LEMON GRASS

Has become an almost essential ingredient in cooking. Especially nice when pickled. Really tangy. 18"-2'. Half hardy perennial. Pure seed.

Lemon Grass is an essential ingredient in Thai and other Asian dishes it is also an excellent addition to soups, sauces, curries and fish recipes.

In the garden, Lemon Grass prefers a sheltered sunny spot, it will also grow happily in a greenhouse or conservatory, or in pots on the patio.

Sow Lemon Grass seed in trays during early Spring, scattering the seed lightly over the surface of a good seed compost and covering with a sprinkling of compost or vermiculite. Place the seed tray in a propagator at a temperature of 20-25C (70-75F) or seal it inside a polythene bag to keep the compost moist without being over wet.

Light is required for germination so keep the seed tray in a bright spot. Germination typically takes around 21-42 days.

When seedlings are comfortably large enough to handle, transplant them into 4 inch pots and grow them on in cooler conditions until large enough to plant outdoors.

Once all risk of frost has passed, acclimatise the Lemon Grass seedlings to outdoor conditions for a couple of weeks before planting out or potting up again.

Harvest individual stems of lemongrass when required by snapping them off at the base of the plant.

Lift the plants in early autumn for over-wintering in a greenhouse with a minimum winter temperature of 7C (45F). Alternatively lemon grass can be grown permanently in 25-30cm (10-12inch) pots in kept throught the year in a warm greenhouse or conservatory.