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How to Grow Lemongrasses Canada | Sowing, Protection & Harvest
Move through the SoilCommander growing library like a course: keep the navigation in place, open the next lesson, and build your garden plan step by step.
This is a frost-tender crop — it will not survive below about 7°C — so in UK conditions the growing year is built around starting it under cover and moving it out only once the risk has passed.
Core growing advice on this page is checked against named horticultural sources — see References.
Fertile, free-draining soil (RHS); USU: well-drained, moist, rich loam with high organic content.
Lifecycle
Clump-forming, tender perennial grass. RHS states it needs at least 13C (55F) to thrive and must come indoors before overnight temperatures fall below 7C (45F) -- it will not survive an unprotected UK winter. USU agrees it is a tender perennial, grown as an annual in cooler areas unless overwintered indoors; USDA hardiness zones 10-11.
Plant after the danger of frost has passed, or grow in containers indoors (USU). RHS: choose a container slightly wider and deeper than the current pot, using peat-free compost; in-ground spacing at least 30cm (1ft) apart. USU: 3ft apart in the ground, since plants reach 3-6ft tall and 3ft wide.
Establishment care
3
USU: water regularly and mist, hand-watering or flood irrigation (avoid overhead sprinklers); fertilize weekly at half strength June-September for containers, monthly for ground plants. Needs full sun and warm, humid conditions to thrive (RHS; USU).
Harvest
8
RHS: harvest May-September, selecting stems with swollen bases at the clump's edge, cut or pulled off low down; use only the lower 10cm (4in) of stem for the best flavour. USU: alternatively wait until stalks reach about 1/2in thick, or harvest at the end of the season just before the first fall frost; cut at ground level or twist and pull.
Overwintering and propagation
0
RHS: must move indoors before overnight temperatures fall below 7C (45F), kept in a bright spot above that threshold -- will not survive an unprotected UK winter. USU: save a 6in section of the bulbous shoot base with roots to overwinter indoors. Propagate by dividing established clumps in spring, each section with a good set of roots and several strong stems (RHS); USU notes it is rarely grown from seed.
When to pick: RHS: harvest May-September, selecting stems with swollen bases at the edge of the clump, cut or pulled off low down; USU adds an alternative trigger -- once stalks reach about 1/2in thick, or at the end of the growing season just before the first fall frost.
Storage
RHS: use only the lower 10cm (4in) of stem for the best flavour. USU: freezes for up to 6 months.
Named directly by USU as "little leaf/grassy shoot," causing stunted growth -- a phytoplasma disease, left at genus level since USU does not specify further.
Lemongrass rust
low
Named directly by RHS as occasionally damaging foliage; no pathogen species specified.
Lemongrass leaf blight
low
Named directly by USU: reddish-brown spots; no pathogen species specified.
Site: warm sunny position, full sun, fertile free-draining soil; needs at least 13C (55F) to thrive. Planting: container slightly wider/deeper than current pot, peat-free compost; in-ground spacing at least 30cm (1ft) apart; plant at the same depth as previously grown. Overwintering: bring indoors before overnight temperatures fall below 7C (45F); keep in a bright position above 7C; won't survive unprotected UK winters. Harvest: growing season, usually May-September; select stems with swollen bases at the edge of the clump, cut or pull off as low as possible; use only the lower 10cm (4in) of stem, best flavour. Problems: glasshouse whitefly on greenhouse-grown plants; rust occasionally damages foliage. Propagation: divide established clumps in spring, cutting the rootball into sections each with a good set of roots and several strong stems.
Soil: well-drained, moist, rich loam, high organic content; work fertilizer into top 6in, no more than 1in well-composted organic matter per 100 sq ft. Light: full sun. Climate: warm, humid; tender perennial, grown as annual in cooler Utah areas. Spacing: 3ft apart, plants reach 3-6ft tall and 3ft wide. Planting: after danger of frost has passed, or grow in containers indoors. Propagation: division of clumps or nursery starts, rarely from seed; for overwintering, save a 6in section of the bulbous shoot base with roots. Watering/feeding: regular watering and misting, hand-water or flood irrigation (avoid sprinklers); fertilize weekly at half strength June-September (container), monthly for ground plants. Harvest: end of growing season just before first fall frost, or once stalks reach 1/2in thick; cut at ground level or twist and pull off; freezes up to 6 months. Pests/diseases: spider mites (mainly indoor problem, treat with insecticidal soap); leaf blight (reddish-brown spots); little leaf/grassy shoot (stunted growth); generally free of pests and diseases when grown correctly.
2 independent sources are cited for this crop. Where they disagree - soil pH is the clearest case - every figure is preserved rather than averaged into false precision.
Frequently Asked Questions
What problems affect lemongrasses?
Our data links 3 diseases and 2 pests to this crop. See the sections above for each one and how to manage it.
Plan next season before the problems start
Short-season growing is arithmetic before it is technique: days to maturity against frost-free days decides what will finish at all. The Canada Garden Planner does that subtraction for your region before you sow.
Canadian vegetable growing guides · Adapted for Canadian hardiness zones and frost dates
Every SoilCommander guide is written and maintained by our editorial team for real Canadian growing conditions, adapted to Canadian hardiness zones and frost-date data, with provincial agriculture and Canadian university extension guidance cited directly where a crop-specific source exists.
Sketch your exact plot shape, pick your crops, and get a spacing-accurate bed layout with companion pairings and a rotation plan. Spacing, companion pairings and rotation work the same in any climate — pair the layout it gives you with the Canada planting calendar for your own frost-date timing.
