Lemongrass is cultivated as a medicinal plant. In India, lemongrass cultivation is done on a commercial basis. It is also known as China grass, lemongrass, Malabar grass, and Indian lemongrass. Moreover, Its leaves contain 75 percent citral, due to which a lemon-like fragrance is found in it, and the leaves are also used to make tea. Also, the oil obtained from its leaves is used to make cosmetics such as high-quality perfumes, soaps, and beverages. On the other hand, paper and manure are made from the remaining part.

Lemongrass Cultivation Requirements For Profits

In this blog post, we will discuss the essential steps for lemongrass cultivation. Also, we will explain the harvesting process and yield from lemongrass cultivation. 

Soil And Climate For Lemongrass Cultivation 

It can be grown in any fertile soil with the help of any mini tractor. However, lemongrass cultivation should not be done in waterlogged land, and a neutral pH soil is ideal for lemongrass.

Moreover, lemongrass cultivation requires a warm and temperate climate, and its plants need more sunlight. We will obtain a good yield if the plants get enough sunlight during winter. Its plants require only 200 to 250 CM of rainfall during the rainy season.

Lemongrass plants grow well at 20-degree to 25-degree temperatures. However, its plants can tolerate a maximum temperature of 40 and a minimum of 15 degrees.

Field Preparation & Fertilizer In Lemongrass Cultivation

For lemongrass cultivation, we need a friable soil. Therefore, the field is first deeply ploughed to make the soil loose. After the first ploughing of the field, we should apply 10 to 12 carts of old cow dung manure. After this, two to three oblique ploughing of the field is done, due to which cow dung manure mixes properly in the soil. Then, ploughing is done by applying water to the field with the help of a Sonalika Mileage Master tractor. Moreover, the field is ploughed again to make the soil more friable. After this, the field is leveled by placing planks in the field.

Beds are prepared at a proper distance for transplanting plants in a flat field. If you want to use chemical fertilizers in the field of lemongrass cultivation, then you need two bags of NPK per hectare. The quantity of spraying has to be done at the time of the last ploughing of the field. Apart from this, after harvesting the plant, give about 20 to 25 KG of nitrogen per acre. Due to this, new branches are formed on the plants in a short time, resulting in higher crop yield.

Plant Preparation In Lemongrass Cultivation 

Planting in lemongrass cultivation is done by both cutting and seed methods. If you want to transplant through seeds, you need about 2 to 3 KG of seeds in a one-hectare field. On the other hand, the saplings are planted in the beds prepared in the field for transplanting as seedlings with the help of a Captain mini tractor. These beds are prepared in rows, in which a distance of one to one and a half feet is kept between each row. After this, the seedlings planted in the row are planted at a distance of one to one and a half feet, and the plants have to be planted at a depth of 3 to 4 cm.

Apart from this, the transplanting of plants can also be done with old roots. This method is called the slip method. First, the old plants planted to prepare the pen are cut from the root at 8 to 10 cm in height. After that, those roots are uprooted, and slips (small roots) are separated. In lemongrass cultivation, these separate roots are planted in the field at 3 to 4 cm depth. This method is considered the best in lemongrass cultivation. 

Irrigation Needs In Lemongrass Cultivation

The plants are transplanted in the rainy season, so lemongrass cultivation does not require much irrigation. But for a high yield, plants have to be watered. Therefore, the first irrigation of its plants is done immediately after transplanting, and water must be given at an interval of two to three days to maintain moisture in the field till germination. In summer, lemongrass cultivation plants need more irrigation once a week after the germination of the plant, and in the winter season, water must be given in 20 days. Its plants are ready for the first harvest after three months, and after each harvest, the plants must be watered.

Lemongrass Cultivation Weed Control

Protecting the lemongrass plants from weeds for two months after the beginning is very important. However, natural weeding is used for weed control in lemongrass cultivation. Its first weeding has to be done 10 to 12 days after transplanting, and subsequent weeding is done at an interval of 10 to 15 days. Moreover, we must do hoeing in lemongrass cultivation immediately after harvesting. Apart from this, if you want to control the weed by chemical method, you have to spray diuron and oxyfluorfen in the field.

Harvesting And Yield In Lemongrass Cultivation 

It takes 60 to 90 days for lemongrass plants to be ready to harvest. Once its plants are ready, lemongrass cultivation gives yield for 5 years. Its first harvesting is done after three months of transplanting the plant, and after every harvesting, there is an increase in yield. At the time of harvesting, remember that the plants should be cut from above 10 to 12 cm, due to which new plants grow well.

About 100 tons of green grass is obtained from the one-hectare field of lemongrass cultivation, which is dried, and 500 KG of oil is obtained by distillation method in a year.

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