Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

ALMOST BEEKEEPING - RELATED TOPICS => GARDENING AROUND THE HOUSE => Topic started by: BjornBee on December 20, 2008, 03:55:33 pm

Title: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: BjornBee on December 20, 2008, 03:55:33 pm
I was looking through the 2009 johnnysee catalog, looking for some plants for bees and the garden.

There is a lemongrass plant for sale that is much thicker, than the the "grass" type plants I have seen previously. This variety is described as for culinary use. So what culinary use are they talking about? Is this edible, or is the stalk used in strainer bags for liquid production and flavorings?

The item is:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/search.aspx?scommand=search&search=lemon%2bgrass

Thank you.
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: reinbeau on December 20, 2008, 04:48:12 pm
It's used in asian cooking alot, my SIL, who is Philippine, loves it.  I don't think it can grow outdoors and overwinter for us, but people do grow it in their gardens for use.
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: annette on December 20, 2008, 06:56:25 pm
For Thai cooking it is used a lot and has a wonderful flavor when making sauces.
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: Michael Bush on December 20, 2008, 08:32:51 pm
Rub it inside of swarm boxes...
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: KONASDAD on December 23, 2008, 11:45:39 am
some say it can also be used to get rid of fleas on pets if the oil is added to their shampoo .
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: Cindi on December 23, 2008, 01:54:53 pm
I was looking through the 2009 johnnysee catalog, looking for some plants for bees and the garden.

There is a lemongrass plant for sale that is much thicker, than the the "grass" type plants I have seen previously. This variety is described as for culinary use. So what culinary use are they talking about? Is this edible, or is the stalk used in strainer bags for liquid production and flavorings?

The item is:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/search.aspx?scommand=search&search=lemon%2bgrass
Thank you.

Bjornbee.  You are perusing catalogues looking for bee plants.  You probably haven't noticed this thread that Ann and I were involved in making.  It has some really good informations in it, if you are interested.   Just for your information.  Have a wonderful and awesome day, Cindi

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=7367.0

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php?topic=9857.0

Also, below you will see a document that I typed out regarding pollen/nectar plants of the Pacific Northwest/Oregon.  Many of these plants can be grown in many places all over the world.  I typed this document in a table format, but it didn't copy the table format into the forum, so it looks rather muddled up, but you get the gist (or is it jyst, or jist, or gyst?  Hee, hee).

If you want the list of the pollen plants in a table format, give me a PM with your e-mail address and I will e-mail the original table-type document to you, or anyone else that may be interested.  I just like to put information available for those that are interested.  Cindi

Document taken from the book, Pollen & Nectar Plants of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest
D.M. Burgett
B.A. Stringer
L.D. Johnston
Honey plants are classified as major, secondary and minor
According to the contribution to a bee colony in a region
High pollen plants:
-   crocus
-   hollyhock
-   poppy

Plant   N   P
   %
Nectar
Sugars   Comments
Aster   N   P      
Cornflower (Bachelors Button)   N   P   Up to
53%   
Balsam Root Balsamorhiza deltoidea Nutt   N   P   46%   
Lima bean   N         
Blackberry   N   P   35%   Major source
Buckwheat   N   P   50%   
Cabbage Brassica oleracea)   N   P      Excellent honey plant, granulates easily
Catnip nepeta cataria L   N      29%   Heavy nectar
Celery   N         Good producer of nectar when grown for seed
Chickweed   N   P   50%   Useful early and late season
Cleome Rocky Mountain bee plant
               “Cleome serrulata Pursh”   N   P   22%   
Clover, Arrowleaf ‘trifolium vesiculosom savi’   N   P      July and August
Clover, Crimson   N   P      1st of seed clovers to bloom – May
Value of a building flow
Clover, Red   N   P      Much dark brown pollen, from self-fertile flowers
Clover, strawberry   N   P   33%   Bees work freely, greenish-brown pollen
Clover, white   N   P   45%   Common lawn and pasture volunteer
Cotoneaster “Cotoneaster supp.”   N   P      Important source of aromatic propolis
Crocus   N   P      Very attractive, but too limited to be of value
Cucumber   N   P      Poor yielder of nectar or pollen
Dandelion   N   P   45-50%   Heavy yielder -- nectar & bright orange pollen
Dogbane   N   P      Some heavily worked by bees
Elderberry, blue   N   P      Important minor plant
Farewell-to-spring ‘Clarkia ameona”
           a.k.a. – summer darling      P      Attractive to honeybees
Filbert cultivated hazelnuts      P      Earliest pollen sources
Fireweed Epolobium agustofolium L.   N   P      Major source of nectar
Flax   N   P      Freely visited by honeybees
Grape   N   P   65%   
Heath and heather   N   P      Heavily worked by when weather permits
Lamb’s ears x. byzantina C Koch   N         Supplies nectar
Hollyhock althea rosea   N   P   36%   Good pollen source, very attractive to bees
Horehound cynoglossum grande Dougl.
          Cynoglossum officinale L.   N      48%   
Huckleberry vaccinium spp.   N         Important for spring build-up
Hyssop, giant agastache urticifolio   N         Good producer of white honey, fine flavour
Ivy, English   N   P      One of the latest H and P sources
n.concentrated & attractive to honeybees
flowers of mature growth only
Loganberries rubus ursinus, loganobaccus   N   P      Freely worked and often produces surplus honey late May to June
Maple, big leaf   N   P   35-56%   Much pollen and occasionally light amber honey – late March to mid-April.  Weather often handicaps, great for spring build-up
Maple, Norway, ornamental   N   P   48%   Spring
Maple, vine   N   P   27-50%   Late April to May, visit freely
occasionally surplus honey crop
Miner’s lettuce montia perfoliata   N         March – July, early spring source in some area
Mullein verbascum thapsus L   N   P      June – August, abundant orange pollen
Parsley   N   P      Very attractive
Pennyroyal Mentha polegium L   N   ?      Valuable honeyplant reported in California
Penstemon Penstemon spp   N   ?   35%   Very attractive
Peppermint menthe piperita L.   N   ?      Freely visited and can produce surplus honey
Poppy, California Eschscholzia Californica Cham   ?   P      Honey is low grade
Important source golden pollen (papaver) species, produces high quality pollen
Pyracantha Firethorn   N   P      Fence or hedge plant – heavily worked
Rape brassica napus L.   N   P   50-73%   Very attractive, abundant N & P
Raspberry   N   P      Very attractive, occasional source of fine surplus honey
Sainfoin onobrychis viciifolia scop.
         a.k.a. Holyclover   N   ?   55%   
Skunk cabbage      P      
Snowberry   N      47-58%   Light flow June to August
Sorrel, wood   N   P      April to October, common in shady areas,
cultivated form is also visited for pollen
Spearmint menthe spicata L   N   ?      Worked freely for nectar
St. John’s Wort   N   P      Good source of pollen, minor nectar
Star Thistle, yellow centaurea solstitialis   N   P   37%   Weed, important source of nectar
see also bachelor’s button
Teasel didsacus sylvestris Huds   N   P      Widespread weed, very attractive to bees
Thistle, Bull   N   P   38%   Widespread weed, bees work freely



Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: Meadlover on October 05, 2009, 09:05:07 pm
I was looking through the 2009 johnnysee catalog, looking for some plants for bees and the garden.

There is a lemongrass plant for sale that is much thicker, than the the "grass" type plants I have seen previously. This variety is described as for culinary use. So what culinary use are they talking about? Is this edible, or is the stalk used in strainer bags for liquid production and flavorings?

The item is:
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/search.aspx?scommand=search&search=lemon%2bgrass

Thank you.

BjornBee

I grow the Western Lemongrass and use the bases in my Thai cooking when making curry pastes, and the green leaves are fantastic for making herbal tea - just cut in pieces with scissors into a cup and add hot water! Very quick, easy and refreshing.
If you have an excess of lemongrass, it is also good to chop and add as a mulch/ground cover or to the compost pile for bulk organic matter.

ML
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: iddee on November 02, 2009, 09:12:23 am
With the seeds selling for over 1100 dollars an ounce, you may want to go that route. Raise and sell the seeds.   :shock:    :shock:
Title: Re: What to use this lemon grass for?
Post by: Sago13 on November 04, 2009, 01:53:27 am
 I have 4 bushes of lemongrass next to my hives and when i cut some to use for tea, the bees love the smell so much they land on the bushes for awhile. Next spring I try to use as a lure to catch swarms