Exposure Full-sun
Season Hot season
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Cymbopogon flexuosus. Lemongrass is a tropical plant from the grass family (Poaceae) that will grow well in temperate regions if given the right conditions. Sow Lemongrass seeds indoors in late winter using bottom heat or a seedling heat mat. Maintain moist conditions and a temperature around 21°C (70°F), and the seeds will germinate in 5 to 21 days. Be sure to use sterilized seed starting mix, and either a clear dome over your seedling tray, or sealed into a plastic bag to maintain moisture. Transplant outdoors or into containers in full sun once the weather has warmed up in early summer. At the end of summer move container plants into a frost free environment with good air circulation. Reduce watering to almost none, making the soil barely moist once a week.
When using Lemongrass in the kitchen, remove any loose, outer layers. Either use whole pieces, crushed slightly with a pestle or under the back of your cleaver, or slice sections very thinly in cross section. This will help break up the strong fibres of the grass stalks.
Tender Perennial
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Latin
Latin
Cymbopogon flexuosus
Family: Poaceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Somewhat challenging
Season & Zone
Season & Zone
Season: Hot season
Exposure: Full sun
Timing
Timing
Sow seeds indoors in late winter. Transplant outdoors only when night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F).
Starting
Starting
Press the seeds gently 5mm (1/4″) into pre-moistened, sterilized seed starting mix. Use seedling trays with plastic domes, or containers sealed inside large plastic bags. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 21°C (70°F). Keep seed trays or containers in a dark room or cupboard. Seeds should germinate in 5 to 21 days. The trick is to maintain a moist, not wet, environment. Once seedlings appear, remove the dome or plastic bag, and move them into full sun or beneath strong, full spectrum, artificial light.
Growing
Growing
Harden seedlings off in early summer by gradually exposing them to full sun and cooler temperatures. Transplant individual seedlings into 5 gallon (or larger) containers, and apply high nitrogen organic fertilizer like Alfalfa Meal or Blood Meal at the time of transplanting. Just mix 1/2 cup into the soil before transplanting. Keep the soil relatively moist throughout the growing period, watering at least 2 or 3 times a week – more in hot weather.
At the end of the growing season, once night time temperatures begin to approach 10°C (50°F), cut back lemongrass plants to 15-20cm (6-8″) tall, reduce watering, and discontinue feeding. Move plants to a bright, airy spot, protected from frost. Water only enough to keep the soil barely moist to nearly dry. If plants seem congested, consider dividing them into clumps in early spring, and potting them on. Resume watering and feeding once spring growth appears.
Harvest
Harvest
Use secateurs to snip whole stalks from the base of the plant as needed. Stalks should be at least 15mm (1/2″) thick before picking. Lemongrass dries well for use as a tea, and whole stalk segments can be bundled and frozen for use in soups and curry paste all winter long.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
We’re a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We don’t just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what we’ve learned with others.
Gardens don’t just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact — always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earth’s stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Sow seeds indoors in late winter. Transplant outdoors only when night time temperatures are steadily above 10°C (50°F).
Press the seeds gently 5mm (1/4″) into pre-moistened, sterilized seed starting mix. Use seedling trays with plastic domes, or containers sealed inside large plastic bags. Use bottom heat from a Seedling Heat Mat to maintain a soil temperature of 21°C (70°F). Keep seed trays or containers in a dark room or cupboard. Seeds should germinate in 5 to 21 days. The trick is to maintain a moist, not wet, environment. Once seedlings appear, remove the dome or plastic bag, and move them into full sun or beneath strong, full spectrum, artificial light.
Harden seedlings off in early summer by gradually exposing them to full sun and cooler temperatures. Transplant individual seedlings into 5 gallon (or larger) containers, and apply high nitrogen organic fertilizer like Alfalfa Meal or Blood Meal at the time of transplanting. Just mix 1/2 cup into the soil before transplanting. Keep the soil relatively moist throughout the growing period, watering at least 2 or 3 times a week – more in hot weather.
At the end of the growing season, once night time temperatures begin to approach 10°C (50°F), cut back lemongrass plants to 15-20cm (6-8″) tall, reduce watering, and discontinue feeding. Move plants to a bright, airy spot, protected from frost. Water only enough to keep the soil barely moist to nearly dry. If plants seem congested, consider dividing them into clumps in early spring, and potting them on. Resume watering and feeding once spring growth appears.
Use secateurs to snip whole stalks from the base of the plant as needed. Stalks should be at least 15mm (1/2″) thick before picking. Lemongrass dries well for use as a tea, and whole stalk segments can be bundled and frozen for use in soups and curry paste all winter long.
