Lemongrass thrives in the hot summer

Lotte Bjarke’s greenhouse hides many goodies. One of them is her lemongrass that this year has sprouted incessantly. Lemongrass loves heatwaves and warmth which is why it should be in the greenhouse. Besides being a beautiful and decorative plant, it is a nice supplement to the herbs we normally use in the kitchen.

Lemongrass is as the name implies grass or rather reeds. The plant originates from Asia and usually reaches a height of 4 feet. What makes it desirable is its strong taste of lemon. The taste is in the stalks hence they should get abused or beat with a hammer for example. It is the inner white in the stalks you need. If you cut the stalks in smaller pieces, it’s a less brutal way to bring out the taste. The pieces should be boiled or fried. The stalks can also be dried and pulverised. Lemongrass contains a lot of oil which is used in cosmetics and mosquito sprays.

If you want to try out lemongrass yourself, it needs to be placed in a warm spot, ideally in the greenhouse. You need to be aware that the plant does not tolerate frost and should be kept at, at least, 10 degrees during the winter. The soil should be a good loam and as the plant thrives in a moist soil it needs to be irrigated a lot. It also likes fertilizer in the season of growth. Remember to transplant so it has enough space. It needs space for the stalks to get thick.

 

What you can use lemongrass for

The leaves can be used as a lemon tea.

The white bottom stalk works well as a soup viscous.

Crush the thick leaf sheaths into small brushes so you can brush fish to get the taste of lemon.

Lemongrass works against stomach-ache, headache, fungi and diarrhoea.

 

Lotte is also an expert in growing small tomatoes.