When should I sow lemongrass?

In a typical UK garden, sow indoors late February to late March, plant out mid-May to mid-June, and harvest late June to late October. Later in Scotland, the north and frost pockets; earlier in the south-west and near the coast.

How far apart should I plant lemongrass?

60 cm apart in the row, with rows 90 cm apart. In a square foot garden, that's 1 per 4 squares.

Lemongrass

Cymbopogon citratus

In a typical UK garden, sow indoors late February to late March, plant out mid-May to mid-June, and harvest late June to late October.

When to sow, plant and harvest

Frost dates

Last frost around 20 April, first frost around 31 October.

Sow indoors: late February to late March
Plant out: mid-May to mid-June
Harvest: late June to late October

Spacing: 60 cm apart, rows 90 cm apart
Square foot: 1 per 4 squares (30 cm squares)
Sowing depth: 0.5 cm
Ready in: 60 to 90 days from planting out
Grows to: 90 cm
Hardiness: Tender: killed by any frost
Sun: Full sun
Crops for: Several years (perennial)

Growing tip

Grow it in a large pot in full sun, keep it moist, and bring it indoors before nights drop below about 7 °C.

More herbs

Where these figures come from

Every crop in VegLog was checked against published growing advice. Dates are worked out from average frost dates, so they shift with your garden. For lemongrass, we used:

Grow lemongrass with VegLog

Add lemongrass to a bed and VegLog reminds you when to sow, plant out and pick, timed to your own town's frost dates.