If you are a lover of Asian dishes, you will not want to do without fresh lemongrass as an aromatic seasoning for sauces, curries and drinks. In this case, what could be better than growing lemongrass yourself at home and harvesting a few stalks whenever you need them in the kitchen. In this article we explain how propagation works.
How to propagate lemongrass?
Lemongrass can be propagated in three different ways: by rooting fresh stalks in water, by sowing seeds from specialist retailers or by vegetatively dividing an existing lemongrass perennial in spring or autumn.
Rooting lemongrass in water
It is completely unproblematic to breed the Asian spice from stalks that you bought in the supermarket or Asian store. Make sure that the lemongrass is still fresh and juicy, then the stems will grow roots very quickly. Cut a small piece from the bottom of the stalks and place them in a water glass about one to three centimeters deep.
Change the water regularly to prevent the stalks from rotting or molding. After just a few days, the stems sprout the first roots. As soon as they have reached a length of two to three centimeters, you can plant the lemongrass in soil.
Sowing lemongrass
If you want to grow lemongrass from seeds, you must use seeds from specialist retailers (€2.00 on Amazon).
When sowing, proceed as follows:
- Fill shallow bowls with potting soil.
- Press the small seeds carefully into the sowing soil.
- Moisten the soil evenly with a sprayer.
- Cover with a glass or foil hood (greenhouse climate).
Lemongrass is a warm germinator. The seeds need temperatures between 20 and 30 degrees to sprout. Nevertheless, the germination rate is only forty to sixty percent. Don't forget to ventilate the cultivation containers daily to prevent mold formation. As soon as the plants have reached a size of around ten centimeters, you can separate them.
Propagation by vegetative division
If you already have a large and vigorously growing lemongrass plant, you can divide it in spring or autumn and replant it separately.
- Carefully lift the lemongrass out of the ground with the digging fork or remove it from the planter.
- If the roots have not grown too densely, you can carefully pull them apart.
- Dense roots can be cut without danger to the plant.
Place the lemongrass in a sufficiently large planting hole or planter, as lemongrass grows numerous roots.
Tips & Tricks
Lemongrass needs a lot of light, warmth and a dry environment to thrive. The Asian spice plant feels extremely comfortable in a sunny spot on the windowsill, on a south-facing balcony or in a warm corner of the garden.
