season and use the freshest wanting lemon grass stalks you’ll find within the retailers.
Heat is the key
I have been rising lemon grass this fashion for about seven years. Not all my early makes an attempt had been profitable – however, as usually in rising, you be taught most when issues don’t work! I found that should you begin it in a heat place, it’s more likely to develop than someplace cool. You should utilize a heated propagator (a heated tray for beginning vegetation) or a heat place above a radiator – or just wait till hotter climate in early summer season (June / July in UK). As soon as rising, heat is much less vital, and your lemon grass plant could be moved exterior in summer season.
Lemon grass on my London balcony
What to do in winter
Lemon grass is killed by chilly so will have to be moved inside once more earlier than the primary frost. Sally exhibits you within the video above how one can minimize the leaves again so it takes up much less house in your windowsill. If you do not have a lot house inside (or do not desire a flat stuffed with vegetation), the choice is to reap all of the stalks on the finish of the 12 months (they freeze nicely), and easily begin once more subsequent 12 months.
Your flip
When you’ve grown lemon grass earlier than, I would love to listen to about your expertise within the feedback under. Have you ever found some other uncommon or ‘unique’ vegetation which have been simple to develop?