Herb Profile: Lemon Grass
Description: Lemon grass is a tender perennial herb that is native to India and Sri Lanka. Lemongrass, with its lemony flavor and aroma, is widely used in Asia-style kitchen. Both the large leaves, green and leaf base bulb can be added to recipes. The commercially produced oil is used as a flavoring essential food and cosmetic ingredient.
Latin name: Cymbopogon citratus.
Common name: lemon grass.
Mature Size: Mature plants can grow to 5 meters by 3 meters wide.
Lemongrass
Sun Exposure: full sun in well-drained soil. Lemon grass does best when grown in moist soil in a moderately moist.
Growing tips: Give this plant plenty of room to grow. Lemon grass can be over winter in areas where the temperature below 45 degrees. For other areas, try growing a small clump of lemon grass in a large bowl. The container can be brought indoors during the colder months.
Starting new plants: lemon grass can also be started from seed. However, plants grown in containers rarely grow enough to produce flowers. Fresh lemon grass stalks, bought at the grocery store, you can use to start new plants. Simply peel off the outer leaves of some stems and place them in a glass of water. Place the glass in a sunny place, like a window, and change the water every few days. The stems will begin to produce roots in a couple of weeks, at which point you can plant in a pot or directly in soil.
Instructions: In the early spring, cut the leaves of this plant a few inches above the ground. Lemon grass is grown outdoors should be divided every year. Dig up and divide the plant into small groups which can then be replanted in other parts of the garden or used for additional container plantations.
Parts used: Fresh leaves can be brewed into a refreshing tea, while the dried leaves make a wonderful addition to potpourri blends. The lower portion, bulbous leaf stalk is sliced or crushed before being added to the culinary creations. The stem should be removed and crushed discarded before serving the meal.
Storage: The leaves of lemon grass are best used fresh, as they lose most of its flavor and aroma when dried. However, the stems can be processed for long-term storage, either in the refrigerator or freezer. To store in refrigerator up to 3 weeks, simply place the stems in a plastic bag. Or the plastic bag filled with lemon grass stalks in the freezer for up to 6 months.
