As a tropic plant , lemongrass is n’t exactly suitable to the chilly temperatures of winter in much of North America . When temperatures fall below 40ºF , it begin to suffer .

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However , there are way to aid this herbaceous plant survive the cold , and come back level-headed and vigorous in spring . Continue reading to ascertain out how to prepare your plant for winter .

A row of lemongrass plants growing in the garden with long, thin, upright, green leaves. In the background are trees and vegetation in soft focus.

How to Prepare For the Cold

Plant Hardiness Zones

If you’regrowing lemon grass in your garden , you might be wondering what to do with it over the winter months . Due to its tropic bloodline , lemongrass can only hold up the winter outdoors in the warmest areas of the US .

If you live inUSDA Hardiness Zone10 or 11 , it ’s secure to leave it outside twelvemonth - pear-shaped . However , this only applies to growers in Florida , southerly Texas , southerly Arizona , and southerly California .

If you live in Zone 8 or below , you ’ll need to lend your plants at heart during the colder months or they ’ll end up dying . In Zone 9 , it’sbestto bring them indoors , but with additional auspices you should be able to overwinter them outside .

A close up of a cluster of lemongrass stems growing in a pot with long upright stems and light green grass like leaves, on a bright soft focus background. To the center and bottom of the frame is white and green text.

Protecting Outdoor Plants

If you ’re in Zone 9 , your lemon grass can pull through the wintertime outdoors as long as you ply adequate shelter from the cold .

float dustup coverscan act almost like a mantle , encompass and keeping plants warm when temperature plummet .

The first stone’s throw in prepare for the cold months is to snip your lemon grass . Using gardening shear , take out the leaf and ignore the stalks back until they are six to twelve inches tall .

A close up of a cluster of lemongrass stems growing in a pot with long upright stems and light green grass like leaves, on a bright soft focus background.

Then drape the material over the flora .

check that to hold back down the sides using tilt , brick , or other weighting to make a snug covering . cumulate each last and weigh down to prevent cold-blooded air from blowing in .

Divide, Prune, and Pot

If you hold up in Zone 8 or below , you ’ll need to bring your herbs at heart during the winter where they will go inactive .

When they are dormant , they can survive the cold , dark days . Think of dormant plant like hibernate bears ; they both take it soft in the wintertime so they can kick into military action in the spring .

If you ’re bringing them inwardly for the wintertime , you ’ll need to bug out preparing your lemongrass when nighttime temperatures start to expend below 45ºF.

A close up of lemongrass plants with upright bright green leaves growing outdoors in a raised bed.

The first pace to getting this sess for life indoors is to divide it .

First , use a shovel to toil up the whole plant . verify to labor at least two inches either side of the base of operations of the stem in purchase order to save the roots .

After you ’ve dug it up , use your hands to carefully separate each lemongrass oil clump into sections of two to four stalks . check that each section contains roots .

A lemongrass plant in the garden with its leaves cut back making a small compact form. In the background is grass, straw mulch and bushy vegetation.

If it hold less than four stem , you do n’t need to divide it .

After dividing , habituate scissors hold orpruning shearsto bring down the leaves and stalks back so they are 6 - 12 inch tall .

This haircut aid the maintain moisture in the approaching months by decreasing the surface surface area it uses to take a breath . With few leafage , less water evaporates from the leaves .

A close up of a lemongrass plant growing in the garden, with long thin bright green leaves and vegetation in the background.

For more information ondividing perennial see our full guide here .

The next step is to pot them up .

Choose a container that is at least six inches full and six column inch cryptical . make full the container with a mixture of soil andcompost , and plant the stalks 1 - 2 inches deep .

A close up of a lemongrass plant growing in the garden, its leaves cut down. On the right of the frame is a spade in the ground with a wooden handle, ready to dig the plant up. In the background is grass and soil in bright sunshine.

If placing more than one division of stalk into the same container , space them at least one inch aside .

Keeping Plants Indoors

Once your herbs are in their pot , you need to find a right positioning for them to spend the next few months .

Since   overwintering lemon grass is going to be dormant , do n’t have a bun in the oven maturation or harvests over the cooler months .

To wield quiescence , locate the pots in a coolheaded , indistinctly lit area . These conditions will keep it active , but not really develop . A service department , basement , or basement kept at 50 - 60ºF are adept options .

A close up of a black pot with dark, rich soil and a lemongrass plant, on a concrete surface. The background fades to soft focus.

Water your lemongrass about once a calendar month over the winter while it ’s dormant . Only body of water sparingly , when the soil is ironical at the top ; the finish is to provide just enough water for the dormant plant to go .

If you do n’t have a cool country , they can be keep in a warmer environment . The warmth will belike prevent them from going fully dormant , although growth will slow down dramatically .

In warm space ( above 60ºF ) , plants will attempt to continue to raise throughout the wintertime . In this case attempt to leave your lemongrass with plenteousness of brightness level by placing it near a southward - face window .

Two hands from the left of the frame holding a rectangular terra cotta container with lemongrass plants in rich soil. In the background is grass and a concrete wall in soft focus.

If you do n’t have a window with sufficient visible light , you’re able to provide artificial igniter via a grow light . A wide-eyed light - light bulb will do – just look for one labeled “ nerveless white . ”

If you want your plant to retain growing , check that it catch at least ten hours of natural or artificial light each day . body of water twice a week to keep the soil moist but not waterlogged .

get more tips for develop lemongrass indoors here .

A close up of a plastic terra cotta colored rectangular container with lemongrass plants pruned so only their stalks are left, and the leaves removed. The pot is on a wooden surface and the background is a brick wall.

Preparing for Spring

Once daytime temperature are regularly in the 50s , move your tidy sum to a sunny and warm location indoors . Start water them with about a quartern of an column inch two to three time a calendar week .

After two workweek of acclimation to visible radiation and warmth , you may start moving the container outside during the daylight . Be sure to bring them at heart if the temperature dip to 40ºF or below .

Once nighttime temperatures remain reliably above 40ºF , you could leave your them outside . At this breaker point , you could also transfer them back into your garden if you care .

A black metal planting container with pruned lemongrass plants cut back to a few inches high on a concrete surface with a soft focus background.

While you may transfer your herbs back into their previous location , it ’s best to commit them somewhere new . By practice crop revolution , you assist prevent trouble with disease , pests , and alimental - insufficiency in the stain .

Wherever you end up transplanting , ensure the filth is well - aerate . Plant clumps of one to four stem , with one to two animal foot between each clump .

Will My Lemongrass Survive Winter?

If you follow the steps above , your lemongrass will hold out the wintertime . Even if you do n’t make it to the tropical zone yourself , you ’ll have a reminder of the warmth that is to come .

If you have any questions about how to prepare this herbaceous plant for the frigid weather , please comment below .

And to study more about tropical works , mark off out these articles :

A black plastic pot containing rich dark soil and a lemongrass plant with light stems and green upright leaves, on a gray tiled surface. In the background is grass lawn.

© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL right RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Originally published December 12th , 2019 . Last update August 31st , 2023 . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock . With additional writing and editing by Clare Groom and Allison Sidhu .

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Briana Yablonski