Grow lemongrass in a draining pot you can move indoors before frost. Keep the mix moist in summer heat.
Grow it in a draining pot you can move
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Pot | A large pot with drainage holes that you can still lift | A pot with no holes, or a tiny pot that dries out every day |
| Mix | A potting mix that drains, kept evenly moist | Garden soil packed in a pot — it stays wet and smothers roots |
| Summer water | Water so the mix does not dry in heat | Do not treat a pot like a wet bog, or let it bake dry |
| Feed | Half-strength fertilizer every week or two through summer | Do not starve a pot from June through September |
Where frost is regular, a container is the usual home for this grass, because you can carry it inside before a cold night. [1] lemongrass fills a pot fast in heat, so start with a container you can still lift in fall. [2] Sun and even moisture for the genus are on How to Grow Lemongrass.
What size pot does lemongrass need?
Use a large pot with drainage holes, big enough for a clump that will swell in summer, and light enough to carry indoors before frost.
How to keep a potted clump through summer
Set the pot in full sun. Water when the mix starts to dry, and feed through the warm months.
- Use a potting mix that drains. Set the crown at the same level it grew before, not buried.
- Water so the mix stays evenly moist in heat. A pot dries faster than a bed. Do not leave it standing in a saucer of water. [3]
- Feed a half-strength soluble fertilizer every week or two from early summer through early fall.
Bring the pot in before frost
A freeze kills the clump. Move the pot inside before nights drop toward frost, and keep the mix barely moist in a bright window. [4]
- Before a cold night, cut the tops back to about a foot if the plant will not fit the door.
- Move the pot to a warm, bright window. Do not leave it on a freezing porch.
- Keep the mix barely moist. Do not let it dry out, and do not keep it soggy.
- Ease off fertilizer until you move the pot back out after frost.
When do I bring the pot inside?
Move it before nights drop toward frost. Waiting for the first freeze is too late.
If a freeze is in the forecast, carry the pot inside tonight — a cold night kills the clump.
FAQ
Can I keep the pot in a garage?
Only if the garage stays above freezing and you can still give the plant some light, or you accept a nearly dormant clump. A bright window is more reliable. Keep the mix barely moist either way.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Illinois Extension -
https://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/lemon-grass - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/cymbopogon-citratus/ - [3] Utah State University Extension -
https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/lemongrass-in-the-garden - [4] UC Master Gardeners of Sonoma County -
https://ucanr.edu/site/mg-sonoma/lemongrass
This note is part of Cymbopogon Guides.
More container notes by plant live in Container Growing Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors