Grow Thai kitchen herbs in pots: lemongrass, galangal, basil, makrut, pandan
Root market lemongrass, grow galangal, turmeric and fingerroot from rhizomes, raise basil, keep makrut and pandan in pots, and harvest so they keep producing.
- Market lemongrass with its base node intact usually roots in water in about 1-3 weeks.
- Galangal, turmeric and fingerroot grow from rhizome pieces with two or three buds, best planted as the rains begin, and are ready when the leaves yellow and collapse.
- Holy basil and Thai basil need regular tip-pinching and flower removal to stay bushy and keep making leaves.
- The most common killer in pots is overwatering and rotting rhizomes, not insects.
Most of the herbs Thai cooks reach for every day are easy to grow, and several start straight from what you buy at the market, no seeds or nursery cuttings needed. This is the second lesson of the path “Thai herbs in the kitchen”. The last lesson introduced ten herbs; this one grows them in pots or small beds without synthetic pesticides: pot sizes, sun, water, harvesting so the plant keeps producing, and the usual problems.
Every number here is a typical range for Thailand’s hot climate. Real plants may be faster or slower depending on sun, soil and season.
Before you plant
| Herb | Start from | Pot (width) | Sun | First harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lemongrass | market stalks rooted in water | 30-40 cm (12-16 in) | full | about 3-4 months |
| Turmeric, fingerroot | rhizome | 30-40 cm, 25 cm+ deep | half day to full | about 6-10 months |
| Galangal | rhizome | 40 cm+ (16 in) | half day to full | about a year |
| Holy basil, Thai basil | seed or cuttings | 20-25 cm per plant (8-10 in) | full | about 6-8 weeks from seed |
| Makrut lime | nursery plant | 40-50 cm (16-20 in) | full | a few leaves at a time once established |
| Pandan | side offshoots | 30 cm+ | dappled to half day | once the clump has several leaves |
Every pot needs drainage holes. Use loose soil mixed with compost, as in the “Start a pesticide-free kitchen garden” path.
Lemongrass from market stalks
- Choose stalks that still have a hard knob at the bottom - the node roots grow from - and a plump, unshrivelled base.
- Cut off the leaves, leaving a stalk about 15-20 cm long. Stand it in a glass with 2-3 cm of water over the base.
- Change the water every 1-2 days so it doesn’t go stale.
- Roots usually appear in about 1-3 weeks. Wait until they are about 3-5 cm long, then plant.
- Set the base 3-5 cm deep and water until the soil is moist, not soggy.
Lemongrass likes strong sun and steady water. In a 30-40 cm pot it fills out into a clump within a few months. To harvest, cut a few plump outer stalks at soil level and leave the middle ones to keep the clump growing. Don’t pull up the whole clump.
Galangal, turmeric and fingerroot from rhizomes
All three are grown the same way. Use fresh, firm rhizomes from the market that have buds - the small bumps that shoots grow from.
- Cut the rhizome into pieces with 2-3 buds each. For galangal, pieces about 5-10 cm long.
- Leave them in the shade overnight so the cut surfaces dry, which lowers the chance of rot.
- Plant about 5 cm deep, buds facing up.
- Water once until moist, then don’t water again until the surface starts to dry. Shoots usually appear in about 2-6 weeks.
The best time to plant is the end of the hot season into the start of the rains, roughly April to June. The plants grow through the rainy season, and as the dry season arrives the leaves yellow and collapse - the sign the rhizomes are ready to dig. Fingerroot is often harvested about 8 months after planting and turmeric about 6-10 months. Galangal is slower and makes a bigger clump, so it usually takes about a year.
You don’t have to empty the pot. Dig rhizomes from the side, use them, and cover the rest so it keeps sprouting. Turmeric and fingerroot prefer wide pots to deep ones, since the rhizomes spread sideways.
Holy basil and Thai basil: seed, cuttings, and pinching flowers
From seed: the seeds are tiny. Scatter them on the surface and cover with a very thin layer of soil, or just press them in. Water with a fine rose. They usually sprout in about 5-10 days. Move them into pots once they have two or three pairs of true leaves. You can start pinching tips for the kitchen about 6-8 weeks after sowing.
From cuttings, which is faster: take a non-flowering stem about 10-15 cm long, strip the lower leaves, and stand it in water with no leaves submerged. Roots usually appear in about 1-2 weeks; then pot it up. Market Thai basil can work too, if the stems are still fresh.
Pinching tips and flowers is the heart of growing these. Cut just above a pair of leaves; the two side buds become two new branches and the plant bushes out. Pinch off flower spikes as soon as you see them, because once the plant flowers and sets seed it makes fewer leaves. Take no more than about a third of the plant at a time.
Holy basil keeps going for many months. When the plant turns woody and the leaves get small, root a few soft cuttings to replace it.
Makrut lime in a pot
Makrut is a tree. Starting from a nursery plant grown from a cutting or graft is much faster than from seed. Use a pot about 40-50 cm wide with free-draining soil, put it in full sun, and water when the top knuckle-depth of soil has dried. Citrus, makrut included, hates soggy soil.
Pick a few leaves from several branches rather than stripping one bare. The branches are thorny, so wear gloves. The pest you’ll meet most is butterfly caterpillars eating the young leaves. Check under new growth regularly and pick off eggs and caterpillars by hand.
Pandan, close to water
Pandan almost never flowers or sets seed, so you grow it from the offshoots that appear at the side of the clump. Cut one off with roots attached and plant it in a pot or bed. Pandan likes evenly moist soil; short of water, the leaves yellow and lose scent. Many Thai homes grow it near a tap or where dishwater drains, but the soil shouldn’t sit waterlogged all the time. It handles dappled light well. Harvest the mature outer leaves and leave the young ones in the centre.
Example: a one-metre balcony herb corner
Say a south-facing balcony gets about 6 hours of direct sun a day. One row of pots could hold:
- Lemongrass: one 35 cm pot, with 3-4 rooted stalks
- Holy basil: one 25 cm pot, one plant
- Turmeric or fingerroot: one 35 cm pot, with 3 rhizome pieces
Total width: 35 + 25 + 35 = 95 cm, which fits in a metre with a little room for your hand to reach in. A makrut tree needs its own 40-50 cm pot in another sunny spot, and pandan can go in a shadier corner.
On typical timings, this balcony gives holy basil to pick in about two months from seed (sooner from cuttings), lemongrass to cut in about 3-4 months, and turmeric or fingerroot to dig once the leaves yellow and collapse early in the dry season.
Common problems, solved without synthetic pesticides
| Symptom | Usual cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Rotting rhizome or base, whole plant yellowing | too much water, no drainage hole, water sitting in the saucer | water only once the surface dries, empty saucers, move pots out of heavy rain |
| Curled young tips with clusters of tiny insects | aphids | knock them off with a strong water spray, pinch off badly hit tips |
| White cottony lumps at joints and under leaves | mealybugs | wipe off with cotton wool or an old brush, cut off badly infested stems |
| Stretched plant, thin pale leaves | not enough sun | move to a sunnier spot |
| Basil with few leaves and lots of flowers | flowers not pinched | pinch flowers and prune |
Neem extract is for when there are too many insects to handle by hand. It makes insects feed less and disrupts their growth rather than killing on contact. Use it with care: mix to the label, test on a few leaves and wait a day to check for scorching, spray in the evening after bees have gone home, avoid flowers bees are visiting, and keep it out of fish ponds, since it can harm fish and other aquatic life. Respect any waiting period on the label before harvest, and always wash herbs before eating.
Most potted herbs die from too much water, not from insects. Push a finger into the soil before every watering.
Growing through Thailand’s seasons
- Hot season (roughly March to May): pots dry out fast; leafy herbs may need water once or twice a day, morning and evening. Get rhizomes ready to plant at the end of the season.
- Rainy season (roughly May to October): galangal, turmeric, fingerroot and lemongrass grow fastest now, but watch for waterlogged pots. Move small pots out of the rain during long spells of heavy downpours.
- Cool season (roughly November to February): drier air; rhizome herbs go dormant, their leaves yellow and collapse, and it is time to dig. Holy basil and Thai basil carry on; cut back watering to match how dry the soil is.
The next lesson looks at where eating herbs as food ends and taking them as medicine begins.
Sources
FAQ
My market lemongrass sat in water and never rooted. Why?
Usually the seller trimmed the base so far that the node roots grow from is gone, or the stalk was old and dried out. Choose stalks with a hard knob still on the bottom and a plump base, and change the water every day or two. If there are no roots after three weeks, try fresh stalks.
Can I grow them in a condo with little sun?
Pandan and culantro cope with dappled light better than the rest. Galangal, turmeric and fingerroot manage with half a day of sun. Lemongrass, holy basil, Thai basil and makrut want strong sun for about 6 hours or more; with less they stretch and their leaves thin out.
After spraying neem extract, can I pick and eat straight away?
Follow the label of the product you use, both the mixing rate and any waiting period before harvest, and always wash herbs before eating. For a handful of insects, pick them off or blast them with water first; you may not need anything else.
General information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, take regular medication, or have a liver or kidney condition, ask a doctor or pharmacist before taking herbs beyond normal food amounts.