[shokkyy]

I'm in the planning stage for my new polytunnel, working out what I can grow in there. I'm wondering if lemongrass would survive through the winter in there. Anyone tried it?

[New shoot]

I tried to overwinter lemongrass in the greenhouse (unheated).  It was a quite established plant and I got it up off the ground and wrapped it up well with fleece, but it didn't make it

[compostqueen]

They're easily raised from seed so it's not a disaster if they don't make it

[shokkyy]

Yes, but looking on some of the threads here it seems that it takes 2 years before the stems really get thick enough. Is that right or is a 1 year stem ok?

[compostqueen]

Weeell, you might be right about that, but I raised mine and was eating them in the same season, but admitted they were thin but had the full amount of flavour, which is what it's about 

[gobs]

I'm in the planning stage for my new polytunnel, working out what I can grow in there. I'm wondering if lemongrass would survive through the winter in there. Anyone tried it?

No, it won't.

It needs heat.

[savbo]

Yes, but looking on some of the threads here it seems that it takes 2 years before the stems really get thick enough. Is that right or is a 1 year stem ok?

OR...Buy a packet from grocers (usually trimmed less finely than from supermarket, leaving some root plate) in early spring, stand in water til they root then grow on in pots - will multiply nicely and give you half a dozen stems at least per plant

[LilacSandy]

Bother,  I used a whole packet of seeds and only got two plants, I have nursed them all year and they have not even got to pencil thickness yet and now you tell me they will die.  , oh well, greengrocers it is then 

[gobs]

Bother,  I used a whole packet of seeds and only got two plants, I have nursed them all year and they have not even got to pencil thickness yet and now you tell me they will die.  , oh well, greengrocers it is then 

Put them in your bathroom or something like that, in a nice pot.

As Savbo says they readily grow from a stick from the shop.

[New shoot]

I grew mine from a stalk bought from the supermarket.  Rooted very quickly in a glass of water on the windowsill and rocketed away once planted into a pot.

Trouble is lemongrass is a big plant - think pampas grass.  Mine was in a large terracotta pot so was way too big to have inside the house, but the stalks I did harvest were pretty thin.

If you want a nice lemon flavoured herb, lemon verbena will usually get through the winter in an uheated greenhouse or tunnel and makes a nice patio shrub for the summer.

[sunshineband]

WOW!

I had no idea lemongrass grew so massive. Photos I've see must have been of very young plants 

[shokkyy]

Actually, I was re-reading my polytunnel book last night and noticed that the author had pictures of the lemon grass he was overwintering in his tunnel. He had the grass in a pot and was wrapping it in fleece as well as keeping it in the tunnel, and apparently that was working.

[gobs]

He must be living south from here, that's all I can say.

They are a weed if liking it. So it might be just as well, that they do not make it through the winter.

[New shoot]

WOW!

I had no idea lemongrass grew so massive. Photos I've see must have been of very young plants 

Well I did start my plant off in the winter inside.  It went into a 2L pot in the spring in the greenhouse and just grew and grew.  By winter again it was in a long tom pot and huge.  Then I saw a cookery programme, forget where, but they were picking lemongrass out of someone's garden and you would have sworn it was pampas. 

'Twas at that point I wrapped mine in fleece in the greenhouse and said good luck chappie, but the cold last winter was too much for it 

[sunshineband]

WOW!

I had no idea lemongrass grew so massive. Photos I've see must have been of very young plants  

Well I did start my plant off in the winter inside.  It went into a 2L pot in the spring in the greenhouse and just grew and grew.  By winter again it was in a long tom pot and huge.  Then I saw a cookery programme, forget where, but they were picking lemongrass out of someone's garden and you would have sworn it was pampas.  

'Twas at that point I wrapped mine in fleece in the greenhouse and said good luck chappie, but the cold last winter was too much for it  

Might have been a bit of a blessing in disguise -- think how big it might have been by now