Property Plus
Coimbatore
It looks good in the wild!
Scourge of flies: Crushed lemon grass lets out a wonderful aroma which ironically drives away flies and mosquitoes.
What’s common to rice and lemongrass? Well, they are both grass varieties. While it may not be practical to grow rice at home, you may grow lemongrass at home and reap tangible benefits. Crushed lemon grass lets out a wonderful aroma which ironically drives away flies and mosquitoes. So, you can make a spray of lemon grass by boiling it in water. And then of course, lemon grass is used to flavour a variety of delicacies like pulav and lemon tea. Lemon grass oil may be used as a bath oil and has medicinal value too. You can snip the lemongrass leaves from about 10 cm above ground level, as and when you need them.
A plant whose leaves look great when left wild, lemongrass is another of those plants that look good in a garden with a wild setting. Alternatively, you may also grow them from pots. You can raise lemongrass from seeds or seedlings obtained from nurseries.
As is the case with its relative, the paddy plant, plant science experts feel that the transplanted seedlings are superior in terms of oil content to the directly grown lemongrass. Ideal time for planting lemongrass is just below the monsoon. Lemon grass requires well drained soil, so it makes sense to rake well the soil it is planted in. The lemongrass plant retains its prime potency for about six years. Being a grass variety like the rice plant, lemongrass requires more water – about two litres everyday. Make sure the plant is exposed to bright sunlight. Lemongrass is not generally infested by pests.
HEMA VIJAY
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