Lemongrass is one of the wonder plants. It has many benefits. It can be easily grown at home for personal consumption or commercially on a large farm. It is widely used in Asian cooking to provide the specific flavor and smell of lemongrass. The oil extracted from its leaves is used in the manufacture of soaps and candles and, for thousands of years, has been used to cure various ailments ranging from stomach cramps to arthritic pain.
Planting it on a commercial scale is quite easy as the plant can grow effectively in almost any soil condition. It requires a warm tropical climate with plenty of sun. Since it is easy to grow, it had created high competition in the market causing a drop in price.
The following are the suggested steps to grow it commercially:
1. Practice hours:
A. Secure the market. As the planting cycle is about 6 months, finding buyers is one of the critical elements of the project.
b. Equip yourself with the necessary skills and knowledge. It will be a good idea to attend courses and seek advice from the agricultural authority.
against Familiarize yourself with the list of suppliers of seedlings and equipment. They can be a source of information and advice.
d. Plan the detail of the project. The project can be divided into 4 steps.
Yo. Website Preparation
ii. Plantation and first month.
iii. growth stage
IV. Collection and Marketing.
2. Website Preparation. Evaluate the site with an expert to verify the suitability of the soil. Although lemongrass can be grown in a wide range of soil conditions, it would require specific treatment and fertilizing techniques for different soil types. This treatment can increase the cost.
Synchronize the preparation of the site with the purchase of the seedlings. It is preferred to plant in the rainy season, to reduce the need for irrigation. Clearing the land and plowing is twice, the final one is using the rotor.
3. Sowing and first month. The sowing stage can be carried out two weeks after the soil preparation stage. Line up the holes in 3-by-4-foot grids and insert three seedlings into each hole. Water it immediately. Plants will need daily watering for the first 7 days. Then round weekly for a month to replace dead seedlings. After the first month, the replacement of dead seedlings should stop.
4. growth stage: Lemongrass does not require much attention while growing. Fertilization is monthly for the first three months. Manually remove weeds. The plants have no natural enemies and the inserts do not attack the leaves or roots.
5. harvest and marketing: Harvesting is the most difficult and time consuming task as it has to be done manually. Depending on the contract with the buyer, lemongrass can be harvested in 3 ways depending on its use. For the oil extract, cut the leaf a foot from the ground. You can repeat this cycle monthly for 4 times (4 months). For seedlings, at harvest, leave a small amount of roots and cut back the leaves leaving about a foot of stem length. If it is to be marketed for consumption, harvesting is similar to seedlings, except that the roots must be cut.
With proper planning and controlled implementation, growing lemongrass can be a profitable proposition. Demand for the product has increased as Asian foods are widely accepted in the West.