8 Benefits Of Growing Lemongrass

source: Shockingly Delicious

You’ve likely heard of lemongrass before, or citronella grass, as it’s commonly referred to. Lemongrass has a delicious, fresh scent that’s used in oils, soaps, and more. But it also has a ton of other uses and benefits, and you can grow lemongrass regardless of where you live! Here are 8 reasons to start growing lemongrass this year.

1. Insect Repellent

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Lemongrass smells wonderful to us, but insects (including pesky mosquitoes) can’t stand the smell. By growing lemongrass in your yard, you’ll be able to enjoy the outdoors without being swarmed by biting insects.

2. Edging Plant

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Lemongrass is a medium, bushy plant that makes for a great edging or border plant. In addition to lining walkways for aesthetic purposes, it can also prevent weeds from encroaching on your garden beds.

3. Potted Plant

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Lemongrass is a very low-maintenance plant, and it requires little water in order to thrive. Plant some lemongrass in pots for a beautiful and easy-to-maintain array of planters!

4. Great Fragrance

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As I’ve mentioned, lemongrass has such a beautiful, distinct scent. Planting lemongrass in your garden or in pots on your deck will create a pleasant aroma you’ll enjoy when spending time outside!

5. Cooking Additive

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The shoots of lemongrass are commonly sliced, cooked, and served in dishes like Thai curries and soups. There are tons of great recipes involving lemongrass, so don’t be shy about experimenting with this great plant in the kitchen!

6. Soil Boost

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If you have an area in your garden with poor soil, plant some lemongrass! Because lemongrass is such a fast-growing plant, it will degrade, decompose, and produce compost-like matter which will improve the quality of your soil.

7. Filler Plant

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Lemongrass is a great ground-covering plant. If you have large spaces of garden bed you want to fill without having to spend a lot of time maintaining, lemongrass is the perfect plant.

8. DIY Soaps

source: Lovely Greens

Looking for a DIY project? Make amazing-smelling, natural soaps using lemongrass oil! Click here for a simple tutorial.

Now that you know how many great uses there are for lemongrass, I hope you’ll consider planting some this season. I know I will be!