When Ipropagated lemongrass(purchased from the food market fund ) for my garden , I lead off with only three stalk and planted them in the soil once the ascendent give a few inches .
They were given plenteous sun , weekly watering in the summer , no ( or hardly any ) lacrimation in the winter , and quickly grew into something that kind of resembled Cousin It .
That original bundle of three fiddling stalking attend like this now .
And embarrassingly , this is what it looks like most of the year as I ’m kind of alazy nurseryman . The shrub - like herb has multiplied into a clump of at least 50 stalk , with the whole industrial plant traverse 4 feet wide by 4 foot high .
I do n’t often trim it or divide it , but since it ’s spring and lemon grass does n’t really get going again until summer , it was high time to give it a much - needed haircut .
Here ’s how you could tell your plant is inactive , plus my simple technique for pruning lemongrass and keeping it healthy all class long .
When does lemongrass go dormant?
Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus ) enters dormancy when temperature start up to dip below 45 ° F .
In USDA Hardiness Zones 10 and above , lemon grass retard down in wintertime and does n’t put out as many new leaves each week . The industrial plant is still green , but its leave will await a bit bedraggle after a long grow season .
In zones 8b and 9 , you ’ll believe the plant has died as the leave twist brown in winter . But not to vex !
Lemongrass tooth root are typically hardy in zones 8b and 9 . With a frost mantle or grueling layer ofstraw mulch over the soil , lemongrass ( atender repeated herb ) has a good chance of returning year after year ( even when the parting die back ) .
Colder zones demand to overwinter lemongrass oil indoors before the first frost strike . It ’s happiest in a palely light up elbow room that ’s observe at 50 ° farad to 60 ° F ( like a cellar or garage ) , where it stays dormant through the cold , sour sidereal day of winter .
Special note for winter lemongrass oil : slew the leaves off to keep the plant sizeable and manageable , and piss sparingly so it remain alive through the wintertime months . ( It wo n’t uprise during this time , but will merrily string up out until it ’s quick to kick into action at law again in spring . )
When should you prune lemongrass?
The best time to cut back your lemongrass is while it ’s dormant , but not until temperature start to warm up in spring . This can be anywhere from late February to late April , reckon on your climate .
dark temperature should delay consistently in the mid-40 ° Fs for lemongrass to successfully rebound back from an early - time of year trim .
How to cut back lemongrass in cold climates
If you ’re in zone 8b to 9 , your job is easy : simply pull back the frost blanket ( or mulch ) and cut down the intact flora to just a twosome inches above the affectionate white part of the stalk , remove all the brown leaves .
( Do this for overwintered lemon grass too . you’re able to jump toharden offthe works outside once it ’s been pruned . )
It feels a bit shocking , I make love , but as summer creeps nigher , your lemongrass will develop back quickly .
How to cut back lemongrass in mild climates
Gardeners whose plants stay green all winter just require to keep the shape of the bush . Light pruning of the leaf tips can be done throughout the year , but a wakeless pruning should be done in spring to give your lemongrass a chance to grow stronger and healthier .
To lead off , rake out all the dead leaves under the industrial plant . ( If this is your first time pruning , you might be surprised by how much organic topic accumulates under there . )
Then put on some gloves ( those folio boundary are paper - cut sharp ! ) and pull out any brown outer chaff as well as brown or rusted leaves .
You may have to reach in between the clump to get all the leafage out ( but lead the inner husk intact , as those are the new single ) . Generally , I give a unaccented tug and anything dead comes out well .
Once you ’ve removed all the brown bits , usehedge shearsto reduce back the leaves . I just do a straightforward cut across , trim back one section of foliage at a time ( similar to garnish knock , if you ’re into home haircuts ) .
Trim as much as you want , as lemongrass can take a somewhat good pruning . I care to trim my plant life into a Tina Turner - esque cumulus of locoweed , continue it short and corking .
Once you ’ve drive the shape you want , you could finesse the cut of meat and go all Edwards Scissorhands on it , trimming random brown tips here and there until your OCD wear off .
When finish up , you should have a shapely green clump with sizable livid stalks .
The comer of summer will spur your lemongrass to raise vigorously again , and young leaves will fill out the plant more .
Did you know?
Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon sp . ) is sometimes predict the citronella works , as that ’s where citronella oil ( a natural mosquito repellent ) fall from . But bewilderingly , it ’s not theonlycitronella plant life : the so - called“mosquito plant ” ( Pelargonium ‘ Citrosum’)also cash in one’s chips by that plebeian name .
How to severalise them aside ? wide-eyed : Cymbopogon is a improbable recurrent grass , while Pelargonium ‘ Citrosum ’ is a member of the geranium family ( and recognizable by its leaf shape ) .
How to maintain lemongrass throughout the year
If you do n’t practice your lemongrass that often , endeavor to keep the thumping in balk by polish off wilted outer stalks once a month .
asseverate your plant ( simply by glean it ) helps contract the ranch of pests and disease . ( Lemongrass is susceptible torust , a fungal infectionthat favour warm temperatures and high moisture . )
Or , you’re able to dig up hefty stalks with the root entire and replant them elsewhere in your garden to cut out the clump . If you ’re doing some major dividing , you’re able to even pot up a few stubble in soil to give as gifts !
Try this recipe : A freshlemongrass - pep ale
This post update from an clause that originally appeared on May 1 , 2013 .
