by johnah on November 12, 2020
When To Water Lemongrasses – What Are Lemongrasses Water Requirements?
Lemongrasses are one of the most popular plants in gardens. They provide many benefits to your garden including:
They add color and interest to your landscape. You can use them as ground covers or even decorative shrubs. They make excellent houseplants and they have a very long history of being used as such.
They are drought tolerant and can survive dry periods.
Lemongrasses are easy to grow and require little care. However, lemongrasses do need regular water. If you don’t get enough moisture from rainfall or if it’s not kept down properly, lemongrasses will die off quickly.
In fact, they may begin dying before you notice their death has occurred!
So when should you water lemongrasses?
The best time to water lemongrasses is during the summer months. Lemongrasses thrive in full sunlight and prefer a moist soil. During the winter months, lemongrasses tend to suffer from lack of light and wet soils. Therefore, lemongrasses should receive some watering during these times too.
But what happens if you forget to water them?
If you’re like me, then you’ll probably forget at least once per year! Don’t worry though. If you don’t water your lemongrasses for a couple of weeks, there will be no lasting damage. When you water your lemongrasses again, they should perk up immediately.
By the way, did you know that there are different types of lemongrasses?
The most common types of lemongrasses are:
Common or “true” lemongrasses (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
Lemon Gem (Cymbopogon citrates)
Lavender Lemongrasses (Cymbopogon varians)
Variegated or Varicolored lemongrasses (C.varia)
Java or Javanese lemongrasses (C.javanicus)
Mint or Menthy lemongrasses (C.pilosus)
Algerian or Desert lemongrasses (C.quadrivalvis)
Madagascan or African lemongrasses (C.madagascarensis)
There are many other types of lemongrasses as well as hybrids between the different types. Be sure you’re using the proper type of fertilizer for your type of lemongrasses. If you’re not sure what type of lemongrasses you have, ask your local nursery or garden center owner!
How To Water Lemongrasses – Guide And Tips On How To Take Care Of Your Lemongrasses
Lemongrasses are great for people who don’t have a lot of time to take care of plants. They thrive in dry and hot conditions, although they still need to be watered on a regular basis. The soil that they grow in should be sand, gravel, or pottery chips.
They need at least six hours of direct sunlight every day.
If you want to start growing lemongrasses in your home, all you really need are some pots, potting soil, and the seeds! You can find all of these things at your local home goods store or nursery. The only other things you will need are a water can and a sunny window!
If you are unsure of what type of pots to get, you should go with a clay pot. These retain water well and allow the plant’s roots to easily break through the soil. It also helps the plant regulate its temperature in the summer and winter.
Clay pots also don’t allow water to drain out of the pot very quickly, so you will have to water your plants more often.
Once you get all of your equipment, you can get started! First, prepare the pot by putting potting soil in it. You want the pot to be about two-thirds full when you are done.
Next, water the potting soil and then place your lemongrasses seeds on top of the soil. The seeds should be at least an inch apart from each other.
Sources & references used in this article:
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) productivity as affected by salinity of irrigation water, planting method and fertilizer doses on degraded calcareous soil in … by JC Dagar, OS Tomar, PS Minhas, M Kumar – Indian J Agric Sci, 2013 – researchgate.net
Irrigation and Nitrogen Requirement of Lemongrass [Cymbopogon flexuosus (Steud) Wats] on a Red Sandy Loam Soil under Semiarid Tropical Conditions by M Singh, RS Ganesha Rao… – Journal of essential oil …, 1997 – Taylor & Francis
Salicylic acid-induced physiological and biochemical changes in lemongrass varieties under water stress by M Idrees, MMA Khan, T Aftab, M Naeem… – Journal of Plant …, 2010 – Taylor & Francis
Performance and emission reduction characteristics of cerium oxide nanoparticle-water emulsion biofuel in diesel engine with modified coated piston by EP Venkatesan, A Kandhasamy, A Sivalingam… – … Science and Pollution …, 2019 – Springer
Antibacterial activity and mechanical properties of partially hydrolyzed sago starch–alginate edible film containing lemongrass oil by M Maizura, A Fazilah, MH Norziah… – Journal of Food …, 2007 – Wiley Online Library
Experimental investigation on lemongrass oil water emulsion in low heat rejection direct ignition diesel engine by EP Venkatesan, A Kandhasamy, L Subramani… – Journal of Testing and …, 2018 – astm.org
Effect of irrigation and nitrogen on herbage, oil yield and water use of lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus) on alfisols by M Singh – The Journal of Agricultural Science, 1999 – cambridge.org
Determination of Optimal Soil Moisture Depletion Level for Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus L.) by H Tesfaye, E Meskelu, M Mohammed – Irrigat Drainage Sys Eng, 2017 – researchgate.net
Techno-economic and environmental assessment of essential oil extraction from Citronella (Cymbopogon winteriana) and Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citrus): A … by J Moncada, JA Tamayo, CA Cardona – Industrial crops and products, 2014 – Elsevier
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