Plants Ruled By Mercury: Lemon Grass

Lemon Grass

Lemongrass, or Cymbopogon Citratus, is a clumping grass that has amazing, citrus-scented leaves. The leaves and stems are popularly used in Thai and Veitnamese dishes, but they have many other uses, making C. Citratus a valuable addition to your garden.

Lemongrass is a perennial that thrives in zones 9 and 10, but it can be kept in pots in cooler zones. Grown outside, lemongrass can grow from 3-5' tall and up to 4' wide. Mine went from a little clump of maybe 12” to a massive 7' tall monster in less than a year - and with multiple haircuts! Don't worry, indoors and/or in pots, you can expect it to grow much more slowly. If your plant is in a container, you probably won’t see any flowers, but a very large or outdoor plant might show a few stalks of green flowers that give way to seeds, similar to rice and other grasses.

Lemongrass prefers full sun and a soil that is rich and moist. In containers, use a mix of one third compost, one third topsoil, one sixth peat moss and one sixth vermiculite. Feed container plants liquid fish emulsion and seaweed once a month during the summer. Use a pot that is at least 12" and keep the soil well-watered but not drenched. When the temperatures cool, over winter your Lemongrass in a sunny South or East facing window.

Once your plant is at least a foot tall, leaves and stems can be harvested continuously. The leaves can have paper-sharp edges, especially if you rub against the grain, so take care when harvesting and handling them, especially if your plant gets big.

You can use the leaves and stems fresh, dried or frozen. Dry C. Citratus in a dehydrator or by keeping small bundles in a warm place that is out of direct sunlight. Freeze in ice cubes with either water or oil.

Lemongrass is most well-known as an ingredient in recipes. It can be used in stir-fries, soups, and pastas, with tofu and with lots of different vegetables. But it is quite versatile and also makes a refreshing addition to tea blends, potpourris and scent sachets. 

Lemongrass is not bothered by pests and in fact, can be used to make a great bug repellent. But if you do keep your Lemongrass indoors, you may find one pest that surprises you- your cat! Cats love to eat Lemongrass leaves, I catch my cat snacking every time she passes by them. 

Lemongrass Astrology

Astrologically, Lemongrass is ruled by the planet Mercury, the sign of Gemini and the element of Air.

Mercury represents the mind. Gemini is an energy of quick, two-sided thinking. And Air is also about intelligence, mental faculty and communication.

Lemongrass can stabilize the mind. It supports quick-thinking and lends mental focus. Lemongrass can connect two-sided thinking and ease that sense of being wishy-washy, or having moods that morph on a whim. 

Use it as a wash, in a bath, in a tea or even in a room spray. 

Lemongrass tea is mentally rejuvenating and calming for the nerves. It eases the mental fatigue that can come from a racing mind.  It improves mental dexterity and can even give memory a boost. Try making a memory boosting tea by combining it with rosemary.

 

You can also try adding it to your bathwater to initiate a fresh start in your life. Use it together with lemon zest, mint, rosemary and epsom salt to add a zing to your next soak.

Or make a yummy scented spray! This spray will freshen up an office with stale energy, clear out your living room after a visit from your complaining In-laws and even wake up your mind during that dreaded 2:30pm slump.

Lemongrass is refreshing and invigorating. Just spritz into the air to keep the channels of communication clear. 

It also clears away old conditions, and is great for cleansing away unwanted energies. Spritz the room when you need to clear the energy or even just clear your head. 

 Lemongrass is also great to utilize during Mercury Retrograde. 

Check out this this super easy stove top distillation tutorial for creating your own lemongrass hydrosol. It smells incredible!!!

Distilling Lemongrass Hydrosol using the stovetop method at home. 

Here is a super short and easy video tutorial for distilling a hydrosol at home on your stove.

Often discarded as a by product of essential oil distillation, Hydrosol is actually versatile, environmentally friendly and useful. Great for beauty products, aromatherapy and more. If you grow any aromatics like this lemongrass or anything like rosemary, lavender, mints or balms, this could be a fun new way to work with your plants. You probably already have everything at home- a pot with a lid, super clean water, ice, plant of choice and a container to catch the hydrosol. A small , clean glass jar, about 2 or 4 oz size is great.

Water, plant, and container go in the pot.

Put the container in the middle of the pot on some sort of base, so it won't bounce around and spill its precious contents when it gets hot. I used the lid of the jar. 

Once you have your jar on its little lid base' place the plant matter around it. Pour in your clean water.

Flip the lid of the pot upside down, so the handle sits inside the pot when you out the lid on. 

Put the ice in a bag and place the bag on top of the upside down lid. Slowly heat up the pot. 

The scented steam rises and hits the icy cold lid, causing condensation droplets to collect on the curve of the flipped lid and drop into the catchment container below.

This is the hydrosol.

So easy and it smells sooo good! Put it in a spray bottle and spritz away!

Your hydrosol is fresh! Expose it to minimal air, keep it in the fridge and dispose if it gets cloudy or smells off. 

Tag me if you make any hydrosols! Its @celestialselfastrology on Instagram and tiktok.

If you like learning about plants and planets in this way, check out this article I wrote about Roselle Hibiscus 

Or visit The Astrologer's Garden page to watch my FREE classes about Growing your own medicine in your backyard or home.

Remember:

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.

Please read the descriptions carefully, do your own research and practice common sense and safety.

Always consult your physician before using or ingesting any herbal remedies.

Test any new herbal with a small sample before utilizing a full application. A small percentage of people have allergies that even natural, organic substances may aggravate. A substance that is completely harmless and even healthy for one person might cause an allergic reaction in someone else.  Use at your own risk.