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Post by Wheelgarden on Jul 27, 2020 13:35:24 GMT -5
Mumsey I grew the flexuosus variety this year for the first time. I've grown the citratus variety in the past. It's doing very well, loving the heat and humidity. Doesn't seem quite as large as the citratus was, but nice and lush. I hope to save seed from it.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 14, 2021 23:50:18 GMT -5
Wheelgarden One season years ago I grew the flexuosis variety, but after starting the seeds on 2-1, and growing the plants until just after Halloween, the largest stalks I got were barely 1/4", and the largest cluster was about 2 1/2". The citratus, when I've grown it, got huge - the largest cluster had 86 stalks, many of them 1/2" or larger. It is definitely easier, and more productive for me to root them! I went to the Korean market yesterday, since that is right down the street from the orthodontist I went to. I didn't get much - really not short on anything in the condiment section, and I don't want to get anything that goes in the freezer! But I always go to the produce section - Asian stores have things I just don't see anywhere else! One thing I saw that I didn't really need, but I got some, anyway - lemongrass. I got it for rooting - 6 stalks, which is double what I need to grow about 5 years worth! I still have a bunch from 2017 Foodsavered in the freezer, many in small batches, and two large batches. I'll do that again, in the fall, and put the old stuff in a bag and label it as such - maybe I'll make a bug spray with all of it! I cut the bottoms of the stalks off, then peel the brownish layers from them, then put them to soak, for rooting, which takes about 3 weeks, which will be just about right, for putting them out. I change the solution every 3 or 4 days. Trimmed lemongrass stalks, ready to be soaked, for rooting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Lemongrass stalks, soaking in water, with a few drops of Dyna-Gro KLN, to help the rooting. by pepperhead212, on Flickr With the trimmings, I made a glass of what I call lemongrassaide. It wasn't quite as good as that I've made with the dark greens of the large plants, but I didn't want to waste it! Lemongrass trimmings, in VM to make some lemongrasaide. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Lemongrass trimmings, blended 30 seconds, with some water, a small bit of sugar, and a packet of stevia. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Lemongrass fiber, strained out of the blended liquid. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Finished lemongrasaide. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by gardendmpls on Apr 15, 2021 22:55:28 GMT -5
That looks so refreshing.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Apr 21, 2021 22:52:45 GMT -5
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Post by emmsmommy on May 15, 2021 16:39:52 GMT -5
When I dropped off plants at my parent's house yesterday, mom left me a note saying that my aunt had brought me some plants and one of them turned out to be lemongrass. I'm a bit dismayed since I found out it's not cold-hardy but will attempt to overwinter it indoors. I'll probably use it mostly for tea.
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Post by Mumsey on May 21, 2021 17:53:56 GMT -5
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Post by emmsmommy on May 21, 2021 18:28:08 GMT -5
Mumsey , I'll pretend I didn't read that as I still have seeds to start and don't want to add any more at the moment. However I'm sure seeds will find their way into the stash for next year. I did read up on a bit today while I was waiting and see that it likes to be kept moist, so will hopefully repot it soon and perhaps grow it in a pot with a water reservoir of some sorts.
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 21, 2021 23:27:40 GMT -5
emmsmommy If you got lemongrass plants, it is probably the stuff from seeds - a different species, and good, but it just doesn't get as large, at lest not as fast. I only grew it once from seed, because I started it in very early Feb, and the clusters didn't get as large by fall, and the stalks were only about 3/16" in diameter, as their largest. That's why I always just root some of the large stalks, and 3 plants supply me for about 3 years, in vacuum sealed packs!
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Post by pepperhead212 on May 26, 2021 14:15:04 GMT -5
Here's one of my extra rootings, which has ended up growing more up top in the cup than the 3 I planted outside! So I planted it outside - eventually, I'll see what ends up smallest, and pull that, and plant something else there, like dill maybe. I definitely don't need 4 plants, since even 3 is too much. One of my extra lemongrass rootings. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Jul 27, 2021 21:46:22 GMT -5
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Post by pepperhead212 on Aug 10, 2021 21:00:25 GMT -5
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Post by Wheelgarden on Aug 10, 2021 22:23:49 GMT -5
pepperhead212 love that stuff. It decorates the entrance to the garden. Do you grow it for the bulbs only, or use the leaves too?
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Post by pepperhead212 on Aug 11, 2021 9:32:35 GMT -5
Wheelgarden I save much of the upper leaves, as well as the lower part that I will cook with. When I harvest them in the fall, I cut the roots off, and cut the lower parts to about 6-8", and trim them so they are ready to use, then vacuum seal them in Foodsaver sections, packing the equivalent of 4 to 8 regular sized lemongrass; mine's usually smaller, but I can use longer pieces. After packing most of the larger pieces this way, the rest gets packed in larger sections of the Foodsaver strips. The greens I save, too, and it compresses very well. I use 12" bags (which I use for few things), and cut the greens just undersize to fit in, and pack them in - it's amazing how they compress! When some is used, just pack it down in the bag, and re-seal it. They can be used for that drink I made before - it's actually stronger than using the stalks! Can also be used for an insect repellent - better than wasting the stuff we cook with!
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 30, 2021 18:37:44 GMT -5
Today, I finally harvested all of my lemongrass - got 95 stalks, and only a very few small ones! I was surprised, for sure, as in the past it seemed that half the mass was small stalks, but you can see how few there were, even on the smallest clusters. And the one time I grew from seed (a different species), I got nothing but smaller stalks, and the plants were much shorter. As I've done before, I trim these now, so when I thaw them, nothing is thrown away - it's already been done! Well, not really - all those trimmings (other than those greens I saved) are in the garden, as mulch! I took photos showing the woody centers in the stalks, and the first one trimmed to the purple rings in the center. Some I only had to cut a small amount from, while the ones in the center (the oldest stalks) I sometimes had to cut up to 3" from. Good thing is, I won't need to do this again for quite a while! I still have a few from 4 seasons ago, from 3 stalks - I couldn't find anyone that wanted my 4th rooting, so I planted it! All 4 lemongrass clusters, showing the size difference. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Here's the largest cluster, with the stalks cut through, with a cleaver, showing the outer ones already with the purple rings in the centers, but most needed some trimming. Largest cluster, stalks cut off, showing the woody center of most of the the stalks, which will need to be cut off. by pepperhead212, on Flickr The smallest cluster still had few small stalks, and had more of the ones that didn't need trimming at that end. Smallest cluster, still with few small stalks. by pepperhead212, on Flickr I didn't save all of the greens - only half. These will be cut more, then Foodsavered, and the volume will decrease greatly. Lemongrass greens, from 2 largest clusters, about 46 oz., filled a plastic bag from a store. by pepperhead212, on Flickr And the 95 stalks I got from the 4 clusters: 95 stalks saved, and rinsed, draining, before vacuum sealing them, in the Foodsaver. by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 30, 2021 20:52:42 GMT -5
And here's that lemongrass 5 days before I harvested it. And a photo of the huge sage and rosemary plants, that didn't look like much, behind the lemongrass. 4 lemongrass clusters, next to a large sage and rosemary plants. Ready to be harvested soon, 10-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr Sage, 4 ft across, and rosemary, almost 4 ft tall, that were dwarfed by that lemongrass! 10-30 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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