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Produce => Edible Plants => Topic started by: Duke Ellington on September 23, 2010, 17:20:53

Title: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: Duke Ellington on September 23, 2010, 17:20:53
I have two lovely plants that I raised from seed. They have been growing in the greenhouse all summer. They are both quite big now with long leaves about 1.5 foot long.
What should I do with them for the winter months.

Duke :)
Title: Re: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: BarriedaleNick on September 23, 2010, 17:42:03
I overwintered two last year on a window sill.
I took off any leaves that looked a bit suspect amd watered sparingly - I watered from the bottom - something I think I read on here  ;D
Title: Re: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: cleo on September 23, 2010, 17:43:30
Bring them in before the first frost-anywhere that is frost free. And keep the soil at stem level bone dry-water sparingly via a `saucer`
Title: Re: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: Duke Ellington on September 23, 2010, 18:30:31
Thanks for the advice just to be clear do I cut back all the leaves or leave the plant as it is?

Duke :)
Title: Re: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: BarriedaleNick on September 23, 2010, 18:42:44
I didnt cut anything back Duke - Just took off any leaves that looked damaged or dying..
Title: Re: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: artichoke on September 23, 2010, 22:32:54
I have lemon grass given to me in Malaysia three years ago. I plant it out in the summer and bring it indoors in a large plant pot in the winter. It sits there dry. When I have watered it, part of it rots. It needs to stay dry.

I am very pleased that it is still alive because I remember the effort to carry it across 3 frontiers. Other useful and interesting species that I was given eventually died, but this one bulks up every summer and is used by my Thai daughter in law for delicious dishes.
Title: Re: LEMON GRASS PLANT...HOW DO I OVERWINTER IT ?
Post by: Morris on September 24, 2010, 00:38:10
I had one similar grown from seed last summer, that I overwintered dry in the greenhouse, the air temperature frost-free and sitting on a heated mat.

It died.   :(

I suspect they need to be warm, and that judging from advice above in the house will be better than a greenhouse, unless it is a tropical plant house type of greenhouse.