Growing Lemongrass in Jacksonville

I bought some lemongrass at local Oriental market recently. They were selling it in clumps of three or four stalks. I had planned to use it in cooking, but I didn't end up getting a chance to use it. I'd heard from several people that it grows quite well here in North Florida, so I decided to try it.

Lemongrass likes tropical weather and lots of sun, making it the perfect summertime crop. I've been recently demoralized in the garden department, since nearly everything I've planted is wilting and dying.

If you're worried about the winter killing it off once it gets cold, well, stop worrying. It will die off a bit, but it's hardy enough to rally most of the time. Even if it does die a cold death, it's not difficult to replace and plant.

Most gardening guides say you should place the stalks in a clear vase with water at the bottom. Change the water every couple of days and plant them when you get 1/2 long. As an experiment, I skipped that step on one of my stalks, just to see how it would do. I made sure to keep it moist in a sunny place. The experimental stalk already has new growth, about a week after I put it in the pot. It sprouted at the same time as the rest of the lemongrass, which I planted later.

As for the rest of the lemongrass, it was in the vase for about a week before I planted them. Once in the pot, it was only two days before it sprouted new growth.

My lemongrass is planted in a pot with potting soil, but I may decide to fertilize (probably organically) because these guys like rich soil (though I've heard they don't absolutely need it). I'm looking forward to cooking with fresh lemongrass from my garden.