Does Lemongrass Grows Back?

Have you ever tasted the citric taste of the Lemongrass in your tea? It looks like grass, but it can be used as food.

I plug the Lemongrass from my garden and grill it with the chicken every morning. Isn’t it mouth-watering? We can grow Lemongrass indoor and outdoor according to your preferences.

Growing back the plant is even easier.

As a general rule, Lemongrass grows back. The Lemongrass plant may die from the harsh cold but can regrow itself when the temperature gets favorable. It would help if you cared about the temperature, protected them from the frost, and prune them timely to keep them growing well.

Gardening lemongrass every morning with the fresh smell of lemon in it could make your day better. Having it in tea can release your stress. So why not plant and garden such a critical herb?

Here in this article, we will be discussing its nature, its care, and its use in brief.

Read the article and find out the ways to plant and take care of the Lemongrass. Your dishes then will get a new flavor every day.

Is Lemongrass Annual or Perennial?

Depending on the climatic condition it is grown, Lemongrass acts in both perennial and annual behavior.

Generally, the survival of the Lemongrass depends on its tolerance or intolerance to the winter or cold climate.

In a general context, Lemongrass is a perennial plant. Therefore, if they overwintered or passed the winter and grew back in spring, they are perennial. Otherwise, we have to replant them annually.

 The leaves of the Lemongrass shed during winter get a new way up during winter. They are technically perennial in many regions, but sometimes they are Annual.

So, Lemongrass can also be considered as an Annual plant for these regions.

The plant act perennial from USDA zones 8b to 11 as it can overwinter. However, lemongrass is annual to the zones colder than 8b as they die during winter and are to be replanted again.

When does Lemon Grass go Dormant?

To continue the life of the plant, they sometimes have to go dormant. Plants usually go dormant to protect themselves from damage during winter.

If the plant remains active during winter, the water and bodily fluids may freeze and hamper the whole metabolism of the plant, or the plant may die.

The dormancy of Lemongrass starts when the temperature begins to fall below 450 F. In different zones, they show different modes of dormancy.

In zone 10, they are dormant during winter. Their leaves may seem green during dormancy, but they will be unkempt and dirty even after the long growing seasons.

Similarly, in zones 8b and 9, their leaves grow entirely brown, and we may uproot, thinking them to be dead, but still, they are in dormancy.

How do you Protect Lemon Grass During Dormancy? 

If the plants are in zone 10 and 11, you can keep them outdoor all year round. If not, you must do the following to help them survive the dormancy.

• If you live where the temperature falls below 4.4 degrees Celsius/39.92°F during winter, place the Lemongrass plant indoors. But if the temperature does not fall below 4.4 degrees Celsius/39.92°F during winter, you can place the plant outdoors and use floating row covers to protect the Lemongrass plant.
• It needs to be watered sparingly, only once a month. However, keep in mind that the plant only requires water if the soil at the top becomes dry to the touch.
• The plant requires humid soil to survive. You can also use a humidifier if the soil becomes too dry.
• Try to maintain a 50-60 degrees F temperature inside the room, which is favorable for the Lemongrass plant.
• If you notice the plant growing very slowly, then lightly fertilize the Lemongrass plant only once a month or so.

As soon as spring arrives, you can take the pot or container of the Lemongrass plant outdoors. If you have kept the plant outdoors, then remove the floating covers used to protect the plant.

If you want to know more about taking care of Lemongrass while it’s dormant during winter, you can visit Gardenerspath.

Quick Tips: Cut the Lemongrass leaves and keep them tidy while it is indoor during its dormancy.

The Behavior of Lemongrass In Different Zones

As we have already talked about its annual or perennial behavior, here are some behaviors of Lemongrass.

Zones	Climatic Condition	Behavior
8a	Minimum temperature is 10° to 15°F Frost: between October 11 and October 20 first frost and last frost is between March 21 and March 31.	Annual in this zone. Can be grown in green house. survive winter. Grows indoor in winter
9	Temperature: 20°F to 30°F. Frost Time: fist and last frost Less than one-two weeks in January	Grows outdoor Annual in this zone.
10	Temperature : 30°F-4°F No frost season	Perennial in this zone. Can survive winter. Is not frost resistant
11	Temperature: 40°F-50°F No frost as zone 10	Perennial Survive winter should be potted Indoor and outdoor

Does Lemongrass Grow Back?

The lemon grass generally grows back every year. Lemongrass may die in winter because their leaves die during winter, but they grow back in the spring.

They propagate themselves once they are established. The stalks remain dormant during the winter season and grow off the side of their old stem. In colder regions, we must be careful while punning so that it grows back in spring.

In moderate regions, they could grow back themselves, but we must consider the temperature, water, and place we have planted it. We must bring them indoors during winter as they cannot tolerate temperatures below 200 F.

The best way to protect it is to put it indoors. The plant develops clumps as they grow up. So, to make them grow well, you should separate the clumps and plant them separately, and both of the clumps can grow better.

We all must be careful about the quantity of sun the plant gets, the blooming season, the harvesting time, and mostly the hardiness zones 9-11.

Pruning the Lemongrass to Encourage Growth

It is an easy task yet an essential part of the life cycle of the Lemongrass. The Lemongrass has two main parts: the lower, thick, and bright part, called a stem and the upper, the thinner part, called leaves. First, we prune it from the stem.

We prune the Lemongrass in early spring. It is possible to prune till mid-fall, but we must prune Lemongrass in early spring to gain more harvest. 

Here are the steps required to prune the Lemongrass.

Step 1: Harvest the Lemongrass

During summer, the stalks get mature. Harvest them properly to maintain the size of the plant.

To harvest them, grab them in the lower part. Twist and pull until it gets free from its base.

You can also cut the matured stalks with a knife from its main plant.

Step 2: Remove Dead and Damaged Parts

Puff off the damaged stalks from the plant. Be careful not to hurt the healthy stalks.

Step 3: Trim the Plant

You should trim the whole bunch of plants from at least 5-6 inches from their base with the help of shears or pruners in the late winter.

It is done in the winter as most of the foliage or leaves suffer, bedraggles and welt.

Step 4: Trim Back During Spring

You should look after to retrim the plant in early spring if the Lemongrass remains green.

Sometimes the tip of the leaves may turn yellow. Trim them off to the desired height.

Notes: Use gloves to hold the plant as the edges of the Lemongrass may cut your hand. Use shears or pruners wisely. 

Also, Watch 

Tips to take care of Lemongrass 

Lemongrass requires very delicate care for its growth and development. The best way to take care of the plant is

1. Watering the Plant

Watering helps the plant to keep hydrated, which is why you will need to water the plant regularly, either in the late afternoon or early morning.

It helps to keep the soil moist and prevents the roots and stems from withering.

2. Temperature and Humidity

The Lemongrass plant requires damp soil to survive. So it would be a good idea to use a humidifier.

The humidity of the soil should be at least above 50 % for the plant to grow well.

Lemongrass can easily survive in hot weather, but the plant is frost-sensitive. The plant will die when the temperature drops below 4.4 degrees Celsius/39.92°F.

So, growing Lemongrass in containers is best since you can take it indoors during winter.

3. Fertilizer Requirement

Fertilizing the lemon plant is essential to ensure nutrients for proper growth and development throughout the years.

Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium-rich fertilizer are most favorable for the lemongrass plants, a significant component for building protein blocks in lemongrass plants.

Slow-release 6-4-0 fertilizer is best for Lemongrass. Inorganic fertilizer and compost in a 1: 1 ratio (Compost 106.5g: Urea 2.96g: TSP 3.15g: MOP 1.86g per plant) helps Lemongrass give more yield.

Organic fertilizers are most suitable for Lemongrass, which you can buy at Amazon.

4. Soil composition

Soil with good drainage capability is required for Lemongrass. We should maintain the pH of the soil to 6.5-7.

Adding some of organic fertilizer and manure to the plant during the growing season will be helpful.

5. Fungal Diseases

Fungal infection is a prevalent disease in lemongrass plants which causes the plant to turn yellow or brown. Overwatering or underwatering the plant may also cause this.

Lemongrass gets infested by Puccinia nakanishikii, which is commonly known as Rust.

Light yellow spots on foliage, elongated brown streaks on leaves, and dark brown pustules on the underside of leaves can be spotted, leading to the death of the leaves and plant.

The best way to solve fungal disease is by applying organic fungicides. Avoiding Overhead irrigation can help to prevent fungicides on plants.

6. Control Pests and Insects

Although Lemongrass helps to repel various pests and insects, it is not entirely pests and insect repellent.

Various pests and insects, such as ants, roaches, bugs, and spiders, are likely to attack the Lemongrass plant.

To prevent such attacks from pests and insects, you can:

• First, spray the pests and insects on the plant with strong jets of water.
• Use pest control sprays

7. Location for Pot

Lemongrass plants need direct sunlight for at least 4-6 hours a day. So, if you live where the temperature does not drop below 3-4 degrees Celsius during winter, it is best to grow the plant outdoors.

But if you live in a place where the temperature gets above 4 degrees during winter, it is best to plant Lemongrass in a container or a pot since you can take the pots and container indoors during winter.

Conclusion

So, Lemongrass can add beauty to your garden and home, and also, the herb can be used to add taste to your food.

Taking care of the plant is so easy, and it has many uses. So you can buy the Lemongrass from any nearby market and plant them in your garden or inside your home.

If you want to continue reading, you can look at 8 Jade plant fertilizers you should use.