Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a herb in the Poaceae family. It grows best in full sun with medium to wet moisture, and is listed for USDA zones 9-13. Plants reach harvest about 80–100 days after planting.
Varieties
2 from Seeds Now & True Leaf Market · sorted by days to maturity▸Lemon Grass80–100 days
Direct sow; Grows well with containers; Grows well with raised beds
Lemon Grass is a tropical plant that produces a thick grass that can be used for flavoring many culinary dishes. It can also be used to make medicinal tea for the treatment of digestive issues and fever/flu-like symptoms - The grass is thick, hearty, and robust with a delicious lemon flavor - Makes a GREAT mosquito repellent - Some people juice it with other homemade veggies - Cats have been known to love lemon grass - The oils from the plant can be used for flavorings and/or perfumes Days to Maturity | 80-100 days Follow SeedsNow.com's board Lemon Grass on Pinterest.
View on Seeds Now ↗▸West Indian90–100 days
Heirloom; Non-GMO; Container; Annual
90-100 days. West Indian Lemongrass Culinary Herb Seeds. Cymbopogon citratus. Non-GMO. Heirloom. West Indian lemongrass seeds grow the edible, tender, and delicious cultivar of lemongrass. Not to be confused with ornamental East Indian lemongrass seeds, the West Indian cultivar grows and looks nearly identical while offering a uniquely complex hint of minty citrus notes. Matures in about 100 days as 24-48" tall grassy mound. ~73,000 seeds/oz.
View on True Leaf Market ↗
Plan your lemongrass planting
Add lemongrass to a free GardenDraft plan and get sow, transplant, and harvest dates computed for your ZIP code — with a drag-and-drop bed layout and reminders when it’s time to plant.
Start your free plan →At a glance
Storing & preserving
Refrigerate stems in water, or wrap in a damp towel for a few days.
- Dry: Dehydrate or air-dry, then store airtight away from light.
- Freeze: Freeze chopped in oil or water in ice-cube trays.
General home-preservation guidance — for tested processing times and safety, follow the National Center for Home Food Preservation.
Growing timeline
Companion planting — with cited sources
From US/Canada cooperative-extension publications and peer-reviewed studies. Evidence-tier dots show how strongly each recommendation is backed: ●●● peer-reviewed mechanism · ●● extension consensus · ● traditional knowledge with a plausible mechanism.
Pairs well with (2)
- BasilEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationflavor-folklore
Lemongrass and basil are aromatic companions commonly grown together and both are reputed to deter flying pests.
Source: S7
- Common TomatoEvidence tier C: Traditional practice with plausible mechanism but limited empirical replicationpest-deter
Lemongrass contains citronella oils traditionally reported to deter mosquitoes and some flying pests; a useful aromatic border, though it requires substantial plantings to be effective.
Source: S7
Sources cited
- S7
- University of Minnesota Extension
Care & troubleshooting— extension-sourced, with citations
Something looks wrong?
Describe what you see on your lemongrassand we'll rank the likely causes — most likely first, least-invasive fix first.
Corn earworm
Pestmoderate- CulturalPlant early and choose tight-husk varietiesstrong evidence — extension confidence
Set out early plantings, which face lower earworm pressure, and choose tight-husked varieties whose long, snug husk slows larvae from reaching the ear.
- OrganicApply oil-Bt drops to silksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
About five to six days after silks emerge, apply a few drops of vegetable or mineral oil (mixed with a labeled Bt per the label) to the silk at each ear tip to smother young caterpillars in the silk channel.
Japanese beetles
Pestmoderate- CulturalHandpick into soapy water· every 1 days · ~4 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
In early morning when beetles are sluggish, knock them into a bucket of soapy water; daily removal also reduces the scent that draws in more beetles. Skip the lure traps, which tend to attract more beetles than they catch.
- CulturalCover plants past bloommoderate evidence — extension confidence
On crops that have finished flowering and set fruit, drape a row cover or netting to keep beetles off without blocking pollination during bloom.
Phosphorus deficiency
DeficiencymoderateUnusual this time of year.
- CulturalCheck soil test and soil temperaturestrong evidence — extension confidence
Purpling in cold spring soils is often temporary, since cold roots can't take up phosphorus that's actually present; warm weather usually resolves it, so confirm a true shortage with a soil test before adding phosphorus.
- OrganicAdd phosphorus only if the test calls for itmoderate evidence — extension confidence
If low phosphorus is confirmed, work a phosphorus source into the root zone per the test recommendation, and keep soil pH in range since extreme pH ties up phosphorus.
Wireworms
PestmoderateUnusual this time of year.
- CulturalRotate away from grassy groundstrong evidence — extension confidence
Avoid planting susceptible crops right after sod, pasture, or grass cover, where wireworms build up; rotate to a less-favored crop and let infested beds dry out between plantings.
- CulturalBait-trap to monitor· every 5 days · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Bury pieces of carrot or potato or a handful of soaked wheat seed as bait when soil reaches about 50F, check after several days, and remove the worms you find to gauge and reduce pressure.
Aphids
Pestlow- CulturalBlast off with water· every 3 days · ~2 wksstrong evidence — extension confidence
Knock colonies off with a strong jet of water in the morning; repeat every few days. Light infestations rarely need more.
- OrganicInsecticidal soap - label use only· every 1 wk · ~3 wksmoderate evidence — extension confidence
For persistent colonies apply insecticidal soap to undersides per label. Avoid open flowers.
Common corn smut
Diseaselow- CulturalCut out galls before they open· every 1 wkstrong evidence — extension confidence
Watch through the season and cut out smut galls while still firm and white, before they rupture into black spores; remove them from the garden and bury or trash them rather than composting.
- CulturalClean up debris and ease off nitrogenmoderate evidence — extension confidence
Remove crop debris after harvest rather than tilling it under, and avoid excess nitrogen and plant wounding, both of which favor smut.