The seedless Lemon Plant is an aromatic plant from the grass family. It’s used to flavor food items to give them a pleasing flavor and aroma. In Asian regions, specifically the Philippines where the lechon of the Philippines is served most often it is commonplace to place lemon grass inside the stomach of the pig prior cooking to create an aroma to enhance the flavor of the lechon .
Due to its strong smell Lemon grass is useful as a companion plant for your garden because it can ward off commonly found insects. Some insects aren’t fond of the scent of this plant. Hence, lemon grass can also be employed to repel insects for homeowners who garden at home.
Methods to grow lemon grassa
1. Make sure you have the plant materials ready. Before planting, prepare the seed pieces in order to grow roots that will be successful when planting. Cut the stalk of the plant approximately 5 inches long , and then cut off the bulb’s end. Cut the bulbs into separate pieces and put them in a container that is filled with water for two to three weeks to grow their roots. Refresh the water every week to ensure it is fresh constantly to speed up the development of roots.
2. Set up the planter area. As you wait for the seeds to establish their root system in the box that germinates it is essential to create the space where you’ll plant the lemon grass. Before you do that, ensure that the planter’s area is at the very least 5 – 6 hours of sunlight that is direct and full all day long.
Dig the soil, making the hole 6 inches in depth and 4 inches wide. Soak the holes in compost, and keep them in place until the seeds are ready to be planted.
3. Seed the germinated pieces of seed. In the holes that have been prepared and that are filled with compost, plant 2 to 3 seeds in each hole. Fill in the remaining area with soil to the top of the plant’s base.
4. Water the plants. After placing them in the holes, water them immediately around the plant’s foundation and then add mulch to help retain soil’s moisture until they are still in their regenerative state.
After a few weeks, the plants will begin producing large, thin, green knife-leaf blades. It is important to keep an eye on the development of the plant’s growth until the time when they are ready to harvest.
The lemon grass plant is an annual tropical plant that isn’t tolerant of the cold winter temperatures. If you live located in a cold winter climate Try to “winterize” them by uprooting the top leaves until the stalks, and then place them in pots for planting. Put them inside with plenty of sunlight during the daytime and only water them in a moderate amount during winter. The cut leaves to cook delicious Asian food and teas to brew.
Harvesting and storage
Utilizing a spading fork , get into the base of the plant deep enough to penetrate the root system. make the soil looser for easier pulling of the entire clustered plant.
Cut all regular Lemon Plant leaves between 8 and 12 inches away from the root base using a sharp cutting knife or pruning shear. Gather all the grass leaves, and then tie them with a diameter of 2 inches in diameter, and 6-8 inches long. Put the tied bunches into freezer bags made of plastic and keep them in the refrigerator or freezer.