Growing Lemon Grass

[flyboy]

Has anyone done it and how did it work out?

[BeeMaster2]

No but I am waiting to see if anyone has and how.
Jim

[amun-ra]

lemon grasss is a weed it grows like one, plant the seeds or bulb but in a pot not the garden as it can get away from ya and statr the stir fries

[rober]

a local nursery here sells it as an herb. I've grown it in pots only for cooking. it was easy to grow. you can find seeds online. there are videos on growing it on you tube

[BeeMaster2]

Tanks Rober and Anun-ra.

[troyin17331]

i have some growing now they are perennial outside in warmer areas and in cooler areas they need to be brought in.  they need good sun, warmth and kept damp. it grown in a spreading clump and can also be used as a flavoring for food.

[Dallasbeek]

The leaves, which have sharp edges, can be used in a flavorful  tea (tissane, actually).  The inner part of the stalk flavors soups and other food in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. 

[Better.to.Bee.than.not]

I grow lemongrass, and use it for cooking lots of thai dishes and others. I put it outside during the summer and bring it indoor for the winter. It barely survives the winter, but does great in the summer. but is it worth it? ie for something like extracting lemon grass oil compared to spending a few bucks and getting a whole jar of essential lemon grass oil to use in beekeeping? no, not imo.

[Dallasbeek]

I grow lemongrass, and use it for cooking lots of thai dishes and others. I put it outside during the summer and bring it indoor for the winter. It barely survives the winter, but does great in the summer. but is it worth it? ie for something like extracting lemon grass oil compared to spending a few bucks and getting a whole jar of essential lemon grass oil to use in beekeeping? no, not imo.

I  agree.  I've grown it every year for about 20 years, but I use it in cooking.  Trying to get the essential oil from it would be a major undertaking, imo.  Where would you start?

[flyboy]

I grow lemongrass, and use it for cooking lots of thai dishes and others. I put it outside during the summer and bring it indoor for the winter. It barely survives the winter, but does great in the summer. but is it worth it? ie for something like extracting lemon grass oil compared to spending a few bucks and getting a whole jar of essential lemon grass oil to use in beekeeping? no, not imo.

I  agree.  I've grown it every year for about 20 years, but I use it in cooking.  Trying to get the essential oil from it would be a major undertaking, imo.  Where would you start?

Pretty simple. You can put some in a bucket with water, soak it in the sun or use warm water. After a day or two you take out the LG leaving the water. Then you put some oil in the water. Not sure what would be the best but use a high quality extra virgin oil (clear) and heat the water so it will evaporate. Not too high so it cooks. When the water is gone you have essential oils.

Here is a youtube of one way https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z34pXB0AIm0

I suspect that using a pressure cooker might be better as the heat is less. Not sure about that.

I used to help my friend make essential oil soaps. Alder blossoms were very nice.

[Dallasbeek]

That's a lot simpler than I imagined.  I thought you'd have to do some kind of distillation, but I guess in a way you are, just without a still.  Thanks.  That works for lavender and other things, also?

[flyboy]

Yes it is a kind of distillation and yes it will work with anything that has an aroma.

It will also work for making certain medicinals from medicinal herbs. Usually for medicinal use you would use alcohol as the carrier, in other words you would soak the herb in alcohol for the period of time and then put the treated alcohol in a jar. It is then a tincture. of course this is one recipe, not the only.

[MsCarol]

Silly question maybe,

But do the stalks have enough "scent" to be used straight? Like cut up into lengths and bundled together and placed in the swarm trap?

Could one "steep" the chopped stalks straight in the oil in a warm location and get the oil "scented"?

I did grow it last year and it was doing wonderfully until I failed to move it from the hoop house to inside during the first hard cold snap. It froze.

[Dallasbeek]

Silly question maybe,

But do the stalks have enough "scent" to be used straight? Like cut up into lengths and bundled together and placed in the swarm trap?

Could one "steep" the chopped stalks straight in the oil in a warm location and get the oil "scented"?

I did grow it last year and it was doing wonderfully until I failed to move it from the hoop house to inside during the first hard cold snap. It froze.

Bees have an amazing sense of smell, so who knows.  But LGO is not that expensive, and how much raw lemon grass would equal a tiny drop of LGO?  You just put a drop on a cotton swab (Q-tip) for a swarm trap.    Then put the swab in a baggie.  So it's worth a try to use a small cutting of lemon grass stalk.  Let us know how it works.  See Michael Bush's comments about LGO and other things in swarm traps elsewhere on the forum

[Dallasbeek]

See those comments under "Lure for Bait Hives" on the next page of the forum.  Capt44 has some good points, as well.

[Better.to.Bee.than.not]

I buy a decent sized bottle of LGO for like a few bucks online. it works great. I also grow spearmint/etc and still buy the essential oils for a few bucks online, it is concentrated, potent and works great.  If someone here thinks they can produce it for less, then do it and I'll buy it from them. I am all about the capitalism and competition.